US/UK Metric Conversions

Following is information from The Chef at World Wide Recipes  As every experienced cook knows, most recipes (with the general exceptions of pastries and breads) will not suffer if the measurements are not exact. In fact, these minor variations in quantities are often what separate good cooks from great cooks. Also, the following data were derived from many sources and the arithmetic might not always work out exactly right, so please overlook any small discrepancies with regard to differences in amounts given. I am aware that most European recipes measure dry ingredients by weight, using measuring cups for liquid ingredients almost exclusively. However, I will continue to give the metric equivalent for volume (usually milliliters) of dry ingredients rather than weight. I do this for two reasons: first, any dry ingredient can be measured in a measuring cup, even if the cook is more accustomed to weighing it; and second, I either don't have time or am just too lazy to worry about how much a tablespoon (15 ml) of pine nuts, or a 1/4 cup (60 ml) of Parmesan cheese weights. Let me also point out to my American readers that most measuring devices sold in the US these days also list metric equivalents. If you don't own a set of US/metric measuring cups I think one would be a good investment, especially if you plan to try our international readers' wonderful foods.

Oven Temperatures - An approximate conversion chart

Fahrenheit      Centigrade      Gas mark        Description

225 F           110 C           1/4             Very cool

250 F           130 C           1/2

275 F           140 C           1               cool

300 F           150 C           2

325 F           170 C           3               very moderate

350 F           180 C           4               moderate

375 F           190 C           5

400 F           200 C           6               moderately hot

425 F           220 C           7               hot

450 F           230 C           8

475 F           240 C           9               very hot

General Conversion Tables

American Liquid Measures

1 gallon = 4 quarts = 3.79 L (Can usually be rounded to 4 L)

1 quart = 2 pints = 0.95 L (Can usually be rounded to 1 L)

1 pint = 2 cups = 16 fl oz = 450 ml (Can usually be rounded to 500 ml)

1 cup = 8 fl oz = 225 ml (Can usually be rounded to 250 ml)

1 tablespoon = 1/2 fl oz = 16 ml (Can usually be rounded to 15 ml)

1 teaspoon = 1/3 tablespoon = 5 ml

British Liquid Measures

1 pint = 570 ml = 20 fl oz

1 breakfast cup = 10 fl oz = 1/2 pint

1 tea cup = 1/3 pint

1 tablespoon = 15 ml

1 dessertspoon = 10 ml

1 teaspoon = 5 ml = 1/3 tablespoon

Weight

1 ounce = 28.4 g (can usually be rounded to 25 or 30)

1 pound = 454 g

1 kg = 2.2 pounds

International Liquid Measurements

Miscellaneous

1 UK pint is about 6 dl

1 UK liquid oz is 0.96 US liquid oz.

A "stick" of butter or margarine weighs 4 oz and is 1/2 cup U.S. Each 1/4 cup or half stick butter or margarine in US recipes weighs about 50 mg. There are 8 tablesoiins in 1/4 pound butter.