I suppose the first question to ask if you are using volumetric measurements is: "your cup or mine?"

METRIC IMPERIAL CONVERSION

All Metric systems are not created equal, anymore than Imperial systems are the same.

Metric and Imperial is not easily translated from one system to the other. In the scheme of things, the only thing that people who quantify measurements can agree on is: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml. After that, it is a free-for-all. Meawhile, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml Australia = 17.7 ml UK = 14.79 ml US [was 14.2 ml] = 12.5 ml [Sth Africa]

When it comes to ounces, the actual amount of 28 is rounded up to 30 in Australia, and rounded down to 25 in most other countries. Slight differences usually don't matter, but...it can make a difference in some recipes.

METRIC CONVERSION TABLE
U.S.....................CANADIAN......AUSTRALIAN........EUROPEAN....ACCURATE
UNITS..................METRIC ......... METRIC................METRIC ...... METRIC
1/4 teaspoon...... 1 ml. ......... ........ 1 ml
1/2 teaspoon.. ... 2 ml.. ......... ....... 2 1/2 ml
1 teaspoon......... 5 ml.. ......... ....... 5 ml........ ............ ............... ..... 5 ml
1 tablespoon...... 15 ml... ....... ...... 20 ml....... ........... ............... .... 15 ml
1/4 cup............... 50 ml.... ...... ...... 60 ml...... ............ ..... .............. 56 ml
1/3 cup............... 75 ml.... ...... ...... 80 ml...... ............ 0.8 dl....... ... 84 ml
1/2 cup.............. 125 ml.... ...... ..... 125 ml..... ........... 1.2 dl....... .. 112 ml
2/3 cup.............. 150 ml.... ....... .... 170 ml..... ........... 1.6 dl....... .. 140 ml
3/4 cup.............. 175 ml.... ....... .... 190 ml..... ........... ............... ... 168 ml
1 cup................. 250 ml..... ...... .... 250 ml..... ........... 2.4 dl....... .. 224 ml
1 quart.............. 1 liter.............. ..... ...... ............ ....... 9.5 dl

1 ounce............ 30 grams.............. 30 grams................................. 28 g
2 ounces.......... 55 grams.... ......... 60 grams................................. 57 g
3 ounces.......... 85 grams..... ........ 90 grams............. 0.8 dl...........85 g
4 ounces......... 115 grams..... ...... 125 grams............ 1.1 dg....... 113 g
8 ounces......... 225 grams..... ...... 250 grams............ 2.2 dg........226.8 g
16 ounces....... 455 grams..... ...... 500 grams............ 4.5 dg........453.5 g
1 pound........... 455 grams..... ...... 1/2 kilogram......... 4.5 dg

Generally speaking:
4 gills.......1 pint
2 pints.......1 quart
4 quarts......1 gallon

US MEASURES
1 US fl oz....1/16 US pint.................29.6 ml
2 cups........1 pint........16 ounces......4.73 dl
4 cups........1 quart......32 ounces......9.5 dl
4 quarts......1 gallon...128 ounces..3.785 l
1 gill........4 ounces

UK MEASURES
1 UK fl oz....1/20th UK pint...................28.4 ml
1 gill...........5 ounces
1 breakfast cup (UK)...1/2 pint[10 oz]..2.84 dl
1 pint........20 ounces...............................5.68 dl
1 quart.......40 ounces
1 gallon.....160 ounces............................4.55 l

AUSTRALIAN MEASURES
1 gill................5 oz............150 ml
1 cup..............8 oz.............250 ml............2.5 dl
1/2 pint.........10 oz.............300 ml
1 pint............20 oz.............600 ml
1 kilogram....2.2 pounds

European Metric is/was common in Scandanavian countries [dl, dg] but it is becoming less used. There are plenty of English-language European recipes that are written in dl/dg Metric, so it is useful to know.

Always check any measuring cups purchased for accuracy. I threw out a set that most likely came from an asian country. Their metrics indicate that 1 cup is around the 7oz [200ml] mark. If you have a rice cooker, check the measuring "cup" that comes with it. It works on the same "small cup" principle.
FYI: 50ml = 1/4 c 100ml = 1/2c 150ml = 3/4 c 200ml = 1 cup

I keep an Australian set [obviously], an American set and an European set rather than trying to convert recipes. I only need a South African set and I'm complete.

I would use whatever the directions said..if I was in Australia (dont I wish) I would use what they use, in Europe if it was an european recipe theirs... this is a good point.... also I use www.onlineconversion.com when need too and havent had a problem..... I guess its just personal choice.

Haha, auzzi, point well taken! You always have so much info to share!
Found out about the difference in the Australian measurements when I bought some wonderful Australian cookbooks. I knew the Asian cups were off somewhat when I had an issue with some new ones I bought and a tried and true recipe. Didn't know that the issue could exist elsewhere though.
Haha, yes, the American quart, many moons ago when I was knee high to a grasshopper and making a 6 week batch of muffins, I learned very quickly that the recipe was American after I dumped my Canadian quart of buttermilk in and the recipe was ruined.
But you forgot to answer the most important questions of all. Is a pinch the same as a dash? Is an American pinch bigger than an Asian pinch? And when you are in a pinch, will a dash do?
Hhmn, food for thought!
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Pinches, dashes dollops, handfuls etc come from a time when measuring devices were not common.

Successful cooks knew their recipes and their measurements. Then, as now, they still are inaccurate measures that varies considerably from one cook to another.

Basically speaking, "pinches" are added to boost or combine with other flavours to produce an overall effect eg a teaspoon of coffee powder in a chocolate cake. "Dashes" are added to produce an taste effect that is subtle but can be tasted eg chilli powder in salsa.

There are many scholarly and amateur website decdicated to measurements. So, I gathered some trivia for the modern-day cook:

A drop varies depending on the size of the dropper or surface it is leaving, as well as it's viscosity. Water is used in science as the control-measure.

A pinch is the amount held between a thumb and finger pinched together. This varies depending on the size of the fingers and the nature of the pinch.

A dash is about double a pinch in size.

1 drop = 0.0616 cc [US Winchester system] OR 0.0592 cc [UK Imperial system] OR 0.05 cc [metric]

1 pinch = 0.3073 ml or 5 DROPS(< 0.416" dia. 1/2 sphere) (Boston Cook.Sch. (Yr.187)

1 dash = 0.6145 ml or 10 DROPS (< 0.524" dia. 1/2 sphere) (Boston Cook.Sch. (Yr.187)

1 ml or 1 cc = 20 metric drops OR 16.23 Winchester drops or 16.89 Imperial drops

1 teaspoon = 1/6 fl oz OR 4.7355 cc - UK OR 4.929 cc - US
1 teaspoon = 5 cc [metric] [100 metric drops = 1 metric teaspoon]


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These are my bug-bears........

ROUNDED MEASURE: Pile the ingredient to the top of the measuring spoon. Instead allow it to up above the rim naturally, into a soft rounded shape. Some sources indicate that the mound should be as high as the spoon is deep - in other words, equal to 2 level measures.

HEAPING / HEAPED: Pile as much of the ingredient on top of the measure as it can hold.

SCANT - Slightly less than the actual measure is used [very imprecise].

1 tea cup is usually 5 fl. oz [5/8c] - it is a scant 3/4 cup
1 coffee cup is usually 7 fl. oz [7/8c] - it is a scant cup

1 scant tablespoon is measured as barely filling tablespoon - around 2 1/4 ts to 2 1/2 ts


To quote: " just how big is your handful?"