Kitchen
Measuring Spoon Conversion Chart (tbsp, tsp, ml)
Most recipe mistakes come from mixing measuring systems. This chart covers the spoon sizes you actually use, the US-versus-metric difference, and when to weigh instead of scoop.
Short answer
1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = about 15 ml. 1 teaspoon = about 5 ml. 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons, and 1 US cup = 16 tablespoons (about 240 ml for nutrition labels).
| Measure | Teaspoons | Tablespoons | Millilitres (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 1 | 1/3 | 5 ml |
| 1 tablespoon | 3 | 1 | 15 ml |
| 1/8 cup | 6 | 2 | 30 ml |
| 1/4 cup | 12 | 4 | 60 ml |
| 1/3 cup | 16 | 5 1/3 | 80 ml |
| 1/2 cup | 24 | 8 | 120 ml |
| 1 cup | 48 | 16 | 240 ml |
The core conversions
- 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 14.8 ml (US) / 15 ml (metric).
- 1 teaspoon = 1/3 tablespoon = 4.9 ml (US) / 5 ml (metric).
- 1/2 tablespoon = 1.5 teaspoons = 7.4 ml.
- 1/4 teaspoon = 1.2 ml. 1/8 teaspoon = 0.6 ml (a 'pinch').
- 1 fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons = 29.6 ml.
- 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons = 12 teaspoons = 59 ml.
US vs metric vs Australian spoons
- A US tablespoon is 14.8 ml; a metric tablespoon is 15 ml. The difference is irrelevant for cooking.
- An Australian tablespoon is 20 ml — four teaspoons, not three. Follow an Australian recipe with a US spoon and you are 25% short.
- Teaspoons are 5 ml essentially everywhere, so teaspoon measurements travel safely between recipes.
Level, rounded and heaped
- Unless a recipe says otherwise, every spoon measurement is level: scoop, then sweep the top flat with a straight edge.
- A rounded spoon is roughly 1.5x a level spoon; a heaped spoon can be 2x or more.
- For baking soda, baking powder, salt and yeast, always level. These are the ingredients where a rounded spoon ruins the bake.
When to use an adjustable spoon
- One adjustable spoon with a sliding dial covers every size from 1/8 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon, so you wash one tool instead of eight.
- The trough shape reaches into narrow spice jars and bottle necks that a round spoon cannot enter.
- For sticky ingredients — honey, molasses, peanut butter — a sliding dial pushes the ingredient out instead of leaving half of it behind.
Gocha SmartSpoon Adjustable Measuring Spoon
View the productThree teaspoons make one tablespoon in the US and metric systems. An Australian tablespoon is the exception at four teaspoons (20 ml).
14.8 ml in the US, 15 ml metric, and 20 ml in Australia. For everyday cooking, treat US and metric as identical.
Level, unless the recipe explicitly says heaped. Scoop and sweep the top flat with a straight edge — a heaped spoon can hold twice as much.
Yes. An adjustable spoon with a sliding dial covers 1/8 teaspoon through 1 tablespoon in one tool, which is the entire range of a standard six or eight piece set.