1 Cup Water in Grams
1 cup of water weighs 237 g (poured, USDA). The reference liquid for all volume-to-weight conversion. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the USDA value, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.
Why weighing water beats measuring it in cups
Volume and weight are the same thing for water, which is why liquid conversions feel simple, but the moment a liquid has sugar, fat or alcohol dissolved in it, its density changes. Honey is nearly half as heavy again as water per cup, and olive oil is lighter. A conversion table that gives the real weight of each liquid stops you from assuming that one cup always equals 237 g, which is the most common liquid-measuring mistake in home cooking.
The reference liquid for all volume-to-weight conversion. It is used for every kind of cooking, baking and drinks. That range of uses is part of why the conversion comes up so often: the same ingredient appears in everyday cooking and in precise baking, and the two situations demand different levels of accuracy.
Water cups to grams conversion table
| Cups | Grams | Tablespoons (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 59.2 g | 3.7 g |
| 1/3 cup | 79 g | 4.9 g |
| 1/2 cup | 118.5 g | 7.4 g |
| 2/3 cup | 158 g | 9.9 g |
| 3/4 cup | 177.8 g | 11.1 g |
| 1 cup | 237 g | 14.8 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 355.5 g | 22.2 g |
| 2 cups | 474 g | 29.6 g |
| 3 cups | 711 g | 44.4 g |
| 4 cups | 948 g | 59.2 g |
The tablespoon column is a bonus for recipes that call for a spoonful or two: one tablespoon of water weighs about 14.8 g. Remember that a cup is 16 tablespoons, so the numbers in the table are just the cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place. For small amounts a scale that reads to the gram is far more reliable than a spoon, because a heaped tablespoon can weigh half as much again as a level one.
How the weight was measured
Poured means the ingredient is a liquid or a free-flowing syrup, so it is measured in a liquid measuring jug with a spout, read at eye level. Liquids settle flat, so there is no packing or levelling to worry about, but a sticky liquid will cling to the jug, which is one more reason to weigh it instead.
The source for the 237 g figure is USDA, and the confidence in the value is high. USDA publishes a standard ingredient weight chart that recipe developers use as a reference, and this page follows it exactly rather than averaging across sources, because an average of two different measuring methods is a number that matches nobody's cup. There is a dispute worth knowing about. One US cup is 236.6 ml, so water weighs 237 g. King Arthur rounds water to 227 g; we use the exact 237 g. The practical advice is simple: use the value in the table above, measure the way the table describes, and your results will match the recipes this site is built around. If a recipe you are following was written with a different value, follow that recipe's value instead of ours, because consistency within one recipe matters more than which authoritative number you pick.
Worked examples
A vinaigrette for a salad
A vinaigrette using 1/4 cup of water needs 59.2 g. Dressings are ratios, and a quarter-cup measure is small enough that a few grams of error changes the balance between sharp and smooth. Weighing 59.2 g gives the same dressing every time.
A soup that serves eight
A soup recipe calling for 4 cups of water needs 948 g. Scaling a soup up by cups multiplies any error, so weighing 948 g keeps the seasoning and the consistency of the original batch.
A cocktail or mocktail by the jug
A jug of drinks using 2 cups of water needs 474 g. When you are making drinks for a group, weighing the liquid is faster than juggling measuring cups, and the flavour stays balanced from the first glass to the last.
When this conversion matters most
This conversion matters most when a recipe is built on ratios. Bread dough, pancake batter, sauces and dressings all depend on the liquid being right relative to the dry ingredients, and a liquid that is heavier or lighter than water shifts that ratio. It also matters when you are converting a recipe between metric and US measures, because a metric recipe will give you grams and a US recipe will give you cups, and you need the bridge between the two.
Common mistakes with water
- Reading the jug at an angle. A liquid jug read from above looks fuller than it is. Bend down so your eyes are level with the meniscus.
- Assuming every liquid weighs 237 g per cup. Only water and water-like liquids weigh 237 g per cup. Syrups, oils and juices are all different, so check the table for the liquid you are actually using.
- Measuring a sticky liquid in a dry cup. Honey, syrup and molasses cling to the cup and leave a measurable amount behind. Weigh sticky liquids, or oil the cup lightly first.
- Using a dry measuring cup for liquids. Dry cups are meant to be filled to the brim and levelled, which you cannot do with a liquid. Use a jug with a spout, or a scale.
Storage and handling
No special storage needed. Keeping water stored properly also keeps its weight per cup stable: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture from the air weighs more per cup than a dry one, so a sealed container is not just about freshness, it is about measurement accuracy too. If a bag has been open for months in a humid kitchen, the first thing to do before a precise bake is to weigh the ingredient rather than trusting the cup.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 cup of water?
1 cup of water weighs 237 g, measured poured according to USDA. That is the figure to use when converting a recipe from cups to grams, and it is the value the conversion table on this page is built on.
How do I measure water without a scale?
Poured means the ingredient is a liquid or a free-flowing syrup, so it is measured in a liquid measuring jug with a spout, read at eye level. Liquids settle flat, so there is no packing or levelling to worry about, but a sticky liquid will cling to the jug, which is one more reason to weigh it instead. That gives the closest result to 237 g per cup, but it is still an estimate: the honest answer is that a scale is the only way to know the exact weight, and a basic digital kitchen scale costs less than a bag of good flour.
Does water always weigh the same per cup?
No. Brand, grind, moisture and how settled the container is all shift the weight by a few grams, and for flour the swing can be 20 g or more. The 237 g figure is the standard USDA value for water measured poured, and it is the right default, but when a recipe is precise, weigh the ingredient and trust the scale over the cup.
Why do different websites give different weights for water?
Because they are measuring different things. One US cup is 236.6 ml, so water weighs 237 g. King Arthur rounds water to 227 g; we use the exact 237 g. A source that scoops will always report a heavier cup than a source that spoons and levels, and both can be correct about their own method. The fix is to pick one source and one method and stick with it for the whole recipe.
How should I store water?
No special storage needed. Good storage keeps the ingredient fresh and keeps its weight per cup consistent, because moisture absorbed from the air adds grams that the recipe did not ask for.
What is water used for?
Every kind of cooking, baking and drinks. The reference liquid for all volume-to-weight conversion.
Related conversions
Use the cups to grams converter or the cups to ml converter for instant answers, or browse the cups to grams hub for the full ingredient list. Related pages: Vanilla Extract in cups to grams, Milk in cups to grams, Olive Oil in cups to grams. More tools: cups to grams converter, cups to ml converter, liquid volume converter, weight converter. See also our disclaimer about approximate conversions.