In a standard US Cup, there are 48 teaspoons in a cup.
Before we get into other cup sizes such as UK cups, Australian Cups, Canadian cups, etc. Let us explore how we got to the figure above:
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoons
16 tablespoons = cup
teaspoons in 1 cup = 16×3 = 48
Therefore, there are 48 teaspoons in a cup. This was calculated with standard US measurements where a cup is 240ml and a teaspoon is 5ml.
Once you understand this conversion, it will be very easy for you to scale up or down a recipe or an ingredient in a recipe.
A teaspoon is used to measure the small quantity ingredients in a recipe.
As much as professional cooks advocate for weighing ingredients to achieve the exact recipe, it is generally accepted the small quantity ingredients like spices, salt, etc. should be measured with a teaspoon or tablespoon
teaspoon -Tablespoon – cup conversions
| US Cups | US Tablespoons | US Teaspoons | Volume (fl oz) | Volume (ml) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons | 48 teaspoons | 8 fl oz | 240ml |
| 3/4 cup | 12 tablespoons | 36 teaspoons | 6 fl oz | 180ml |
| 2/3 cup | 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons | 32 teaspoons | 5 fl oz | 160ml |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tablespoons | 24 teaspoons | 4 fl oz | 120ml |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon | 16 teaspoons | 2.5 fl oz | 79ml |
| 1/4 cup | 4 tablespoons | 12 teaspoons | 2 fl oz | 60ml |
| 1/6 cup | 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons | 8 teaspoons | 1.25 fl oz | 40ml |
| 1/8 cup | 2 tablespoons | 6 teaspoons | 1 fl oz | 30ml |
| 1/16 cup | 1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons | 1/2 fl oz | 15ml |
What is a Teaspoon?
A teaspoon is a small spoon that is part of the dining cutlery used to measure volume. ‘t’ ‘tsp’ ‘ts’ ‘tspn’ are the variety of teaspoon abbreviations used in recipes and measurements.
Its size or volume often differs depending on whether the country is using imperial, metric, or US standard measurements.
The following are the measurements:
- US standard teaspoon – 4.93ml approximately 5ml
- US Legal teaspoon – 5ml
- UK metric teaspoon – 5ml
- Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, South African teaspoon – 5ml
Unlike cups, a teaspoon usually has one standard size though some companies make smaller sizes(1/2 tsp).
A good tip to remember (especially when trying a new recipe) is to beware of the recipe’s origin and measuring system for best results.
You can find this information in the post/blog or recipe. You can also message the writer for clarification.
what is a cup?
According to Wikipedia, a cup is a cooking measure of volume ‘commonly associated with cooking and serving sizes‘. It is often abbreviated in recipes and tables with the letter ‘c’.
Cup sizes differ more than tablespoon and teaspoon sizes.
The US standard cup is 236.58 exactly but often approximated to 240 ml, the legal cup 240ml, the Uk cup is 250ml and the Australian, Canadian, and South African Cup are also 250ml since they use the same measuring system as the UK.
In most parts of the world, a cup has different smaller sizes for easier measurement such as the 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, quatre cup, etc.
Where TEASPOON & cup measurements are used
Volume measuring with teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, gallons, etc. is most commonly found in US recipes than in UK and other commonwealth countries that prefer to measure ingredients based on their weight.
This volume-based measurement of the US is used in their two measuring systems. They are the customary cup (commonly used in recipes) and legal cup used on food labels approved by the FDA.
teaspoon conversions in Different measuring systems
There are three main measuring systems around the world which are the US standard and the metric system.
Others include the British imperial measurement that is mostly found in old British recipes before 1960, Japanese measurements, Russian measurements, etc.
Teaspoon Measuring Instructions
There are many descriptions that are used when describing the type of teaspoon measurement to use. Some of them are:
- Heap – A heaped teaspoon means scooping a large amount until it forms a peak on the spoon
- Leveled – In instructions that don’t specify the type of measuring, you are supposed to use a leveled measurement. Spoon in your ingredient into the cup/spoon and then use the edge of the knife to level it
- Rounded – A rounded spoon is achieved by scooping the ingredient and allowing an additional quantity to form a slight peak at the top of the spoon. The measurement is as expected less precise and is hard to get the same amount in a rounded spoon twice.
- Compact/packed – A packed spoon or cup means you should measure a full spoon and then press it down with a spoon to remove air pockets. Continue spooning more of the ingredient onto it until it cannot be pressed down any further. This is often used for measuring brown sugar and shortenings.
- Scant – This means slightly less than the supposed quantity. e.g if a recipe indicates a scant teaspoon, measure a full leveled teaspoon then reduce it slightly so that it is almost full but not yet.
how many teaspoons in a cup and a half
There are 72 teaspoons of both dry and wet ingredients in a one-and-a-half cup US standard size.
This was achieved by dividing a US 240ml cup by a 5ml US teaspoon.
how many teaspoons are in a cup of Australia, uk
The metric cup used in the UK, Australia, etc. is 250ml in volume. and it should be divided by the 5ml teaspoon size in the above countries.
There are 50 teaspoons in the UK using a metric cup and teaspoons.
FAQ ON TEASPOONS TO TABLESPOON
How many teaspoons of sugar are in a cup?
There are 48 teaspoons of sugar in a cup using the US standard cup.
How many teaspoons does it take to make 1/4 cup?
There are 12 teaspoons in a 1/4 cup using the US standard cup
How many teaspoons does it take to make a 1/3 cup?
A 1/3 cup contains 16 teaspoons according to the US customary measurement for recipes
How many teaspoons does it take to make a 1/8 cup?
Using a US cup, a 1/8 cup size contains 6 teaspoons while a UK 1/8 cup has 6.3 teaspoons
How many teaspoons does it take to make a 3/4 cup?
A 3/4 cup contains 36 teaspoons in a US standard cup and 37.5 teaspoons in a UK metric cup.
How many teaspoons does it take to make a 1/2 cup?
A 1/2 cup contains 24 teaspoons when using a US standard cup for recipes and 25 teaspoons when using a UK cup.
How many teaspoons of flour are in a cup?
There are 48 teaspoons of flour in a US cup and 50 teaspoons in a metric cup of UK, Australia, NZ.
How many teaspoons are in a dry cup?
There are 48 teaspoons in a dry cup just like there are 48 teaspoons in a wet cup. There is no difference between the measurement of dry or wet ingredients.
How many teaspoons of butter are in a cup?
There are 48 leveled teaspoons of butter in a US cup
conclusion
There are 48 teaspoons in a US cup and 50 teaspoons in a UK metric cup.
I hope you are now able to easily scale up or down your recipe and ingredients with a snap of your finger. The formula at the begining of the post is all you need.
If you have a question, let me know in the comment section below. I hope you had a good time here with me. Thank you
Have a nice day
