The tablespoon (US) is a unit of volume used in the US customary system. It's commonly abbreviated as tbsp, T, or tbs, and it plays a central role in measuring both liquid and dry ingredients in American recipes. By definition, one US tablespoon equals 14.7868 milliliters, making it exactly three times the size of a US teaspoon.
This unit is a standard part of measuring spoon sets found in nearly every American kitchen. It's used for ingredients that require more than a teaspoon but less than a full cup—like oil, syrup, peanut butter, or baking powder. Whether you're preparing a sauce, salad dressing, or baked goods, the tablespoon offers an ideal balance between precision and practicality.
Uses: The tablespoon is one of the most commonly used measurements in American kitchens. You’ll find it in countless recipes—from marinades and sauces to pancake batter and salad dressings. In baking, it plays a critical role, where just a small difference in the amount of butter, oil, or leavening agent can change the texture or taste of the final dish. The tablespoon is also used in meal prep, portion control, and nutritional labeling, helping consumers track ingredients like sugar, oils, or dressings in a standardized way.
Beyond the kitchen, the U.S. tablespoon occasionally appears in medical or pharmaceutical contexts to measure over-the-counter liquid medications, though healthcare professionals typically recommend using milliliters for precision. Still, the tablespoon remains a familiar and convenient reference point for many households.
The imperial cup is a unit of volume that was historically used in the United Kingdom and other countries that followed the imperial measurement system. One imperial cup is equal to 284.131 milliliters, making it slightly larger than the US cup, which holds about 236.588 milliliters. While not as widely used today due to the UK's adoption of the metric system, the imperial cup still appears in older recipes, cookbooks, and household measurements.
It was designed to be a convenient mid-range measure—larger than a tablespoon but smaller than a pint. In many traditional British kitchens, the cup was used for dry and liquid ingredients, often measured with simple household items or standard measuring cups that followed imperial standards.
Uses: The imperial cup is most commonly seen in classic British recipes and cookbooks written before metrication. It measured ingredients like flour, sugar, milk, and oil in home and professional kitchens. Even today, you may find imperial cup references in family recipes passed down over generations or in online conversions of older dishes.
Though the UK now uses grams and milliliters for most cooking and product packaging, the imperial cup still holds relevance for those recreating traditional British meals or converting recipes that rely on imperial units. It also occasionally appears on measuring cups that include metric and imperial markings, helping home cooks bridge the gap between old and new systems.
1 tbsp = 0.052042 cup (imp)
Let’s say you want to convert 100 tbsp to cup (imp).
Using the formula:
100 × 0.052042 = 5.204 cup (imp)
So, 100 tbsp is approximately 5.204 cup (imp).
| Tablespoon (US) (tbsp) | Cup (Imperial) (cup (imp)) |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 0.052 cup (imp) |
| 2 tbsp | 0.104 cup (imp) |
| 3 tbsp | 0.156 cup (imp) |
| 4 tbsp | 0.208 cup (imp) |
| 5 tbsp | 0.26 cup (imp) |
| 6 tbsp | 0.312 cup (imp) |
| 7 tbsp | 0.364 cup (imp) |
| 8 tbsp | 0.416 cup (imp) |
| 9 tbsp | 0.468 cup (imp) |
| 10 tbsp | 0.52 cup (imp) |
| 11 tbsp | 0.572 cup (imp) |
| 12 tbsp | 0.625 cup (imp) |
| 13 tbsp | 0.677 cup (imp) |
| 14 tbsp | 0.729 cup (imp) |
| 15 tbsp | 0.781 cup (imp) |