US legal cup to US teaspoon
cup
tsp
Conversion History
| Conversion | Reuse | Delete |
|---|---|---|
| No conversion history to show. | ||
Quick Reference Table (US legal cup to US teaspoon)
| US legal cup (cup) | US teaspoon (tsp) |
|---|---|
| 0.25 | 12.17304817260000721876 |
| 0.33 | 16.06842358783200952877 |
| 0.5 | 24.34609634520001443752 |
| 1 | 48.69219269040002887505 |
| 2 | 97.3843853808000577501 |
| 4 | 194.7687707616001155002 |
About US legal cup (cup)
The US legal cup is a unit of volume defined as exactly 240 milliliters, used on US nutrition labels by FDA regulation. It differs slightly from the US customary cup (236.588 mL = 8 US fluid ounces). In everyday cooking, the 4 mL difference is negligible, and the two are used interchangeably. Australia uses a 250 mL metric cup, which is noticeably larger. The cup is the most common volume unit in US cooking recipes.
A standard measuring cup in a US kitchen set holds 240 mL. Cereal serving sizes on nutrition labels are typically 1 cup (240 mL).
About US teaspoon (tsp)
The US teaspoon (tsp) is a unit of culinary volume equal to approximately 4.929 milliliters, one third of a US tablespoon. It is one of the smallest standard US customary volume units, used in cooking, baking, and medicine for small ingredient quantities. The US teaspoon differs from the metric teaspoon (exactly 5 mL) and the imperial teaspoon (about 5.92 mL). In medicine, 5 mL is the standardized dosing teaspoon.
A standard dose of liquid children's medicine is one 5 mL teaspoon. A recipe calling for 1 tsp of vanilla extract uses about 4.93 mL.
US legal cup – Frequently Asked Questions
How many milliliters is a US cup?
The US legal cup (nutrition labels) is exactly 240 mL. The US customary cup (8 US fl oz) is approximately 236.6 mL. In cooking, both are treated as 240 mL; the difference is negligible for most recipes.
How does the US cup differ from the Australian cup?
The US legal cup is 240 mL; the Australian metric cup is 250 mL — about 4% larger. Australian recipes calling for 4 cups use 1,000 mL vs 960 mL with US cups, which can matter in baking.
How many cups are in a liter?
Approximately 4.167 US legal cups fit in one liter (1,000 mL ÷ 240 mL). Practically, 4 cups ≈ 960 mL ≈ 1 liter — often used interchangeably in cooking.
How many cups of coffee does a standard machine make?
Most US drip coffee makers define a "cup" as 5 or 6 fl oz (148–177 mL) — smaller than the standard 8 fl oz measuring cup. A "12-cup" coffee maker typically makes 60–72 fl oz, or only about 7–9 standard 8-oz cups.
Why do baking recipes fail more often than cooking recipes when measurements are slightly off?
Baking is chemistry — flour, fat, liquid, and leavening interact in precise ratios. Too much flour (even 10–15% extra from packing a cup too tightly) produces dense, dry results. Too much liquid makes cake batter collapse. Cooking is more forgiving because sautéing, braising, and roasting rely on technique and taste adjustment, not exact chemical reactions. This is why professional bakers weigh ingredients in grams rather than using volume cups — a cup of flour can vary from 120 to 160 g depending on how it is scooped.
US teaspoon – Frequently Asked Questions
How many milliliters is a US teaspoon?
One US teaspoon equals approximately 4.929 mL, typically rounded to 5 mL in medicine and 4.93 mL in precise culinary conversions. The metric teaspoon used in Australia and Canada is exactly 5 mL.
What is the difference between a US teaspoon and an imperial teaspoon?
A US teaspoon is about 4.93 mL; an imperial (UK) teaspoon is about 5.92 mL — approximately 20% larger. This difference can affect recipes crossing US and UK sources, particularly for spices and leavening agents.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
In the US system, 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon (3 × 4.929 mL = 14.787 mL). The metric equivalent is the same ratio: 3 × 5 mL = 15 mL tablespoon.
Is a medicine teaspoon the same as a cooking teaspoon?
Not exactly. Medicine dosing uses a standardized 5 mL teaspoon, while the US cooking teaspoon is about 4.93 mL. For medication accuracy, always use a calibrated oral syringe rather than a kitchen teaspoon, which can vary from 3 to 7 mL.
How many US teaspoons are in a cup?
There are 48 US teaspoons in one US cup: 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons.