The Units of Measure Calculators are provided in addition to the Conversion Charts to help convert units of measure from metric to US measures. You may specify the decimal place you want the calculation to round to by selecting the number of decimal places in the dropdown list.

To calculate, select the appropriate Unit of Measure:

Units of Measure Conversion Chart

Units of measure used for the mixing of ingredients may require the conversion of quantities for several different measuring systems. Understanding the equivalent measures and the conversion process will almost always provide more successful results. Ingredient measures are separated into either liquid or dry measures. Within liquid or dry, there are United States, British (Imperial), and Metric units of measure. Each must be considered or converted when necessary to mix the right proportions.

In the United States, liquid ingredients, such as vinegar or milk, are measured the same as dry ingredients, such as sugar or flour. US measures are always considered as "level" measures. Ingredients in the measuring utensil are level with the line indicating the amount or the top of the utensil, while British Imperial measures are more than a level measure.

British (Imperial) names for the measure, such as teaspoon or tablespoon, are named the same as the United States units, however, the measured amounts are not the same for liquids but are the same for dry measures.

Converting Different
Units of Measure

It may be necessary to convert different units of measure, especially when preparing recipes from international cookbooks. The three basic measuring systems most commonly used are the U.S. system, the British Imperial system for liquid, and the Metric system. There are basic formulas that can be used to convert a measurement from one system to that of another.

Converting U.S. Liquid Measurements to British Liquid Measurements

If a person in Britain were preparing a dish from a recipe in an American cookbook, that person would have to use American measuring tools to measure liquids or would have to convert American liquid measurements to British. To convert American fluid ounces to British fluid ounces, multiply the American ounces by 1.04. It is also important to keep in mind that American and British fluid pints are the same in name only. An American fluid pint contains 16 American ounces while a British fluid pint contains 20 British ounces. If the American recipe called for a pint of a liquid, it would be equal to approximately 15 1/3 British fluid ounces.

Converting British Liquid Measurements to U.S. Liquid Measurements

If a person in America were preparing a dish from a recipe in a British cookbook, that person would have to use British measuring tools to measure liquids or would have to convert British liquid measurements to American. To convert British fluid ounces to American fluid ounces, divide the British ounces by 1.04. It is also important to keep in mind that British and American fluid pints are the same in name only. A British fluid pint contains 20 British ounces while an American fluid pint contains 16 American ounces. If the British recipe called for a pint of a liquid, it would be equal to approximately 1 1/3 American fluid pints.

Converting U.S. Measurements to Metric Measurements

Length:

• To convert inches to centimeters, multiply the number of inches by 2.54.
• To convert feet to meters, divide the number of feet by 3.28.
• To convert miles to kilometers, multiply the number of miles by 1.609.

Weight:

• To convert ounces to grams, multiply the number of ounces by 28.35.
• To convert pounds to kilograms, divide the number of pounds by 2.205.

Liquid Measure:

• To convert ounces to milliliters, multiply the number of ounces by 29.573.
• To convert ounces to liters, divide the number of ounces by 33.815.
• To convert pints to liters, divide the number of pints by 2.114.
• To convert quarts to liters, divide the number of quarts by 1.057.

Converting Metric Measurements to U.S. Measurements

Length:

• To convert centimeters to inches, divide the number of centimeters by 2.54.
• To convert meters to feet, multiply the number of meters by 3.28.
• To convert kilometers to miles, divide the number of kilometers by 1.609.

Weight:

• To convert grams to ounces, divide the number of grams by 28.35.
• To convert kilograms to pounds, multiply the number of kilograms by 2.205.

Liquid Measure:

• To convert milliliters to ounces, divide the number of milliliters by 29.573.
• To convert liters to ounces, multiply the number of liters by 33.815.
• To convert liters to pints, multiply the number of liters by 2.114.
• To convert liters to quarts, multiply the number of liters by 1.057.

United States Units of Measure

In the United States, both dry and liquid ingredients are measured the same way using the same measuring device and the same unit of measure for volume. For example, a cup of liquid, such as vinegar or milk, will be measured the same as a cup of dry ingredients, such as sugar or flour. This applies to other units of measure as well, such as teaspoons, tablespoons, ounces, pints, and quarts. However, when comparing dry measures with liquid measures, there is a volume difference. For example, a pint of dry ingredients is approximately 1/6 larger than the corresponding liquid pint. Most often, raw fruits and vegetable are measured using dry measures, since the quantities are larger in volume.

Metric Units of Measure

The metric system is the most universally accepted measuring system in the world. It is a decimal system of measurement used for length, area, volume, and mass. Metric units of measure for length and area are based on the meter, which is slightly larger than a yard in the U.S. system. When measuring fluid volume with the metric system, the liter is the standard unit of measure. It is slightly large than a U.S. quart. Weight is measured in grams with 1000 grams equal to a kilogram, which is equal to about 2.2 pounds in the U.S. system.

British (Imperial) Units of Measure

British (Imperial) units of measure are referred to in the same terms as in the U.S. system, such as feet and inches and ounces and pounds. British linear measurements are the same as linear measurements in the United States as are the measurement of dry ingredients in pints, quarts, pecks, bushels, and pounds. Liquid measures of volume are different, although the same names are used to describe units of measure such as teaspoons, tablespoons, fluid ounces, gills, cups, pints, quarts, and gallons. The British fluid ounce is equal to 1.04 times the American fluid ounce. The British pint contains 20 British ounces compared to the American pint which contains 16 American ounces. The British quart contains 2 British pints or 40 British ounces as compared to the American quart which contains 2 American pints or 32 American ounces. This means that a British fluid pint equals 20.8 American fluid ounces or 1 pint and 4.8 ounces. A British quart equals 41.6 American fluid ounces or 1 quart and 9.6 ounces.