How to Convert Grams to Cups

In the metric system, non-liquid ingredients are measured in grams. Sometimes it is necessary to convert measurements for recipes from grams to the appropriate number of ounces or cups. While a cup is a common cooking measure used in the U.S., the metric system actually measures the mass of a substance rather than its weight. Unlike weight which is simply a measure of how heavy a substance is, mass measures the actual amount of something and is unaffected by gravity. For this reason, different ingredients can have different metric measures. Therefore, how many grams of an ingredient it will take to measure one cup will differ depending on what the ingredient is.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Conversion Table

1. Search online for tables that convert common cooking ingredients. Many of the tables are set up to convert U.S. measurements of an ingredient to metric measures, but there are conversion tables that provide the information in reverse. Just be sure to read the conversion for the specific ingredient you are using. There are conversion calculators available online as well (see Resources). Understand that 1 cup of a certain ingredient may be heavier than one cup of a different ingredient.

2. Remember when measuring cooking ingredients that fluid ounces and dry ounces differ. One unit measures volume and the other unit measures weight.

3. Consider that the metric system measures the quantity of an ingredient by mass. On the other hand, the customary U.S. measurement of one cup measures the volume of a dry ingredient such as sugar, flour or uncooked pasta and rice rather than the actual weight. The number of grams it will take to measure one cup differs for each of these ingredients.

4. Take into account that weight in grams varies depending on the density of the ingredient being measured. One cup is an average measurement, whereas grams give you a more exact measure for an ingredient. Even though the number of grams in ingredients can vary according to their density, on average 1 gram measures approximately .035 ounces.

5. Change the weight of a non-liquid ingredient from grams to cups by comparing the metric measure with the standard American system of unit measurements. For example, 1 ounce in weight is the standard measure for the metric equivalent of about 28 grams. But when converting grams to ounces, multiply the number of grams by .035.

6. Divide the total number of grams of an ingredient by the average number of grams in 1 ounce to arrive at the measurement in ounces. Since there are 8 ounces in 1 cup, you must then divide the total number of ounces by 8 ounces to find the measurement in cups. Round off the measurement when you can.

Resources

• The Metric Kitchen
• Convert Grams to Cups
• Conversion Table for Cooking

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on 8/10/2009 This iPhone App helps with grams to cups conversions and more:
http://www.kitchencalculator.net/store.html