"How many ounces is a cup?", "How many ounces in a cup?" “How many ounces in a cup of coffee?” are questions that appear in your mind when you try a new recipe in the kitchen and you need to convert a recipe from ounces to cups or tablespoons to cups. To answer these questions, let’s follow this blog post with KimEcopak.
What is an ounce? What is a cup?
An ounce (oz) is often used in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. You can understand that an ounce is a unit of measurement for weight. A unit of weight equal to approximately 28.35 grams.
A "cup" is a volume measuring unit that expresses how much space a substance occupies or how much it can contain. In the United States, a cup is equivalent to 8 fluid ounces; however, in other countries, it could be slightly different.
How many ounces is a cup?
With fluid ounces, we have an exact per-cup measurement. However, to dry ounces, how many ounces in a cup will depend on what you are measuring. Because, dry ingredients have various shapes, sizes and forms.
For example:
- Flour - which weighs 4.5 ounces per cup
- Sugar - which weighs about 7 ounces per cup
For this reason the majority of dry materials for baking are also typically measured using a kitchen scale. Accuracy is ensured when measuring by weight rather than volume. But if a measuring cup is the only tool that you have, then knowing how many ounces in a cup will be helpful.
How many fluid ounces in a cup?
With liquid ingredients, it is easy to remember. Liquids are measured in fluid ounces, and there are 8 fluid ounces in 1 cup (this is applied to all liquids).
Let's see the liquid ingredient conversion chart below:
|
Cups (c) |
Fluid Ounces (fl oz) |
|
8 cups |
64 fl oz |
|
4 cups |
32 fl oz |
|
2 cups |
16 fl oz |
|
1 cup |
8 fl oz |
|
¾ cup |
6 fl oz |
|
½ cup |
4 fl oz |
|
⅓ cup |
2 ½ fl oz |
|
¼ cup |
2 fl oz |
|
⅛ cup |
1 fl oz |
Look at this table, you can answer a lot of questions such as how many ounces are in a half cup, a third cup, and even a quarter cup,...
You can use this formula to multiply your cup measurement (x) by 8 ounces.
For example, how many ounces are in a quarter cup, a third of a cup, and a half cup:
- ¼ cup (or 0.25 cup) x 8 fl oz = 2 fl oz
- ⅓ cup (or 0.33 cup) x 8 fl oz = 2.64 or 2.6 fl oz
- ½ cup (or 0.5 cup) x 8 fl oz = 4 fl oz
How many dry ounces in a cup?
For dry ingredients such as sugar, flour, or oats, the standard measurement is a dry ounce. However, there is no exact answer for how many ounces are in a cup of dry ingredients.
For example:
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour = 128 grams or 4.5 oz.
- 1 cup of white sugar = 198 grams or 7 oz.
Let’s see the dry ingredients conversion chart below:
|
Ingredients |
Cup (c) |
Ounces (oz) |
Grams (g) |
|
Flour |
1 cup |
4 ⅖ to 4 ½ oz |
125 to 127g |
|
Baker’s Special Sugar (superfine sugar, castor sugar) |
1 cup |
6 ¾ oz |
190 g |
|
Sugar (granulated white) |
1 cup |
7 oz |
200 g |
|
Packed Brown Sugar (light or dark) |
1 cup |
7 ½ oz |
213 g |
|
Cheese (coarsely grated cheddar, jack, mozzarella, or Swiss) |
1 cup |
4 oz |
113 g |
|
Butter |
1 cup |
8 oz |
227 g |
|
Baking Powder |
1 teaspoon |
0.16 oz |
0.16 oz |
|
Baking Soda |
½ teaspoon |
0.081 oz |
3 g |
|
Almond Flour |
1 cup |
3 ⅛ oz |
96 g |
|
Whole Almonds |
1 cup |
5 oz |
142 g |
|
Chocolate Chips |
1 cup |
6 oz |
170 g |
|
Chocolate Chunks |
1 cup |
6 oz |
170 g |
|
Cacao Nibs |
1 cup |
4 ¼ oz |
120 g |
|
Fresh Blueberries |
1 cup |
5 to 6 oz |
140 to 170g |
|
Crushed Graham Crackers |
1 cup |
5 oz |
142 g |
Some tools for measuring liquid and dry ingredients
Liquid Measuring Cup
Graduated measuring cups, often known as liquid measuring cups, are tools used to measure liquid ingredients such as water, milk, coffee, milk, etc.They're usually made of plastic or glass with graduated markings that let you see how much liquid you’re pouring.
