Technically, liquid and dry measures hold the same volume, but they are designed to measure their respective ingredients accurately.
Liquid ingredients are poured in and filled to the appropriate lines.
Dry ingredients are scooped in then levelled off.
Liquid and Dry Conversions
As you could easily spill any liquid that you measure in a dry measuring cup, it is always a good idea to use a liquid measuring cup. They have lines that measure well below the rims so there is room for the liquid to slosh without spilling.
There are two types of liquid measurings cups that you can purchase, the beaker
and the angled measuring cups. The angled measuring cups are best as you don’t need to be at eye level when you are pouring in your ingredient to read the measurement, as the measurements are written on the top and on the side.
Using liquid measuring cups for dry ingredients is also a bad idea as dry measuring cups are designed to be filled to the brim so the excess can be swept off which is difficult to do in a liquid measuring cup. Patting or shaking the cup would cause your ingredients to compact and you will be adding more than is necessary for your recipe. Ideally, the best weigh to measure your ingredients is by weight with a digital kitchen scale.
The best way to measure
Dry ingredients the best way would be by using the "dip and sweep" method whereby you use your dry measuring cup to scoop your ingredients and then using a flat edge sweep off the excess.
Liquid ingredients are best measured using a liquid measuring cup and placing it on a flat surface. Then pour the liquid in until you have reached your desired marking.
For accuracy, however, you can't beat using a scale that is almost foolproof.
Two systems of measuring
There are two systems used for measuring quantities - metric and imperial. In cooking the metric system uses kilograms (kg) and grams (g) for dry ingredients and litres (l) and millilitres (ml). The imperial system uses pounds (lb) and ounces (oz) for dry ingredients and fluid ounces (fl oz), quarts (qt), and gallons (gal). While a gill in the imperial system is the equivalent of 5 fl oz (150 ml) is now mainly used to measure alcoholic spirits.
Liquid and Dry Measures Chart
As a guide, I have included a conversion chart below. For an online calculator, however, I like to use the one from Donna Hay as it includes Australian, UK and US cups.
Need an instant calculation for how many ounces are in a cup? Want to convert tablespoons into cups? Know the difference between fluid ounces and dry ounces? Here is the ultimate quick guide and measurement chart for working with recipes using both the metric and imperial system.
With so many recipes out there, it can be confusing to work with different measurements. Unfortunately, not all measurements are created equal.
While dry and liquid ingredient use similar terminology and equipment, there is a different formulation for each one. Dry measurements refer to the weight, while liquid measurements take into consideration the volume of liquid.
Sure, there are plenty of online calculators out there that can provide you with one or two answers, they aren’t comprehensive or easy to read. Here, you can quickly convert ounces to cups for all your favorite recipes using both the metric and imperial systems.
What equipment you’ll need for measuring?
For measuring the liquid and dry ingredients, you must have the following three tools:
Granulated measuring cups
These cups are used for measuring the dry ingredients. If you want to measure flour with granulated measuring cups, sieve it before adding it for measurement. This is essential for an accurate measurement.
Although most package flours have already been sieved, they often get shaken up and move around during shipping. As a precaution, it’s always best to sieve once more before measuring.
For complete accuracy, use the spoon and scrape method. Once you’ve added the sieved flour to the cup, scrape the top with a spoon to remove excess flour. This is essential for baking recipes and desserts like cakes and muffins.
Liquid measuring cups
If the ingredient is a fluid or liquid, liquid measuring cups are used. These can come in both plastic or glass, and are used to measure cups, ounces, and millimetres. This is great for portioning out chili or soup.
Measuring spoons
For tablespoon and teaspoon measurements, measuring spoons are used.
How many fluid ounces are in a cup?
