And I love science. I love everything about science (except for article rejections. jerks). There are a few central aspects to science that are also central to baking, the most important being reliability and validity of our measurements.
These are some of the hardest problems in science -- what is a valid measure of monkey causal reasoning? Or what dogs understand about social relationships? And they're hard in baking too! Even though in baking we may have standardized valid ways of measuring (1 cup, 3/4 tablespoon, etc.) they may not always be reliable.
In fact, I did a little experiment of my own in the kitchen this weekend -- I took 5 measurements of 1 cup of all purpose flour and weighed each one to see how reliable my measurements were.
The results? 5⅛, 5⅝, 5⅜, 4 ⅞, 5⅝. Mean: 5⅓. Standard Deviation: ⅓.
Abysmal. My measurements were not reliable. And worse, they were on average about an ounce more than they should have been! And this study was a within subjects design! Imagine the variance that exists between bakers! The scientist in me shudders, the baker inside me fears for the pastry.
Because they are aware of this particular problem, professional bakers generally bake based on weight. Genius. All problems of measurement immediately disappear (so long as your scale is reliable!).
The only problem? Every time I want to bake something, I have to google to find the appropriate conversion from cups to ounces. AND to make matters worse, the first 4 or 5 pages are inevitably horrible wiki answers that say unhelpful and misleading things like "1 cup = 8 ounces". Yes, this is true for water. But for almost nothing else. This is the pseudoscience of baking. Triple jerks.
There are a few pages out there that give information about one ingredient or another, but nothing really that pulls together actual useful conversions for a variety of different ingredients. SO, here goes! Here's a table for your baking needs! If I'm missing anything, let me know and I'll add it to the list!
| Ingredient | Cup to Ounce | Cup to Gram | Tablespoon to OZ | Tablespoon to Gram | Teaspoon to ounce | Teaspoon to gram | Notes |
| Apples, Diced | 5 | 141 3/4 | 1/3 | 8 6/7 | 5/48 | 3 | |
| Apples, sliced | 6 | 170 1/9 | 3/8 | 10 5/8 | 1/8 | 3 5/9 | |
| Bacon, Cooked, Diced | 10 2/3 | 302 2/5 | 2/3 | 18 8/9 | 2/9 | 6 2/7 | |
| Baking Powder | 7 3/4 | 220 4/5 | 1/2 | 13 4/5 | 1/6 | 4 3/5 | |
| Baking Soda | 7 3/4 | 220 4/5 | 1/2 | 13 4/5 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Bread Crumbs, Dry | 3 1/5 | 90 5/7 | 1/5 | 5 2/3 | 1/15 | 1 8/9 | |
| Bread Crumbs, Fresh | 2 | 56 5/7 | 1/8 | 3 5/9 | 1/24 | 1 1/6 | |
| Butter | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Buttermilk, Low Fat | 8 5/8 | 245 | 5/9 | 15 1/3 | 1/6 | 5 1/9 | |
| Buttermilk, Whole | 8 5/8 | 245 | 5/9 | 15 1/3 | 1/6 | 5 1/9 | |
| Chocolate, grated | 4 4/7 | 129 5/9 | 2/7 | 8 1/9 | 2/21 | 2 5/7 | |
| Chocolate, Semi-Sweet Chips | 5 1/3 | 151 2/3 | 1/3 | 9 1/2 | 1/9 | 3 1/6 | |
| Cinnamon | 4 | 110 2/5 | 1/4 | 7 1/9 | 1/12 | 2 2/7 | |
| Cloves | 4 | 110 2/5 | 1/4 | 7 1/9 | 1/12 | 2 2/7 | |
| Cocoa | 4 1/8 | 118 | 1/4 | 7 2/7 | 8/93 | 2 4/9 | |
| Coconut, dry shredded | 2 1/2 | 70 7/8 | 1/6 | 4 3/7 | 5/96 | 1 1/2 | |
| Corn Syrup | 11 1/2 | 326 | 5/7 | 20 3/8 | 1/4 | 6 4/5 | |
| Cornmeal, Coarse | 4 6/7 | 137 1/2 | 2/7 | 8 3/5 | 1/9 | 2 6/7 | |
| Cornmeal, Fine | 6 2/7 | 178 3/5 | 2/5 | 11 1/6 | 1/8 | 3 5/7 | |
| Cornstarch | 5 2/7 | 150 | 1/3 | 9 3/8 | 1/9 | 3 1/8 | |
