Chapter 16

MEASUREMENTS AND CONVERTION

INRODUCTION
Having accurate cooking measurements conversions is very important if you want to
try recipes from different countries. In recipes, quantities of ingredients may be specified
by mass (commonly called weight), by volume, or by count.
For most of history, most cookbooks did not specify quantities precisely, instead
talking of "a nice leg of spring lamb", a "cupful" of lentils, a piece of butter "the size of a
walnut", and "sufficient" salt. Informal measurements such as a "pinch", a "drop", or a
"hint" (soupcon) continue to be used from time to time.
Today, most of the world prefers metric measurement by weight, though the preference
for volume measurements continues. Different ingredients are measured in different
way.
OBJECTIVES

The readers will know the definitions of measurement and conversion.

The readers will learn how to convert measurements.
They will also learn the different abbreviations of the measurement units.

Measurement Conversion

In cooking you need to know how much of each ingredient to add or mix. You have a
choice of measuring its mass or its volume. For liquids and powders, volume is easy to
measure in a marked container. For solids (piece of meat, butter, pasta), mass is easy
to measure on a scale.
Conversion is the act or an instance of converting or the process of being converted.

Liquids
These are ingredients that are liquid or fluid substance. Liquids can be converted to
liters or milliliters with the following table. Small volumes (less than about 1 fluid ounce
or 2 tablespoons) of ingredients such as salt, herbs, spices, baking powder, etc. should
also be converted with this table. Do not use this table to convert other non-liquid
ingredients.
Customary quantity

Metric equivalent

1 teaspoon

5 mL

1 tablespoon or 1/2 fluid ounce

15 mL

1 fluid ounce or 1/8 cup

30 mL

1/4 cup or 2 fluid ounces

60 mL

1/3 cup

80 mL

1/2 cup or 4 fluid ounces

120 mL

2/3 cup

160 mL

3/4 cup or 6 fluid ounces

180 mL

1 cup or 8 fluid ounces or half a pint

240 mL

1 1/2 cups or 12 fluid ounces

350 mL

2 cups or 1 pint or 16 fluid ounces

475 mL

3 cups or 1 1/2 pints

700 mL

4 cups or 2 pints or 1 quart

950 mL

4 quarts or 1 gallon

3.8 L

Length
A measure used as a unit to estimate distances. Lengths may be converted with the
following table. Keep in mind that 1 cm = 10 mm.
Customary quantity

Metric equivalent

1/8 inch

3 mm

1/4 inch

6 mm

1/2 inch

13 mm

3/4 inch

19 mm

1 inch

2.5 cm

2 inches

5 cm

3 inches

7.6 cm

4 inches

10 cm

5 inches

13 cm

6 inches

15 cm

7 inches

18 cm

8 inches

20 cm

9 inches

23 cm

10 inches

25 cm

11 inches

28 cm

12 inches or 1 foot

30 cm

Weight
Weight use to measure or apportion a certain quantity. Weights can be converted
with the following table. Note that the ounces referred to in this table are not the same
as fluid ounces.

Customary quantity

Metric equivalent

1 ounce

28 g

4 ounces or 1/4 pound

113 g

1/3 pound

150 g

8 ounces or 1/2 pound

230 g

2/3 pound

300 g

12 ounces or 3/4 pound

340 g

1 pound or 16 ounces

450 g

2 pounds

900 g

Temperature
Temperature measurement describes the process of measuring a current local
temperature for immediate or later evaluation.
Celsius or Centigrade = (Fahrenheit - 32) / 1.8
Fahrenheit = (Celsius x 1.8) + 32C
100 C 212 F

1 Celsius Centigrade = 33.8 Fahrenheit

1 Fahrenheit = -17.22222222222222

Miscellaneous Measures
At times a recipe will call for a quantity that is not a standard measurement, such as
pinch, dash, jigger, scant or heaping. Measurements of this type can be confusing as to

the exact quantity to use. The descriptions

Abbreviation
Measurement
below may help when these measurements
C
Celsius Centigrade
are
called
for
in
a
recipe.
F
Fahrenheit

Abbreviation
l.
lb.
mil.
min.
oz.
pt.
qt.
sq.
tbsp.. or T.
tsp. or t.

Measurement
liter
pound
milliliter
minute or minutes
ounce or ounces
pint
quart
square
tablespoon
teaspoon

c. Pinch - A measurement
cup
used on dry
doz.
dozen
is the amount you
fl. oz. ingredients that
fluid ounce
g.
gram
can pinch between
your forefinger
gal.
gallon
is less than a dash and
gms. and thumb. Itgrams
hr.
or hours
equivalent hour
to approximately
1/16
kil. or kg
kilogram
teaspoon.
Dash - A small amount of an ingredient equivalent to over 1/16 teaspoon but less
than 1/8 teaspoon when measuring dry ingredients. A dash used to measure

liquid ingredients equals approximately 3 drops.

Jigger - A measurement equivalent to 3 tablespoons or 1 fluid ounces.
Scant - A scant measurement indicates that you should use slightly less than the

actual measure.
Heaping - A term, used when measuring dry ingredients, indicating that enough
ingredient should be added in the measure so that it heaps over the rim of the

measuring cup or spoon.

Smidgen A small amount. Usually pinch or 1/32 teaspoon.
Gill - is a unit of measurement for volume equal to a quarter of a pint.
Bit - of teaspoon.
Bitty half teaspoon

Measurement Abbreviations

TEST YOUR TASTE BUDS

I.

Identification

1._____________ come in a wide variety of materials and is used to measure big

amount of dry ingredients.
2._____________.Liquids can be converted to liters or milliliters with the
following table.
3._____________ use to measure or apportion a certain quantity.
4._____________.A measure used as a unit to estimate distances.
5._____________ measurement describes the process of measuring a current
local temperature for immediate or later evaluation.
6._____________.A measurement used on dry ingredients that is the amount
you can pinch between your forefinger and thumb.
7._____________used to measure liquid ingredients equals approximately 3
drops.
8._____________.A measurement equivalent to 3 tablespoons or 1 fluid
ounces.
9. ____________.A scant measurement indicates that you should use slightly
less than the actual measure.
10.____________.A term, used when measuring dry ingredients.
II.

Matching Type
___1. Fahrenheit
___2. Pint
___3. Fluid ounce
___4. Quart
___5. Celsius Centigrade

III.

a. pt.
b. qt.
c. C
d. F
e. fl. oz.

COMPLETE THE TABLE

Customary quantity

Metric equivalent

4 ounces or 1/4 pound

1.________g

2 cups or 1 pint or 16 fluid ounces

2.________mL

3.________ inches

13 cm

4._______ Celsius Centigrade

33.8 Fahrenheit

1 teaspoon

5.________mL