Weights and Measures

The ingredients in my recipes are given in metric form, using South African measuring conventions. What I mean by 'conventions' is that the quantities I specify - such as a cup, a teaspoon, or a tablespoon - consistently refer to a specific number of millilitres, whether you're measuring dry or liquid ingredients.

➯ Click here to go straight to the weights and measurement chart

I make a big effort to be accurate about cooking measurements, because precise amounts can make all the difference to the final taste of a dish. I'm not saying you mustn't tinker with my recommended amounts of, say, fresh chillies or pepper or garlic. But measuring accurately is so important when you're using dominating flavours like saffron, vanilla, nutmeg, honey, cinnamon, passion fruit, and so on. And it's vital to measure quantities carefully when you're working with make-or-break ingredients such as baking powder, yeast and gelatine.

I occasionally give measurements in grams (mostly in baking recipes, where weight is more important than volume) but for the most part my ingredients are expressed in spoons and cups (and I always supply the millilitre equivalent). I've taken this approach because almost everyone has a set of measuring spoons and cups, but not that many cooks own a digital kitchen scale.

For UK and US readers of this blog who still use imperial fluid ounces, and who are not sure what I mean by 'a teaspoon' or 'a cup', these quantities can represent a challenge, so I've drawn the up quick-reference table below. Tip: to quickly convert measurements in millilitres to pints, quarts, and so on, use this easy online tool. 

Also, please note that in the UK, a ‘pint’ is about 560 ml. In the US, a pint can be interpreted as 473 – 550 ml, depending on whether the ingredient is wet or dry. Yes, I know that’s confusing, and it baffles me too.  If you’re making recipes from my blog, I suggest you buy a set of metric spoons and cups, and use those.

Measuring conventions in South African cookery

In South Africa, a teaspoon equals 5 ml, a tablespoon is 15 ml, and a cup is 250 ml. Here is an easy-reference table showing how many millilitres are contained in South African teaspoons, tablespoons and cups. All these measurements have been rounded off, for convenience. For example, a third of a cup is actually 83.333 ml, but in this table it is snipped down to 80 ml.

South African Weights and Measures

Measure	Millilitres	Same as…	Fluid Ounces
¼ teaspoon	1.25 ml	‘a pinch’	0.04
½ teaspoon	2.5 ml		0.08
1 teaspoon	5 ml		0.17
2 teaspoons	10 ml		0.3
3 teaspoons	15 ml	1 tablespoon	0.5
1 tablespoon	15 ml	3 teaspoons	0.5
2 tablespoons	30 ml		1.05
3 tablespoons	45 ml		1.6
4 tablespoons	60 ml	¼ cup	2.1
¼ cup	60 ml		2.1
⅓ cup	80 ml		2.8
½ cup	125 ml		4.4
⅔ cup	160 ml		5.6
¾ cup	180 ml		6.7
1 cup	250 ml		8.8
1½ cups	375 ml		13.2
2 cups	500 ml	½ litre	17.6
3 cups	750 ml	¾ litre	25.4
4 cups	1000 ml	1 litre	35.1

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