A free tablespoons to cups converter with common amounts in kitchen fractions.
Convert tablespoons to cups, with the common amounts in kitchen fractions.
Your numbers
16 tablespoons make a US cup. Under ¼ cup, cooks usually measure in spoons.
Your result
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This free tablespoons to cups converter turns tablespoons into cups, with the common amounts in kitchen fractions.
It's for doubling small amounts, halving a recipe, or finding a cup you don't have.
I built it because recipes move between spoons and cups all the time, and ⅓ cup isn't a round number of tablespoons.
Here's the rule, a worked example, and a table.
Key takeaways
What is a tablespoons to cups converter?
A tablespoons to cups converter turns a number of tablespoons into US cups.
It works for any ingredient, since both are measures of volume.
The rule
NIST Handbook 44 defines a cup as 8 fluid ounces and a tablespoon as ½ fluid ounce, so a cup holds 16 tablespoons.
| Tablespoons | Cups |
|---|---|
| 2 tbsp | ⅛ cup |
| 4 tbsp | ¼ cup |
| 5 tbsp + 1 tsp | ⅓ cup |
| 8 tbsp | ½ cup |
| 12 tbsp | ¾ cup |
| 16 tbsp | 1 cup |
A worked example
Here's the example the calculator loads: 5 tablespoons.
5 ÷ 16 = 0.3125 cups, just under ⅓ cup. Add a teaspoon to make ⅓ cup exactly.
Mistakes to avoid
These are the slips that come up most.
- Using a dinner spoon instead of a measuring tablespoon
- Heaping the spoon when the recipe means level
- Counting 15 tablespoons to a cup
Who is the tablespoons to cups converter for?
It's for anyone scaling or measuring a recipe, and these tools help around it.
- Cooking converter – for every kitchen unit at once
- Cups to grams converter – for 40 ingredients by weight
- Recipe scaler – for a full recipe, with grams
Count the spoons once, and the cup takes care of itself.
Plan your money with your AI
Take your numbers further in
Tablespoons to Cups Converter FAQs
Questions about the tablespoons to cups converter? Here's what to know.
A tablespoons to cups converter turns tablespoons into US cups.
16 tablespoons.
4 tablespoons.
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon.
8 tablespoons.
About 14.8 mL, which NIST rounds to 15 mL.
Divide the tablespoons by 16.
Yes, it's free with no sign-up.
It runs in your browser, and your numbers stay on your device.
I did.
I'm Navid Moazzez, and I made the tablespoons to cups converter as one of my free tools on navid.me.
More about me.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
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