Recipes often indicate the exact amount of ingredients in grams and milliliters. However, those who do not have kitchen scales will not appreciate this approach. Moreover, in practice, it is faster and more convenient to utilize different equipment that is always at hand.
That is the reason why we see various spoons and cups in recipes. Still, it creates additional confusion due to cultural differences and traditions that are not always the same. In this article, we discover how to transform a tablespoon to cup, what these units mean and how not to get confused with them.
Why do we need to convert tablespoons to cups: the basics
To being with, the volume of a cup is not the same in different cuisines. On average, it can vary from 200 to 300 milliliters. For instance, in Australia and Canada, a cup is equal to 250 ml, while in the USA, it corresponds to 236.6 or 237 ml and its value is 284 ml in the UK. The smallest option is used by the Japanese and it is 200 milliliters only.
Therefore, when you encounter a recipe with cups for measuring the ingredients, you should try to find out which cup exactly is meant. That is because the 100 ml difference is quite significant. Still, we have to mention that this option is the most popular in the US, so one can take this option as a basic one.
As for tablespoons, they are more common in Europe for measuring both solids and liquids. It corresponds to approximately 15 g. However, the exact value depends on the substance that is measured. That is why there are special tables with all the common ingredients and their correlation to tablespoons.
This all may become even more confusing when you have to transform tbsp to cup. However, there are also some useful correlations for this task and simple numbers that will help to find out the required value.
How many tablespoons in a cup: conversion rules
When you have to transform tablespoons into cups, start with the fact that there are 16 tablespoons in a cup. This correlation is the most usual and widespread, so you will be not mistaken by it. Taking into account this fact, you can further utilize the following options:
- 4 tablespoons are equal to ¼ cup;
- 8 tablespoons corresponds to ½ cup;
- 12 tablespoons is the same as ¾ cup.
These numbers are relatively easy to keep in mind and use while cooking different dishes.
In addition, one can make an easy calculation diving the amount of tablespoons by 16. For instance, 1 tablespoon is equal to 1 / 16 = 0.0625 cups, and 6 tablespoons to cups corresponds to 6 / 16 = 0375. The amount may not be so easy to measure but it gives a general understanding of what is needed in the recipe.