Remember the measurements next time you’re counting ounces in a cup:
- 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces, 16 tablespoons
- ¾ cup = 6 fluid ounces, 12 tablespoons
- ½ cup = 4 fluid ounces, 8 tablespoons
- ¼ cup = 2 fluid ounces, 4 tablespoons
- 1 cup = 4.5 dry weight ounces (It’s for dry ingredients such as flour)
Please note that not all ingredient measurements are equal. For example, if you need 4 ounces of coconut milk to make a smoothie or 4 ounces of chocolate chips for chocolate chip cookies, the measurement would be different in both cases.
Dry and liquid ounces are not the same, so if you’re dealing with dry ingredients, you’ll measure it by weight. If using liquid ingredients, we measure them in fluid ounces.
There is a significant difference between fluid and dry ounces, so always check the ingredients and accurately measure before making any recipe.
How many dry ounces are in a cup?
Unlike liquid ingredients, a cup of a dry ingredient will contain different ounces. The measurement with dry ingredients directly depends on the type of the ingredient. Here are some examples of common ingredients and how much they differ-
- 1 cup of fresh parsley = 1 ounce
- 1 cup of flour = 4 ¼ ounces
- Air popped popcorn = 3 ounces
- Chocolate chips = 6 ounces
Try this handy tool to know the ounces in cups for hundreds of other dry ingredients.
Liquid fluid or volume (Liquid vs dry measuring cups)
The measurements for liquid fluid and volume differ. Here is a handy comparison below-
For liquid fluid
US Standard = Metric (approximate)
- ⅛ teaspoon = 0.5 mL
- ¼ teaspoon = 1.2 mL
- ½ teaspoon = 2.5 mL
- ¾ teaspoon = 3.7 mL
- 1 teaspoon = ⅓ tablespoon = 5 mL
- 1 tablespoon = ½ fluid ounce = 3 teaspoons = 15 mL, 15 cc
- 2 tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce = ⅛ cup, 6 teaspoons = 30 mL, 30 cc
- ¼ cup = 2 fluid ounces = 4 tablespoons = 59 mL
- ⅓ cup = 2 ⅔ fluid ounces = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon = 79 mL
- ½ cup = 4 fluid ounces = 8 tablespoons = 118 mL
- ⅔ cup = 5 ⅓ fluid ounces = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons = 158 mL
- ¾ cup = 6 fluid ounces = 12 tablespoons = 177 mL
- 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces = ½ pint = 16 tablespoons = 237 mL
- 1 ½ cups = 12 fluid ounces = 24 tablespoons = 355 mL
- 2 cups = 16 fluid ounces = 1 pint = 32 tablespoons = 473 mL
- 3 cups = 700 mL
- 4 cups = 32 fluid ounces = 1 quart = 946 ml = 1 L
- 8 cups = ½ gallon = 2 L
- 1 gallon = 128 fluid ounces = 8 pints = 4 quarts = 3785 ml = 4 L
For dry weight
US Standard = Metric (approximate)
- ½ ounce = 15 grams
- 1 ounce = 30 grams
- 2 ounces = 60 grams
- 3 ounces = 85 grams
- 4 ounces = ¼ pound = 115 grams
- 8 ounces = ½ pound = 225 grams
- 12 ounces = ¾ pound = 340 grams
- 16 ounces = 1 pound = 455 grams
British vs American measuring cups
Cup measurements can also differ depending on what country you live in. British and American cups and ounce measurements also vary because they use different measurement systems. In the United States, they use the imperial system. Whereas, in the United Kingdom, and in many other countries, they use the metric system.
1 UK cup (metric system) = 250 ml
1 US cup (imperial system) = 240 ml
For accurate results when following recipes, always check to see which system they are using OR accurately measure using cups and spoons.
How many cups in 8 ounces?
A cup contains 8 fluid ounces.
- 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces
- ¾ cup = 6 fluid ounces
- ½ cup = 4 fluid ounces
- ¼ cup = 2 fluid ounces
Does 4 or 8 ounces equal one cup?
It is depends upon the dry or liquid ingredients used. For example, flour, a dry ingredient, contains 4 1/2 ounces. Water, a liquid ingredient, contains 8 fluid ounces.