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Density library

Ingredient weight chart

Grams per cup and per tablespoon for 115 everyday cooking and baking ingredients. Pick one to get a full conversion chart, or search for what is in front of you right now.

Flours & Starches

15 ingredients

The most error-prone group. Scooping instead of spooning can add 20% weight.

Sugars & Syrups

10 ingredients

Packed brown sugar and pourable syrups behave nothing like granulated sugar.

Fats & Oils

6 ingredients

Solid at 4°C, liquid at 40°C — state matters.

Liquids

7 ingredients

Close to water, but not identical.

Dairy & Cheese

12 ingredients

Shredded, grated and block cheese differ hugely.

Grains, Rice & Legumes

11 ingredients

Always weigh raw unless a recipe says cooked.

Nuts, Seeds & Butters

12 ingredients

Whole, halved, chopped and ground all pack differently.

Chocolate & Cocoa

4 ingredients

Sifted cocoa can be 15% lighter per cup.

Leaveners, Salt & Spices

11 ingredients

Small amounts, big consequences. Weigh in grams whenever you can.

Fruit & Vegetables

18 ingredients

Cut size changes the volume more than anything else.

Pantry & Condiments

9 ingredients

Thick sauces are much heavier than water per cup.

How to read this chart

Every figure is the weight of one US customary cup (236.6 ml) of that ingredient, measured the way a recipe writer would expect: dry goods spooned in and levelled, brown sugar packed, liquids poured to the line. The gram-per-tablespoon value is derived from the same density, so the two always agree.

Density is a property of the material, not the container, which is why the same 120 g of flour can fill anywhere from 0.8 to 1.0 cups depending on how it is handled. If a recipe depends on a ratio — hydration in bread, fat in pastry, sugar in a meringue — weigh it.

Groups where cups fail hardest

  • Flours and cocoa: compressible powders. Scooping can add 20–25% weight.
  • Leaveners and salt: tiny volumes with large effects, and brands differ wildly (Diamond Crystal versus Morton kosher salt is nearly a 2× difference by volume).
  • Shredded and chopped foods: the cut size, not the food, determines how much fits in the cup.
  • Sticky liquids: honey, syrup and molasses cling to the cup, so you lose a measurable amount every time.