If you want to scale your recipes up or down with ease, you need to know how many tablespoons are in a cup. After mastering the conversion, it’ll save you all the hassle.
But before we start tackling this question, we need to answer this first- are cup measurements equal all over the world? Not at all! It all depends on the country recipe you’re using.
For instance, the US measuring cups aren’t equal to cup measurements in other countries.
You can buy a measuring cup at your local store or online. But if you don’t cook often, you can actually use a tablespoon to get your recipe right.
In this post, you’ll learn just how many tablespoons make a cup, among other conversions. Please stick with us.
Countries Where Tablespoon and Cup Measurements are Different
There are 4 forms of measurement used around the world. They include:
- International metric system
- Imperial cup system
- The United states metric system
- The United Kingdom metric system
The 4 different types of measurements show that there are discrepancies in cups and tablespoons around the world.
There are 2 measuring cup sizes in the US – the customary cup and the legal cup. The usual cup is the customary cup used to measure traditional American foods.
One customary cup equals 16 tablespoons in the US measurements. A legal cup is equal to 16.24 tablespoons.
Check this out:
1 US legal cup = 240 ml
1 US legal cup = 16.24 tablespoons
1US legal cup = 16 metric tablespoons (The United Kingdom, International)
1 metric cup (International) = 250 ml
1 Imperial cup = 284.13 ml
1 metric cup (Australia) = 12 Australian Tbsp
How Many Tablespoons of Water in a Cup?
There are 16 tablespoons of water in a cup. Therefore, for a ½ cup of water, you’ll need 8 tablespoons. If you need 4 tablespoons, 1/4 cup is enough.
Check the chart below for more conversions
Tablespoons | Cup |
---|---|
16 tablespoons | 1 cup |
12 tablespoons | ¾ cup |
8 tablespoons | ½ cup |
4 tablespoons | ¼ cup |
2 tablespoons | 1/8 cup |
1 tablespoon | 1/16 cup |
Measuring Liquids by Volume
When measuring liquids, always use the measuring cup intended for liquids to get accurate measurements.
Avoid using the standard measuring cups that you use for dry ingredients.
And with liquids, getting correct measurements is relatively easy because 5 ounces weigh exactly 5 ounces. Check out the following examples for fluid ounce conversions.
Fluid Ounce | Conversion |
---|---|
1 fluid ounce | 2 tablespoons |
2 fluid ounces | ¼ cup |
4 fluid ounces | ½ cup |
6 fluid ounces | ¾ cup |
8 fluid ounces | 1 cup |
12 fluid ounces | 1 ½ cups |
16 fluid ounces | 2 cups or 1 pint |
32 fluid ounces | 4 cups or 1 quart |
128 fluid ounces | 1 gallon |
Difference Between Wet and Dry Measurements
Wet and dry cups are actually the same thing. When using dry ingredients like flour or sugar, a cup equals 16 tablespoons. This is also true for liquid substances like cooking oil, syrup, water, and so on.
However, ensure that you use liquid measuring cups when measuring wet components. They include measurement lines that allow you to get the desired measurements with ease and without spilling.
Should you use a dry measuring cup, chances are you’ll either spill your water or receive too little as you want to avoid spilling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many tablespoons does it take to make a cup of water?
Q. How many tablespoons in ¼ cup?
Q. How many tablespoons in 1/3 cup?
Q. How many tablespoons in a ½ cup?
Q. How many tablespoons are in ¾ cup?
Q. How many cups are in 6 tablespoons?
Q. How many tablespoons are in 2/3 cups?
Q. How many tablespoons are in a third of a cup?
Q. How many tablespoons are in 3 cups?
Q. How many tablespoons are in an 1/8 of a cup?
Conclusion
Knowing the number of tablespoons of water in a cup will help you get the correct measurements for your recipes when you don’t have the measuring cup.
When measuring liquids, don’t rely on a dry ingredients measuring cup to get things done. Always use a liquid measuring cup and place it on an even ground to avoid spillage.
References
https://www.traditionaloven.com/culinary-arts/baking/water/convert-water-volume-us-cup-to-si-tablespoon-tbsp-water-volume.html
https://firstlawcomic.com/how-many-tablespoons-are-in-a-cup-of-water/