Granulated/Dry Measuring Cup
Dry measuring cups are usually made of plastic or metal. When using dry measuring cups, you should sift your ingredients through a sieve or a baking sifted before measuring for a more accurate result.
Measuring Spoons
In the kitchen, measuring spoons are also a needed tool. There are a lot of cooking recipes that use tablespoons or teaspoons when listing ingredient quantities. Besides that, these spoons can be used for both dry and wet ingredients.
Should I use measuring cups or scales?
Cups can be used to measure liquid ingredients just as precisely as a measuring scale. Through the above sections, you already have an idea how many ounces are in a cup, so you can switch between the two as you wish.
However, you need to pay attention to how the recipe says you should prepare the ingredient. Because a cup of spinach that has been finely chopped will weigh more than loosely packed spinach. Or a cup of shredded cheese will weigh more than a cup of chunky cheese because you can fit more of it in.
If you want to measure exact amounts of ingredients, you should use measuring cups. In contrast, if you want to measure the weight of an ingredient or a dish, it is recommended to use scales.
What cup sizes should you offer in your coffee shop?
If you are operating a cafe takeaway, grocery store, or restaurant and you have an idea to use or sell paper cups. You must be aware of the typical sizes for takeaway coffee cups.
Standard takeaway cup sizes often range from 4 oz. to 16oz.
|
4 oz cups |
This is the smallest cup size suited to drinks such as espresso, cortado, and piccolo. |
|
8 oz cups |
8 oz is a medium size. This size is perfect for drinks that contain more liquid than an espresso but are not as large as lattes, such as flat whites. |
|
12 oz cups |
This large cup is ideal for beverages with milk, like lattes, mochas, and cappuccinos. They can also be used for cold drinks like cold brew, iced lattes, and Americanos. |
|
16 oz cups |
For iced beverages, some coffee shops provide an extra-large choice and favour using this size cup. |
You can consider coffee cup sizes of some famous coffee chains below:
|
Coffee chain |
Cup sizes available |
Approximate capacities |
|
Tim Hortons |
Extra Small (XS) |
XS: 8 oz / 237 ml |
|
Small (S) |
S: 10 oz / 295 ml |
|
|
Medium (M), |
M: 14 oz / 414 ml |
|
|
Large (L), |
L: 20 oz / 591 ml |
|
|
Extra Large (XL) |
XL: 24 oz / 710 ml |
|
|
Starbucks |
Short |
Short: 8 oz / 236 ml |
|
Tall |
Tall: 12 oz / 354 ml |
|
|
Grande |
Grande: 16 oz / 473 ml |
|
|
Venti |
Venti: 20 oz / 591 ml |
|
|
Trenta |
Trenta: 30 oz / 887 ml |
|
|
Dunkin’ |
Small |
Small: 10 oz / 296 ml |
|
Medium |
Medium: 14 oz / 414 ml |
|
|
Large |
Large: 20 oz / 591 ml |
|
|
Extra Large |
Extra Large: 24 oz / 710 ml |
|
|
McDonald’s |
Small |
Small: 12 oz / 355 ml |
|
Medium |
Medium: 16 oz / 473 ml |
|
|
Large |
Large: 21 oz / 621 ml |
|
|
Extra Large |
Extra Large: 30 oz / 887 ml |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many ounces in a cup of coffee?
There are 6 ounces in a standard cup of coffee.
How much is 1 cup in grams? (1 cup to gram)
There are 240 grams in a cup.
How many ml is in a cup? (1 cup to ml)
There is 236.6 ml in a cup.
Are 2 tablespoons equal to 1 ounce?
Yes. 2 tablespoons are equal to one fluid ounce, 1/8 cup, 6 teaspoons, 30 mL, and 30 ccs.
How many pints in a quart?
There are two pints in one quart.
How many cups are in a gallon?
There are 16 cups in one gallon or 128 fluid ounces.
How many quarts in a gallon?
There are four quarts in one gallon.
