Food Service Measurements & Formulas
Ounces vs. Fluid Ounces, fluid ounces are measures of volume. A volume refers to a space, not a weight. The ounces that measure weight are just called "ounces". Their real name is "avoirdupois" ounce. (avoirdupois is French for "goods of weight".)
So when you see the word "ounce" it means an ounce of Weight, and when you see "fluid ounce" it refers to a measure of Volume. Ounce is abbreviated as "oz.", fluid ounce is abbreviated as "fl. oz."
Are they ever the same? Yes, but it is just a coincidence. Butter, for instance, just happens to weigh and measure the same. But few foods do, not even water. Examples: 1 cup, by definition, holds 8 fluid ounces. But 1 cup of water actually weights 8.3 ounces. Whereas 1 cup of cracked pepper weights 4 oz. and a cup of table salt weighs 10.3 oz. while 1 cup of honey weighs 12 ounces! These weight to volume relationships are called Equivalents. For instance, 1 cup of honey equals (is equivalent to) 12 oz.
The Book of Yields contains equivalents for over 800 foods.
Volume Measurements, in the United States we measure volumes with the teaspoon, tablespoon, fluid ounce, cup, pint, quart and gallon. Here are the abbreviations for these measures and their equivalents in fluid ounces:
Name Abbreviation Fluid Ounces
Teaspoon Tsp. 1/6th
Tablespoon Tbsp. 1/2
Fluid Ounce Fl.oz. 1
Cup C 8
Pint Pt. 16
Quart Qt. 32
Gallon Gal. 128
Here is how they Equate:
1 gallon = 4 qt = 8 pt = 16 c = 128 fl oz = 256 tbsp.
1 quart = 2 pt = 4 c = 32 fl.oz = 64 tbsp. = 192 tsp.
1 pint = 2 c = 16 fl.oz.= 32 tbsp. = 96 tsp.
1 cup = 8 fl.oz. = 16 tbsp. = 48 tsp.
1 fluid ounce = 2 tbsp. = 6 tsp.
1 tablespoon = 1/2 fl.oz. = 3 tsp.
Volumes in the Metric System, The liter is the Metric Unit for measuring Volumes. Liter is abbreviated with an "L". A liter is close to but slightly bigger than a quart. 1 Liter equals 33.8 fl. oz. ( 1 qt = 32 fl.oz.) To convert quarts to liters, multiply quarts by .946. To convert liters to quarts, multiply liters by 1.056.
What is a Liter? It is the volume of space contained in a cube that is 1/10th of a Meter on all sides. Liters are usually broken down into smaller units; either into 10ths called deci-liters, 100ths, called centiliters or into thousandths, called milliliters. ml. is the abbreviation for milliter.
Here are some equivalents in millitiers:
Milliters = Volume
14.79 = 1 tablespoon
29.57 = 1 fluid ounce
236 = 1 cup
473 = 1 pint
946 = 1 quart
1,000 = 1 liter
3,785 = 1 gallon
Bottle Sizes - Wines & Spirits
Wine
Bottle name fl.oz. millitiers
Champagne split 6.4 187
Half (a 10th) 12.7 375
Standard (a fifth) 25.36 750
Liter 33.8 1000
Magnum 50.7 1500
Double Magnum 101.4 3000
Spirits
Bottle name fl.oz. millitiers
Miniature 1.7 50
Half Pint 6.8 200
Pint 12.7 375
Fifth 25.36 750
Liter 33.8 1000
Half Gallon 59.2 1750
Note how some spirit bottle names are misleading.
Can Sizes
Can Name fl.oz. cups ml
#10 103.7 12.96 3067
#5 56 7 1656
#3 cylinder 46 5.75 1360
#2.5 28.5 3.56 843
#2 20 2.5 591
#303 15.6 1.95 461
#211 cylinder 12 1.5 355
#1 Picnic 10.5 1.3 311
8 ounce 8.3 1.04 2.45
6 ounce 5.75 .72 170
Scoop (disher) Sizes
Scoop numbers specify the number of scoops in 1 quart.
Scoop size fl.oz. cups ml
#4 8 1 236
#5 6.4 .8 190
#6 5.33 .67 158
#8 4 .5 118
#10 3.2 .4 95
#12 2.58 .32 76
#16 2 .25 59
#20 1.6 .2 47
#24 1.33 .16 39
#30 1.06 .13 32
#40 .8 .10 24
#60 .053 .06 16
You must scrape the disher flat to get these yields.
