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Need an instant calculation for how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon? Want to convert tablespoons to cups? Want to scale up or down a recipe? Here is the ultimate measurement tool and conversion chart to make cooking a breeze!
Teaspoons and tablespoons are units of measurement. They are often abbreviated to “tsp” and “tbsp” respectively. E.g., “How many tsp in a tbsp?”. They are most often used when working with smaller amounts of ingredients, like spices, baking agents, salt, and extracts.
Understanding the difference between the two and how to scale up and down recipes using them both will come in handy, especially if you don’t have access to measuring cups or a kitchen scale.
Table of Contents
How many teaspoons in a tablespoon?
A tablespoon contains 3 teaspoons.
This applies to the imperial, US customary, and most metric systems of measurement. Remembering this simple conversion will make it easy for you to adjust ingredients in your recipes as per your taste and recipe’s requirements.
Imperial Versus Metric Measurement Systems
It’s always important to understand which country your recipe is from in order to better understand measurements and conversions. The United States primarily uses the US customary system of measurement, which is a variant of the imperial system.
Under this system, 1 tablespoon contains 3 teaspoons.
Most of Europe, Canada, and Australia use the metric system. This is also referred to as the International System of Units (SI). The conversion of tablespoons to teaspoons can be calculated using milliliters (ml). There are approximately 5 milliliters in a teaspoon. So, a tablespoon is therefore equal to 3 x 5 ml, which equals 15 ml.
Under this system, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) contains 3 teaspoons (3 x 5 ml).
In the United Kingdom, however, a tablespoon is equal to approximately 17.7 ml, which is 4 teaspoons. In Australia, a tablespoon is equal to 20 ml, so there would be 4 teaspoons in one tablespoon.
Measuring Spoon Tips
- Don’t pack dry ingredients too densely into cups, tablespoons, or teaspoons. A light tap to break down lumps should be all that is required to ensure accurate measurements.
- Ensuring grains are light and aerated will give you the most accurate measurements. A sieve can be used to assist in preparing such dry ingredients.
- Humidity can impact the weight of dry ingredients if they hold more moisture.
- Ingredients such as butter should be softened until pliable in order to more accurately fill the measuring spoons or cups.
- Standard measurements require spoons to be leveled, not heaped. This can be achieved by running the flat edge of a knife across the top of the spoon.
US Customary Measurements Conversions Chart
For many recipes, you’ll often need cups, which is a larger measurement tool for volume than teaspoons and tablespoons.
If you don’t have a measuring cup on hand, you can easily make these recipes using tablespoons and teaspoons. An understanding of converting tablespoons and teaspoons to cups will come in very handy.
One cup contains 16 tablespoons OR 48 teaspoons.
The chart below shows the dry measurement conversions.
|
Cup |
Tablespoon (tbsp) |
Teaspoon (tsp) |
|
1 cup |
16 tablespoons |
48 tsp |
|
3/4 cup |
12 tablespoons |
36 tsp |
|
2/3 cup |
10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons |
32 tsp |
|
1/2 cup |
8 tablespoons |
24 tsp |
|
3/8 cup |
6 tablespoons |
18 tsp |
|
1/3 cup |
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon |
16 tsp |
|
1/4 cup |
4 tablespoons |
12 tsp |
|
1/6 cup |
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons |
8 tsp |
|
1/8 cup |
2 tablespoons |
6 tsp |
|
1/16 cup |
1 tablespoon |
3 tsp |
Wet Versus Dry Ingredients
People often ask, can both wet and dry ingredients be measured with a tablespoon and a teaspoon? The simple answer is yes! Tablespoons and teaspoons measure volume, so recipes often use tablespoons and teaspoons interchangeably for small amounts of both dry and wet ingredients. The conversion of these into cups remains the same.
Tips for Remembering Measurements
Here are some useful tips for remembering measurement conversions:
For tablespoons to teaspoons
As mentioned earlier, 1 tablespoon contains 3 teaspoons.
If you want to turn tablespoons into teaspoons, simply multiply the number of tablespoons by 3, and you’ll get the answer in teaspoons. Similarly, to get an answer in teaspoons, divide the tablespoons by 3 to get a measurement in tablespoons.
For cups to tablespoons
One cup contains 16 tablespoons. To know how many tablespoons you’ll need, multiply the number of cups used in the recipe by 16. For more, refer to how many tablespoons are in a cup.
For cups to milliliters
One cup is equal to 240 ml. To calculate how many milliliters are in a recipe, multiply the number of cups used by 240.
It’s important to also note, in some countries like Australia and New Zealand, a metric cup is used, which is equivalent to 250 milliliters.
What is a tablespoon?
A tablespoon, or “tbsp,” is a commonly used culinary measuring tool designed to measure the volume of ingredients.
It is equal to approximately 15 milliliters (ml) or 0.5 fluid ounces (fl oz), depending on the system of measurement. This makes it larger than a teaspoon but smaller than a fluid ounce.
A tablespoon is typically used to measure oils, sauces, spices, granulated substances, or small amounts of ingredients like butter, milk, or flour.
A tablespoon size can vary depending on the region or country a recipe is written in. It is always, a good idea to check specific measuring guidelines prior to any cooking or baking.
What is a teaspoon?
A teaspoon, or “tsp,” is a commonly used unit of measurement in cooking and baking. It allows recipes to represent small quantities of ingredients.
It is designed to hold 5 milliliters (ml) of liquid or dry ingredients or 1/6 fluid ounces (fl oz). In most systems of measurement, a teaspoon is 1/3 the size of a tablespoon.
Its consistent and standardized form makes it an essential tool for achieving accurate and balanced flavors and textures in cooking and baking.
More cooking resources
- How many ounces in a cup
- How many grams in an ounce
- How many quarts in a gallon
- How many grams in a cup
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 4 teaspoons in a UK tablespoon.
In Australia, 1 tablespoon is equal to 4 teaspoons.
No, 2 tsp makes 2/3 of a tbsp. There are 3 tsp in 1 tbsp.
As a tablespoon is greater than a teaspoon, one teaspoon would equal 1/3 of a tablespoon.
There are 1 1/2 teaspoons in half a tablespoon or 7.5 ml.
There are 4 tablespoons in a 1/4 cup.
If Mary Poppins were to weigh her spoonfuls of sugar, she would find that granulated white sugar typically weighs about 4.2 to 4.6 grams per level teaspoon. Brown sugar, due to its slightly higher moisture content and density, can weigh around 4.8 to 5.3 grams per level teaspoon.
Lots of much needed info in one place.
Thank you
Hello! 1 tbsp = 3 tsp in metric. Australia is just an exception. NZ, UK, and so on = 3 tsp to 1 tbsp.