The Ultimate Kitchen Conversion Guide: From Grams to Teaspoons, Tablespoons, Cups, and Milliliters

A teaspoon of fine table salt typically weighs about 5.9 grams, while a teaspoon of coarse sea salt is closer to 4.5 grams. To hit a precise 5‑gram target, you’ll need roughly 0.85 teaspoons of fine salt or about 1.1 teaspoons of coarse salt. The difference stems from crystal size and packing density—larger crystals leave more air between them, reducing overall weight. If you’re seasoning a dish that calls for “5 g of salt,” a quick visual cue is to fill a level teaspoon halfway for fine salt, then level it off. For coarse varieties, a heaping teaspoon does the trick.

Granulated white sugar is denser than many other sweeteners. One tablespoon of it weighs roughly 12.5 grams, so 5 grams is just under half a tablespoon—about 0.4 Tbsp. In practical terms, that’s a rounded‑off teaspoon (which is 4.2 grams) plus a pinch. When you need that precise amount for a glaze or a delicate batter, use a kitchen scale; otherwise, a level teaspoon will get you within a gram or two, which is acceptable for most home recipes.

All‑purpose flour is surprisingly light: one level tablespoon weighs about 8 grams. Whole‑wheat flour, being denser, tips the scale at roughly 9 grams per tablespoon. This variation matters when you’re scaling a recipe up or down. For a single‑serve pancake, measuring flour by weight (8 g) ensures consistent texture, whereas a tablespoon estimate can swing the batter’s thickness by up to 15 %. To keep things consistent, spoon the flour into the spoon, then level it off with a straight edge—no shaking or tapping, which can compact the flour and add extra grams.

Water is the gold standard for kitchen conversions because 1 cup (236.6 ml) weighs exactly 236.6 grams at room temperature. This 1:1 relationship makes water a reliable reference point when calibrating scales or checking the accuracy of measuring cups. If a recipe lists “1 cup water,” you can safely assume it means 237 grams, give or take a gram due to temperature fluctuations. This equivalence also helps when converting other liquids: measure their density relative to water, then apply the same volume‑to‑weight math.

Because water’s density is 1 g/ml, 5 grams of water occupies exactly 5 ml. Other liquids differ: honey, for example, is about 1.42 g/ml, so 5 g of honey is roughly 3.5 ml. Oil sits around 0.92 g/ml, making 5 g of oil about 5.4 ml. Knowing these ratios lets you convert any 5‑gram measurement into a milliliter volume without a scale—just remember the approximate density of the ingredient you’re handling.

A standard US tablespoon of butter (the amount you’d cut from a stick) weighs about 14 grams, so a teaspoon—one‑third of a tablespoon—comes in at roughly 4.7 grams. If a recipe calls for a teaspoon of butter, you can scoop a small mound from a stick, then level it with a flat edge. For precision baking, especially when creaming butter with sugar, weighing out 5 grams (just a little over one teaspoon) eliminates the guesswork and yields consistent dough development.

Most cooking oils (vegetable, olive, canola) have a density near 0.92 g/ml. One US tablespoon equals 14.8 ml, so a tablespoon of oil weighs about 13.6 grams. If you need exactly 5 grams of oil, you’re looking at roughly 0.37 tablespoons—just under a third of a tablespoon, or about 1 ½ teaspoons. A quick kitchen hack: fill a teaspoon halfway, then add a few drops to approach the 5‑gram mark.

Ground coffee is less dense than many powders. A level teaspoon of medium‑grind coffee weighs about 1.8 grams. To reach 5 grams, you’d need close to 2.8 teaspoons—think of filling three level teaspoons and shaving a little off the top. This matters for drip coffee makers that specify grams per cup; using the right amount ensures the intended strength and extraction balance.

Baking powder is a light, airy powder. One level teaspoon typically weighs around 4 grams, so 5 grams is roughly 1.25 teaspoons. For recipes that demand precise leavening, a kitchen scale is ideal, but a good estimate is a level teaspoon plus a scant extra sprinkle. Over‑packing baking powder can cause bitter aftertastes, while under‑packing yields flat baked goods, so that extra quarter teaspoon can be the difference between a fluffy muffin and a dense one.

Honey’s density (≈1.42 g/ml) makes it heavier than water. One tablespoon of honey weighs about 21 grams, meaning 5 grams is just under a quarter of a tablespoon—approximately 0.24 Tbsp, or a little over ½ teaspoon. When drizzling honey into a sauce, use a small measuring spoon and stop just before it reaches the brim; the viscous nature of honey means a tiny over‑measure adds a noticeable sweetness boost.

Fine table salt packs tightly, giving a weight of about 5.9 grams per level teaspoon. Coarse kosher salt, with larger crystals, is lighter—around 4.5 grams per teaspoon. If a recipe lists “1 tsp salt” and you need 5 grams exactly, a level teaspoon of fine salt overshoots by nearly a gram, while a level teaspoon of kosher salt falls short. The practical fix: use a fine‑salt teaspoon and remove a pinch, or simply weigh 5 grams for the most accurate seasoning.

Granulated sugar’s density translates to about 12.5 grams per level tablespoon. Therefore, 1 gram of sugar is roughly 0.08 Tbsp, and 5 grams is about 0.4 Tbsp—just shy of half a tablespoon. In everyday cooking, a level teaspoon (4.2 g) plus a small extra pinch will get you close to 5 g. For precise confectionery work, however, weighing sugar eliminates the variability caused by how tightly the spoon is packed.