When is a cup not a cup and when is a tablespoon not a tablespoon?
No, this isn’t a trick question like, “When is a door not a door?” (Answer: when it is ajar) or “How is a raven like a writing desk?” (Answer: Because Poe wrote on both).
You may think a cup and tablespoon have universal definitions, just as with a foot or a meter. In fact, the definition may vary country-by-country. In some situations, there are even multiple definitions within one nation’s borders. Before you try your hand at baking a new recipe, you may first want to learn what the author of that recipe meant when prescribing a certain amount of the essential ingredients.
| Cups by Country | milliliters | US Tablespoons (14.79 ml) | UK & International Tablespoons (metric) (15 ml) | UK Old Imperial Tablespoons (17.76 ml) | Australian Tablespoons (20 ml) |
| US Customary Cup (recipes) | 236.59 | 16 | 15.77 | 13.32 | 11.82 |
| US Legal Cup (nutrition) | 240 | 16.23 | 16 | 13.51 | 12 |
| UK Metric Cup | 250 | 16.91 | 16.67 | 14.08 | 12.5 |
| UK Imperial Cup (old recipes) | 284.13 | 19.22 | 18.94 | 16 | 14.21 |
| Australian Cup | 250 | 16.91 | 16.67 | 14.08 | 12.5 |
| Canadian Cup | 250 | 16.91 | 16.67 | 14.08 | 12.5 |
| South African Cup | 250 | 16.91 | 16.67 | 14.08 | 12.5 |
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