There are 453.6 g in a pound. That is the answer: 1 avoirdupois pound equals 453.59237 grams, usually rounded to 453.6 g, and it is the conversion you will use whenever a recipe gives a weight in pounds and your scale reads grams. If a recipe calls for 2 pounds of flour, weigh 907 grams. If it calls for half a pound of butter, weigh 227 grams. This page gives you the table, real cooking examples, and the difference between an avoirdupois pound and a troy pound, because mixing those two up will leave you short by 20 percent.
The conversion table
| Pounds | Grams | Kilograms | Ounces |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 lb | 113.4 g | 0.113 kg | 4 oz |
| 1/2 lb | 226.8 g | 0.227 kg | 8 oz |
| 3/4 lb | 340.2 g | 0.340 kg | 12 oz |
| 1 lb | 453.6 g | 0.454 kg | 16 oz |
| 1 1/2 lb | 680.4 g | 0.680 kg | 24 oz |
| 2 lb | 907.2 g | 0.907 kg | 32 oz |
| 3 lb | 1,360.8 g | 1.361 kg | 48 oz |
| 4 lb | 1,814.4 g | 1.814 kg | 64 oz |
| 5 lb | 2,268.0 g | 2.268 kg | 80 oz |
| 10 lb | 4,535.9 g | 4.536 kg | 160 oz |
The gram figures are rounded to one decimal place. A pound is defined as exactly 453.59237 grams, so the table is exact to the rounding shown.
Worked example 1: a bag of flour for a baking day
You are baking for a market stall and the recipe calls for 5 pounds of flour. Five pounds times 453.6 is 2,268 grams, which is 2.27 kilograms. A standard bag of flour holds 1 kilogram, so you need two and a quarter bags, and you should open a third bag to make up the difference. If you buy flour in 5-pound bags, one bag is exactly what you need, which is why American recipes are so often written in pounds: the bag sizes match the recipe amounts. The conversion matters most when you are buying in kilograms and cooking in pounds, or the other way round.
Worked example 2: a roast that needs weighing
A recipe calls for a 3-pound chicken, and you are buying one in a shop that sells by the kilogram. Three pounds is 1,360.8 grams, or 1.36 kilograms, so look for a bird labelled 1.3 to 1.4 kilograms. If the bird is 1.5 kilograms, that is 3.3 pounds, and you should add about 10 minutes to the cooking time. The weight matters because the cooking time is calculated from it, and a bird that is half a pound heavier needs more time in the oven. Weighing the bird is more reliable than guessing from its size, and the pound-to-gram conversion is the bridge between the recipe and the shop label.
Worked example 3: butter by the pound
A pastry recipe calls for 1 pound of butter, and your butter is sold in 250-gram blocks. One pound is 453.6 grams, so you need two blocks minus 46 grams — or, more practically, two blocks, which is 500 grams, and a slightly richer pastry. If you want to be exact, weigh 454 grams from the two blocks and save the rest. A pound of butter is also 4 sticks, which is 2 cups, so if the recipe gives the butter in cups, you can measure it that way instead. The pound is the unit that ties butter together: 1 pound is 4 sticks, 16 ounces, 2 cups, and 454 grams.
Method and source
An avoirdupois pound is defined as exactly 453.59237 grams, by international agreement. The avoirdupois system is the one used for food and for most everyday weights: 16 ounces make a pound, and a pound is 453.6 grams. The troy pound is different: it is 373.24 grams, and it is used only for precious metals, so you will never meet it in a recipe, but it is the reason some people quote a different figure for a pound. If a recipe says "pound" without any other word, it means an avoirdupois pound, and 453.6 grams is the figure to use. A kilogram is 2.2046 pounds, so a pound is 0.4536 kilograms, and the two conversions are inverses of each other.
Practical guidance
Buy a kitchen scale that reads grams, and use it for every recipe that gives a weight. Weighing is more accurate than measuring by volume, because a cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 to 142 grams depending on how you scoop it, while 454 grams is always 454 grams. When you convert pounds to grams, multiply by 453.6 and round the answer to the nearest gram — do not round the conversion factor first. Remember the anchor numbers: a quarter pound is 113 grams, half a pound is 227 grams, three quarters of a pound is 340 grams, and a pound is 454 grams. And if a recipe gives a weight in pounds and a volume in cups for the same ingredient, trust the weight, because it is the more precise figure.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in 1 pound?
There are 453.6 g in 1 avoirdupois pound. That is the standard conversion for food and cooking. A troy pound, used for precious metals, is 373.2 g, but you will never meet one in a recipe.
How many grams are in half a pound?
There are 226.8 g in half a pound. Half a pound is also 8 ounces and 0.227 kilograms. Round it to 227 g on a kitchen scale.
How many grams are in 2 pounds?
There are 907.2 g in 2 pounds. Two pounds is also 32 ounces and 0.907 kilograms. Round it to 907 g on a kitchen scale.
How many pounds are in 1,000 grams?
There are about 2.2 pounds in 1,000 grams. One kilogram is 2.2046 pounds, so a kilogram is just over 2 pounds, and a pound is just under half a kilogram.
Is a pound the same everywhere?
Almost. An avoirdupois pound is 453.6 grams everywhere it is used, by international agreement. The troy pound is different, at 373.2 grams, but it is used only for precious metals. If a recipe says "pound", it means an avoirdupois pound.
How many ounces are in a pound?
There are 16 ounces in a pound. That is the definition of the avoirdupois pound, and it is the conversion that ties the American weight system together: 16 ounces make a pound, and a pound is 454 grams.
Why recipes give pounds instead of grams
Many older American recipes give weights in pounds because the ingredients were sold by the pound: a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter. The recipe writer knew the cook would buy a pound bag and use the whole thing, so there was no need for a finer unit. That habit survives in pound cake, in roasts, and in any recipe that was written before kitchen scales were common. Today, grams are more precise, because a pound is a large unit and a recipe that needs a quarter of a pound is easier to weigh as 113 grams than to guess as a quarter of a bag. If you are converting an old recipe, weigh the ingredient in grams and write the gram figure on the recipe card, so that the next time you make it, you can skip the conversion entirely and go straight to the scale.