| Cream Cheese | 8 1/5 | 232 4/9 | 1/2 | 14 5/9 | 1/6 | 4 5/6 | |
| Cream of Tartar | 11 2/7 | 320 | 5/7 | 20 | 2/ 3 | 6 2/3 | |
| Egg Yolk | 5/7 | 19 5/6 | 1/25 | 1 1/7 | 1/69 | 2/5 | |
| Egg: One large | 1 5/7 | 48 1/5 | 1/9 | 3 | 3/85 | 1 | |
| Flour, All Purpose | 4 1/2 | 140 | 2/7 | 8 | 3/32 | 2 8/9 | |
| Flour, All Purpose, Sifted | 4 | 115 | 1/4 | 7 1/9 | 1/12 | 2 2/5 | |
| Flour, Bread | 5 5/8 | 160 | 1/3 | 10 | 1/9 | 3 1/3 | |
| Flour, Bread, Sifted | 4 5/8 | 130 | 2/7 | 8 1/5 | 8/83 | 2 5/7 | |
| Flour, Cake | 4 1/2 | 130 | 2/7 | 8 | 3/32 | 2 5/7 | |
| Flour, Cake, Sifted | 3 1/2 | 100 | 2/9 | 6 1/5 | 7/96 | 2 1/9 | |
| Flour, Whole Wheat | 5 1/4 | 150 | 1/3 | 9 2/7 | 1/9 | 3 1/8 | |
| Flour, Whole Wheat, Sifted | 4 1/2 | 130 | 2/7 | 8 | 3/32 | 2 5/7 | |
| Gelatin, Flavored | 11 2/7 | 320 | 5/7 | 20 | 2/3 | 6 2/3 | |
| Gelatin, Unflavored | 11 2/7 | 320 | 5/7 | 20 | 2/3 | 6 2/3 | |
| Graham Cracker Crumbs | 2 1/2 | 70 7/8 | 1/6 | 4 3/7 | 0 | 1 1/2 | |
| Heavy Cream | 8 2/5 | 238 1/7 | 1/2 | 14 8/9 | 1/6 | 5 | |
| Honey | 12 | 340 1/5 | 3/4 | 21 1/4 | 1/4 | 7 1/9 | |
| Juice, Lemon | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | Approx 2 oz per lemon |
| Juice, Lime | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Liquor, Bourbon | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Liquor, Grand Marnier | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Liquor, Kirsch | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Liquor, Rum | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Milk | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Molsasses | 11 3/5 | 328 6/7 | 5/7 | 20 5/9 | 1/4 | 6 6/7 | |
| Nutmeg | 4 | 113 2/5 | 1 1/3 | 37 5/7 | 1/12 | 2 2/7 | |
| Nuts, Almonds | 5 | 143 | 1/3 | 8 8/9 | 1/9 | 3 | |
| Nuts, Pecans, Chopped | 3 5/6 | 108 6/7 | 1/4 | 6 4/5 | 2/25 | 2 2/7 | |
| Nuts, Pecans, Halved | 3 1/2 | 99 2/9 | 2/9 | 6 1/5 | 7/96 | 2 1/9 | |
| Nuts, Walnuts, Chopped | 4 2/7 | 121 8/9 | 2/7 | 7 5/8 | 6/67 | 2 5/9 | |
| Nuts, Walnuts, Halved | 3 1/2 | 99 2/9 | 2/9 | 6 1/5 | 7/96 | 2 1/9 | |
| Oatmeal | 5 | 141 3/4 | 1/3 | 8 6/7 | 1/9 | 3 | |
| Peanut Butter | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Rhubarb | 4 4/5 | 136 1/9 | 2/7 | 8 1/2 | 1/10 | 2 5/6 | |
| Rolled Oats | 3 1/6 | 90 | 1/5 | 5 5/8 | 6/91 | 1 7/8 | |
| Salt, Sea, Crystals | 9 1/2 | 269 | 3/5 | 16 4/5 | 1/5 | 5 3/5 | |
| Salt, Sea, Fine | 8 1/3 | 236 | 1/2 | 14 3/4 | 1/6 | 4 8/9 | |
| Salt, Table | 9 5/8 | 273 | 3/5 | 17 1/9 | 1/5 | 5 2/3 | |
| Shortening | 7 1/4 | 205 5/9 | 4/9 | 12 6/7 | 1/7 | 4 2/7 | |
| Sour Cream | 8 3/5 | 243 4/5 | 5/9 | 15 1/4 | 1/6 | 5 1/9 | |
| Sugar, Brown, Packed | 7 3/4 | 200 | 1/2 | 13 5/7 | 1/6 | 4 1/6 | |
| Sugar, Powdered | 4 3/8 | 125 | 2/7 | 7 3/4 | 1/11 | 2 3/5 | |
| Sugar, Powdered, Sifted | 3 3/5 | 102 1/9 | 2/9 | 6 3/8 | 3/40 | 2 1/8 | |
| Sugar, White | 7 1/9 | 225 | 4/9 | 12 4/7 | 1/7 | 4 2/3 | |
| Vanilla | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Vegetable Oil | 7 5/7 | 218 2/7 | 1/2 | 13 5/8 | 1/6 | 4 5/9 | |
| Vinegar, Red Wine | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Vinegar, White | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Water | 8 | 226 4/5 | 1/2 | 14 1/6 | 1/6 | 4 5/7 | |
| Yeast, Active Dry /Instant | 5 1/4 | 149 2/7 | 1 3/4 | 49 3/4 | 1/9 | 3 1/9 | 1 pkg = 2 1/4 t |
| Yogurt | 8 3/5 | 243 4/5 | 5/9 | 15 1/4 | 1/6 | 5 1/9 |
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