What is a "cup"?

roslynds9
roslynds9 Posts: 139 Member
edited October 5 in Recipes
Can someone please help me out here. I keep seeing things referred to on here as being measured in "cups" and I don't know how much that is? Is it an American thing? I'm from the UK and all the recipes I've used in the past are measured in grams or ounces.

Is there a standard conversion into grams?

Any help would be appreciated =)

Thanks!

Replies

  • sabcooke
    sabcooke Posts: 82 Member
    Would like to know tha answer to this also
  • jhungate
    jhungate Posts: 95 Member
    1 cup = 8 ounces
  • LTRUITT3
    LTRUITT3 Posts: 205 Member
    1 cup= 8 ounces. If that helps any.
  • I'd like to know too lol
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    Edited: Nevermind... others beat me to the answer. :-)
  • 1 cup + 1/4 liter or 250 ml
  • jakejacobsen
    jakejacobsen Posts: 584 Member
    cup measurement is a volume measurement
    grams measurement is a weight measurement

    if you were to weigh popcorn vs water popcorn and water would weigh different amounts for the same cup
  • 1 cup + 1/4 liter or 250 ml

    I meant 1 cup = 1/4 liter or 250 ml
  • Rohnic
    Rohnic Posts: 82
    Hi,
    the measurment cup I have (KitchenAid) says 237ml.
    the volume is (roughly estimated) about the size of an orange.
    But just scroll the database, i usually find an option with grams.
    if all else fails www.google.com -> unit converter
    Hope this helps.
    Nicola
  • radicalreader
    radicalreader Posts: 207 Member
    A cup is a measure of VOLUME, not weight.

    A cup is equal to 8 fluid ounces. It is approximately 237 ml.
  • aaleigha1
    aaleigha1 Posts: 408 Member
    using a cup is a volume measure so there is no actual conversion to weight as different items have a different mass

    american cup measures are easily available here in the uk

    local supermarket should have them
  • jdhosier
    jdhosier Posts: 315 Member
    A cup is typically a measure of volume, not weight, though the measuring cups here also have ounces on them. That said, 8 oz is the same as one cup. There are plenty of conversion calculators online that can help you with that.
  • Kimbers70
    Kimbers70 Posts: 102 Member
    1 cup= 1/2 pint
  • infosynth
    infosynth Posts: 81 Member
    Most folks don't realize there are different measures for "cup" depending on where you are. Here are a few:

    1 US Cup is about 236.5 ml
    1 metric cup is 250 ml
    1 UK cup is 284 ml

    Confused now? Most of the reference to "cup" in recipes are probably US.

    Also, there are differences between liquid volume and dry volume. One cup of milk is not the same as one cup of flour, at least in the US.

    Take a look here for more unit conversions: http://www.unitconverters.net/

    HTH.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    A cup of rice will weigh differently in grams than a cup of marshmallows. Get a cup and weigh a cup of something once, jot it down somewhere and you don't have to worry about the "cup" thing anymore for product you've used.

    A cup is 8 oz but that's 8 fluid ounces, which doesn't translate straight to being 8 ounces in weight.
  • eddie8131
    eddie8131 Posts: 600 Member
    http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/cup-to-gram-conversions/detail.aspx

    Here is a good article on this. It would be depend on what you are weighing as one is a weight and one is volume. :)
  • 1 cup = 8 ounces = 226.7962 grams
  • 1 cup = 8 ounces = 226.7962 grams

    the grams don't make sense, since it depends on what you measure
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    1 cup = 8 ounces = 226.7962 grams

    But like I said, that is FLUID ounces that is one cup which is NOT the weight ounce.

    Just measured. One cup of my marshmallows is 49 grams which throws your calculation out the window.

    See also http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/398866-ice-cream-frozen-yogurt-measures for a recent discussion on volume/weight confusion between ounces and cups and grams.
  • roslynds9
    roslynds9 Posts: 139 Member
    Thanks guys, that helps a lot =)
  • You can get cup measurements in a cook shop or on ebay that help :)
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