Unit conversions between all the various kitchen measurements of temperature, weight, volume and length used around the world gets complicated very quickly. Since I’m based in Australia, Southside Kitchen recipes are all given using standard Australian metric measurements. While these easily translate to the rest of the world, this page outlines how to approach unit conversions for some of the most common scales.
Volume – Cups and spoons
The standard Australian measurement for a cup is 250ml. This is the equivalent to 0.96 of a standard United States cup (240ml) and 0.9 of a standard United Kingdom cup (225ml).
The table below outlines the standard cup measurements and their metric equivalents.
| Metric (millilitres) | Australian Cups and Spoons |
|---|---|
| 1.25 ml | ¼ teaspoon (tsp) |
| 2.5 ml | ½ teaspoon (tsp) |
| 5 ml | 1 teaspoon (tsp) ¼ tablespoon (tbsp) |
| 10 ml | 2 teaspoons (tsp) ½ tablespoon (tbsp) 1 dessertspoon |
| 20 ml | 1 tablespoon (tbsp) |
| 60 ml | ¼ cup |
| 80 ml | ⅓ cup |
| 125 ml | ½ cup |
| 170 ml | ⅔ cup |
| 190 ml | ¾ cup |
| 250 ml | 1 cup |
| 500 ml | 2 cups |
| 1 L (litre) | 4 cups |
Oven temperatures
All the recipes on Southside Kitchen are given in degrees Celsius and assume a fan-forced oven. If you need to convert these to a different oven type, you can use the table below for approximate equivalents. Keep in mind that no two ovens are the same so it’s worth investing in an oven thermometer to keep an eye on the actual temperature inside your oven.
| Celsius (fan-forced) | Celsius (traditional electric) | Fahrenheit | Gas Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100ºC | 110ºC | 212ºF | 1/4 |
| 150ºC | 160ºC | 302ºF | 2 |
| 160ºC | 170ºC | 320ºF | 3 |
| 170ºC | 180ºC | 338ºF | 4 |
| 180ºC | 190ºC | 356ºF | 5 |
| 190ºC | 200ºC | 374ºF | 6 |
| 200ºC | 210ºC | 392ºF | |
| 210ºC | 220ºC | 410ºF | 7 |
| 220ºC | 230ºC | 428ºF | 8 |
| 230ºC | 240ºC | 446ºF | |
| 240ºC | 250ºC | 464ºF | 9 |
Length (distance)
If you need to convert the size of a baking tray or some other length mentioned in a recipe, the formula to convert exact measurements from metric to imperial is to multiply the number of centimetres by 0.39. For instance 5 cm x 0.39 = 1.97 inches. It’s always handy to have a simple ruler available in the kitchen too.
The table below outlines some common conversions that have been rounded to their approximate equivalents:
| Centimetres | Millimetres | Imperial (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cm | 10 mm | ⅜ inch |
| 1½ cm | 15 mm | ½ inch |
| 2 cm | 20 mm | ¾ inch |
| 3 cm | 30 mm | 1½ inches |
| 5 cm | 50 mm | 2½ inches |
| 9 cm | 90 mm | 4 inches |
| 12½ cm | 125 mm | 5 inches |
| 25 cm | 250 mm | 12 inches |
| 35 cm | 350 mm | 1½ feet |
| 65 cm | 650 mm | 3 feet |
| 100 cm (1 metre) | 1000 mm | 1 yard |