How to Measure Ingredients Without a Scale

You don't need a kitchen scale to cook well — but you do need to know how to measure with spoons and cups properly. Here's the complete technique.

The kitchen tools you actually have

• Tablespoon (tbsp) — international standard 15 ml. Regular home tablespoons vary 12-18 ml. For accuracy use measuring spoons or check our tablespoon-to-gram converter.
• Teaspoon (tsp) — 5 ml. 1 tbsp = 3 tsp.
• Cup — usually 240 ml (US standard). UK/Australian metric cup = 250 ml.
• Fluid ounce (fl oz) — 29.57 ml (US). 1 cup = 8 fl oz.

The most important rule: ingredient density varies

The same volume can weigh very differently depending on the ingredient. 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar weighs 12.5 g, but 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour is only 8 g. This is because each ingredient has its own density. Using a generic formula like "1 tbsp = 15 g" will give wrong results.

The solution: use our ingredient database with density data validated by USDA and King Arthur Baking. Each ingredient has its own conversion ratio.

Proper measuring technique

For dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt)

1. Spoon the ingredient into the measuring cup until full (don't press or pack).
2. Level off the top with the back of a knife or a straight edge.
3. Don't heap unless the recipe specifies "heaping tablespoon" — heaping can be 50% more.

For liquids (water, milk, oil)

1. Pour into a clear measuring cup placed on a flat surface.
2. Read the bottom of the meniscus (the curve at the liquid surface) at eye level — not from above.
3. For sticky liquids like honey or maple syrup: lightly oil the measuring cup first so it slides off cleanly.

For solid fats (butter, shortening)

1. Use the wrapper markings if available — US butter sticks have tbsp markers (1 stick = 8 tbsp = 113 g).
2. For unmarked blocks: use displacement method. Fill a measuring cup with cold water to a known mark, add fat until water rises by the desired volume.

When you really need a scale

For most cooking, volume measurements are fine. But for these cases, buy a digital kitchen scale ($15-25 USD):

• Bread baking — hydration ratio precision matters
• Macarons, meringues — egg white weight is critical
• Scaling recipes — multiplying by 2.7 in cups gets messy fast
• Yeasted doughs — small flour weight differences change rise time

Quick conversion shortcuts

For fast reference without a calculator:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour = 120 g
• 1 cup granulated sugar = 200 g
• 1 cup butter = 227 g (1 US stick = 113 g)
• 1 cup milk = 245 g (close to ml since density ≈ 1.03)
• 1 tbsp salt = 18 g (high density!)

For other ingredients, use our calculator.