Flour, Meal, Bran Crumb
| Item | oz per cup | cup per lb | oz per pt | pt per lb | lb per pt |
| Bisquick mix | 4.00 | 4.0 | 8.0 | 2.0 | .50 |
| Breadcrumbs, dry | 3.5 | 4.6 | 7.0 | 2.3 | .44 |
| Breadcrumbs, Japanese | 2.80 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 2.9 | .35 |
| Cornmeal Mix | 6.00 | 2.7 | 12.0 | 1.3 | .75 |
| Cornmeal, de-germed coarse | 4.85 | 3.3 | 9.7 | 1.6 | .61 |
| Cornmeal, Fine | 6.30 | 2.5 | 12.6 | 1.3 | .79 |
| Cornmeal, whole grain | 4.30 | 3.7 | 8.6 | 1.9 | .54 |
| Cornstarch | 4.70 | 3.4 | 9.4 | 1.7 | .59 |
| Cracker Crumbs, saltine | 3.20 | 5.0 | 6.4 | 2.5 | .40 |
| Flour, all purpose | 4.40 | 3.6 | 8.8 | 1.8 | .55 |
| Flour, bread | 4.80 | 3.3 | 9.6 | 1.7 | .60 |
| Flour, Buckwheat, wh groat | 4.25 | 3.8 | 8.5 | 1.9 | .53 |
| Flour, cake | 3.90 | 4.1 | 7.8 | 2.1 | .49 |
| Flour, High Gluten | 5.00 | 3.2 | 10. | 1.6 | .63 |
| Flour, Masa (corn) | 4.15 | 3.9 | 8.3 | 1.9 | .52 |
| Flour, Pastry | 4.25 | 3.8 | 8.5 | 1.9 | .53 |
| Flour, Potato | 6.35 | 2.5 | 12.7 | 1.3 | .79 |
| Flour, Rice, Brown | 5.50 | 2.9 | 11.0 | 1.5 | .69 |
| Flour, Rice, White | 5.60 | 2.9 | 11.2 | 1.4 | .70 |
| Flour, Rye, Dark | 4.50 | 3.6 | 9.0 | 1.8 | .56 |
| Flour, Rye, Light & Medium | 3.60 | 4.4 | 7.2 | 2.2 | .45 |
| Flour, self-rising Wheat, White | 4.40 | 3.6 | 8.8 | 1.8 | .55 |
| Flour, Soybean, defatted | 3.50 | 4.6 | 7.0 | 2.3 | .44 |
| Flour, Soybean, full-fat | 3.00 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 2.7 | .38 |
| Flour, Triticale, whole grain | 4.60 | 3.5 | 9.2 | 1.7 | .57 |
| Flour, Whole Wheat | 4.25 | 3.8 | 8.5 | 1.9 | .53 |
| Graham Cracker Crumbs | 4.15 | 3.9 | 8.3 | 1.9 | .52 |
| Oat Bran | 5.30 | 3.0 | 10.6 | 1.5 | .66 |
| Oats, Quick | 3.30 | 4.8 | 6.6 | 2.4 | .41 |
| Oats, Rolled | 3.00 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 2.7 | .38 |
| Rice Bran, Crude | 4.16 | 3.8 | 8.3 | 1.9 | .52 |
| Semolina | 6.30 | 2.5 | 12.6 | 1.3 | .79 |
| Soy Meal, defatted | 4.30 | 3.7 | 8.6 | 1.9 | .54 |
| Wheat Bran, fine | 5.70 | 2.8 | 11.4 | 1.4 | .71 |
| Wheat Germ | 4.10 | 3.9 | 8.2 | 2.0 | .51 |
| Wheat Grains, whole, hard | 6.70 | 2.4 | 13.4 | 1.2 | .84 |
| Wheat Grains, whole, soft | 5.90 | 2.7 | 11.8 | 1.4 | .74 |
Flour: volumes are "spooned", not sifted. Sifting flours will reduce a volume's weight by 20% to 25%.
Sweeteners
| Item | oz per cup | cup per lb | oz per pt | pt per lb | lb per pt |
| Molasses | 11.60 | 1.4 | 23.2 | .69 | 1.45 |
| Jelly Preserves | 10.60 | 1.5 | 21.2 | .755 | 1.33 |
| Jam Preserves | 11.30 | 1.4 | 22.6 | .708 | 4.41 |
| Honey | 12.00 | 1.3 | 24.0 | .667 | 1.5 |
| Nutrasweet, Equal | 6.00 | 2.7 | 12.0 | 1.333 | .75 |
| Chocolate, sprinkles | 6.50 | 2.5 | 13.0 | 1.231 | .81 |
| Rainbow colors, sprinkles | 6.25 | 2.6 | 12.5 | 1.280 | .78 |
| Sugar, Brown, unpacked | 5.10 | 3.1 | 10.2 | 1.569 | .64 |
| Sugar, Granulated | 7.10 | 2.3 | 14.2 | 1.127 | .89 |
| Sugar, Powdered, unsifted | 4.35 | 3.7 | 8.7 | 1.839 | .540 |
| Sugar, Powdered, sifted | 4.00 | 4.0 | 8.0 | 2.000 | .50 |
| Sugar, Brown packed | 7.75 | 2.1 | 15.5 | 1.032 | .97 |
| Sugar, Maple, Un-packed | 5.10 | 3.1 | 10.2 | 15.69 | .64 |
| Syrup, corn, dark or light | 11.50 | 1.4 | 23.0 | .696 | 1.44 |
| Syrup, Maple, pancake | 11.10 | 1.4 | 22.2 | .721 | 1.39 |
| Syrup, Corn, High Fructose | 11.00 | 1.5 | 22.0 | .727 | 1.38 |
| Toppings, Chocolate Fudge | 12.00 | 1.3 | 24.0 | .667 | 1.50 |
| Toppings, Butterscotch | 11.30 | 1.4 | 22.6 | .708 | 1.41 |
| Toppings, Pineapple | 11.00 | 1.5 | 22.0 | .727 | 1.38 |
| Toppings, Strawberry | 11.00 | 1.5 | 22.0 | .727 | 1.38 |
Note: Weight are Avoirdupois (US) ounces, not fluid ounces. Liquids are often sold by fluid ounces.
