US Imperial to Metric conversion chart for cooking and baking including oven temperatures. Conversion of units can be a hassle; cups, milliliters, deciliters, inches, gallons and so on... I’ve put together this handy metric conversion chart to make your kitchen adventures easier.
Whether you’re making fluffy cardamom buns, savory meatballs, or hot mustard, this guide will help you feel confident tackling any recipe—no matter the measurement system.
While all the recipes on my blog are written with American cup measurements, I know many of you enjoy diving deeper into Scandinavian cooking—and sometimes that means working with recipes or cookbooks in the metric system.
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General Conversions
When I first started food blogging, it felt like a hassle to decide what measurements I was going to use. Volumes can be very confusing with both the Metric, Imperial, and the US customary measurements. For example, a gallon in the UK is around 4,5 liters and in the US about 3,8 liters. They are based on different concepts; the imperial gallon is based on the weight of water, while the US gallon is defined using cubic measurements.
My best advice is to have a measuring tool with all these systems labeled, this way you can make any recipe. Buy also a kitchen scale so you can weigh things in grams when baking and you need exact measurements.
Volume
| Metric | US |
|---|---|
| 5 ml | 1 teaspoon |
| 15 ml | 1 tbsp |
| 30 ml | 1 oz = 2 tbsp |
| 45 ml | 1 shot (jig) = 3 tbsp |
| 60 ml | ¼ cup |
| 80 ml | ⅓ cup |
| 120 ml | ½ cup |
| 160 ml | ⅔ cup |
| 180 ml | ¾ cup |
| 240 ml | 1 cup |
| 475 ml | 1 pint = 2 cups |
| 940 ml | 1 quart = 4 cups |
| 3,8 l | 1 gallon = 4 quarts |
100 milliliter (ml) = 10 deciliter (dl) =1 liter, l
Weight, dry ingredients Metric to American
| Metric | US |
|---|---|
| 28 g | 1 oz (ounce) |
| 113 g | 4 oz = ¼ pound |
| 150 g | ⅓ lb |
| 230 g | ½ lb |
| 300 g | ⅔ lb |
| 340 g | ¾ lb |
| 450 g | 1 lb = 16 oz |
1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g)
Take note that these are rounded numbers to use as average in cooking.
Oven temperature conversions Fahrenheit and Celsius
The general calculation is Celsius to Fahrenheit °F=(°C×1.8)+32. The most common temperatures used in baking in many Nordic recipes in Celsius are 175 C and 225 C.
| Celsius | Fahrenheit |
|---|---|
| 0 | 32 |
| 100 | 212 |
| 120 | 250 |
| 160 | 320 |
| 175 | 347 |
| 180 | 350 |
| 190 | 375 |
| 205 | 400 |
| 220 | 425 |
| 225 | 437 |
| 230 | 425 |
| 250 | 482 |
Length conversions
| 1 mm | 1/32 inch |
| 3 mm | ⅛ inch |
| 6 mm | ¼ inch |
| 13 mm | ½ inch |
| 19 mm | ¾ inch |
| 2,5 cm | 1 inch |
| 5 cm | 2 inches |
| 30 cm | 1 foot, 12 inches |
1 meter = 100 centimeter (cm) , 1 cm = 10 millimeters (mm)
Common pan sizes in US inches vs Metric
Round Cake Pans
- 8-inch round: 20 cm round
- 9-inch round: 23 cm round
- 10-inch bundt pan (U.S.): 25 cm bundt pan
Square Cake Pans
- 8x8-inch square: 20x20 cm square
- 9x9-inch square: 23x23 cm square
Rectangular Baking Dishes
- 9x13-inch: 23x33 cm
- 8x12-inch: 20x30 cm
Loaf Pans
- 8.5x4.5-inch: 22x11 cm
- 9x5-inch: 23x13 cm
Common ingredient equivalents
- Butter: 1 stick = ½ cup = 113 grams
- Flour: 1 cup all-purpose flour = 120 grams
- Rye Flour: 1 cup = 102 grams
- Sugar: 1 cup = 200 grams
- Powdered sugar: 1 cup = 120 grams
- Heavy cream: 1 cup = 235 grams
- Yeast: 1 teaspoon =3,5 grams
- Powdered cocoa: 1 tablespoon = 6,2 grams
Special Ingredients in Scandinavian Recipes
- Yeast: Instant dry yeast is common in American baking, but in Sweden, fresh yeast is often used. Substitute 1 packet of dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp) with 25 grams of fresh yeast. Yeast is also usually sold in Scandinavia in 12-14 grams bags, while in Europe 7 -gram bags are more common. So, when baking, just the mention of one yeast bag can be misleading.
- Pearl Sugar: Coarse sugar sprinkled on pastries. 1 cup pearl sugar = 175 grams. Pearl sugar is used for example on top of cinnamon buns.
- Cardamom (Kardemumma), a spice used in beloved baked goods like kanelbullar and Finnish pulla. 1 teaspoon ground cardamom = about 5 pods of whole cardamom seeds, crushed. Tip: Freshly ground cardamom has a richer flavor—grind the seeds yourself for the best results, remember to use green pods, not the black ones that are used in Indian cuisine.
- Potato Starch (Potatismjöl). A gluten-free thickener used in puddings, sauces, and soups.1 tablespoon potato starch = 8 grams. Can be substituted with cornstarch, but it gives a slightly different result.
- Sea Buckthorn (Havtorn). A tart, citrusy orange berry often used in juices, jams, and desserts. 1 cup sea buckthorn berries = 140 grams.
- Dill (Dill). The essential Nordic herb, found in gravlax, marinated cucumber, and mustard sauce.1 tablespoon fresh dill = 1 teaspoon dried dill. Tip: Always opt for fresh dill if you can—it’s more aromatic.
Quick Tips for Accuracy
- Always spoon and level your flour instead of scooping—it prevents overpacking.
- Use a kitchen scale if possible! Measuring by weight is far more accurate, especially for baking.
- When measuring liquids, use a clear measuring jug and check at eye level for precision.
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