A cup of coffee is 237 g — the USDA figure, measured poured. That is close to the weight of a cup of water, which is why many cooks treat a cup of liquid as 240 g, but the exact figure here is a little different, and in baking that difference can matter. Brewed black coffee, essentially flavoured water. It is used for drinking, tiramisu, chocolate cake and sauces. This guide covers the weight of coffee in every measure you will use — cups, tablespoons and teaspoons — how to measure it correctly, what to use instead when you run out, and how to store it. All weights on this page are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.

Coffee: weight and measurement table

The table below gives the weight of Coffee in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the USDA figure of 237 g per cup, poured. Every figure is approximate — poured is a technique, not a machine setting — so when the recipe matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale instead.

| Amount | Weight (approx.) |

| --- | --- |

| 1 teaspoon | 4.9 g |

| 1 tablespoon | 14.8 g |

| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 59.2 g |

| 1/3 cup | 79 g |

| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 118.5 g |

| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 177.8 g |

| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 237 g |

| 2 cups | 474 g |

| 100 g | 0.4 cups |

There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon and 16 tablespoons in a cup, so you can move between any of these measures by multiplying or dividing. If a recipe calls for 100 g and you only have measuring cups, that is about 0.4 cups. Keep the cups to grams converter open while you cook and you will never need to do the arithmetic in your head.

What is Coffee?

Brewed black coffee, essentially flavoured water. It is used for drinking, tiramisu, chocolate cake and sauces. Liquids look simple to measure, and mostly they are: pour into a jug and read the level. But a cup of coffee is not the same weight as a cup of water, and when a recipe is written in grams — as many baking recipes now are — you need the real figure, not a guess. Coffee is used for drinking, tiramisu, chocolate cake and sauces, and in most of those uses the exact weight matters less than it does for flour, which is why a jug is usually accurate enough. For baking, weigh it.

How to measure Coffee correctly

Pour the liquid into a liquid measuring jug, set the jug on a flat surface, and read the level at eye height, at the bottom of the meniscus. Or weigh it directly into the bowl on a kitchen scale, which is the most accurate method of all and needs no jug at all. The USDA figure used on this page is 237 g per cup, and confidence in this figure is medium. For most cooking, a jug is accurate enough. For baking, weigh the liquid: put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and pour until the display shows the grams you need. It is faster than a jug, more accurate, and there is nothing extra to wash.

Method and source

All the figures on this page are derived from a single sourced number: 237 g per cup of coffee, poured, from USDA. Confidence in that figure is medium. Every other number — the teaspoon, tablespoon, quarter-cup and half-cup weights — is that number divided or multiplied, so if the cup figure is right, the rest follow. If a different source gives a different cup weight, every number on this page shifts by the same proportion. Every density-based result on this page is labelled approximate, and the honest advice is the same on every page of this site: when the recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.

Worked examples

A soup or a sauce

A soup that calls for 1 1/2 cups of coffee needs 355.5 g. Pour it into a jug and read the level at eye height, or weigh it straight into the pot on a scale — the scale is faster and more accurate, and there is no jug to wash. 355.5 g is the amount the recipe was tested with, and in a soup the liquid is the ingredient that decides whether the result is a soup or a stew.

A cake batter

A cake batter that calls for 2 cups of coffee needs 474 g. In baking, liquid is measured like flour — by weight — because the ratio of liquid to flour decides whether the cake is moist or dry. Pour 474 g into the bowl on a scale and you remove the biggest source of error in the recipe.

A dressing or a marinade

A dressing for a salad for two that calls for 2 1/2 cups of coffee needs 592.5 g. Whisk it with the other dressing ingredients and taste before serving: a dressing is balanced by flavour, not by arithmetic, and the weight is only the starting point. If it tastes sharp, add a pinch of sugar; if it tastes flat, add a little more acid.

What to use instead

The substitution database on this site lists no direct substitution pair for coffee, so this page does not invent one. In practice, cooks swap coffee for a similar ingredient by weight — the same weight, not the same volume — and accept that the flavour and texture will change. For flours and sugars, the flour substitute converter and sugar substitute converter will walk you through the options that do exist in the data. Whatever you swap in, weigh it, and expect the result to be different from the original: a substitution is a rescue, not a replica.

Storage and common mistakes

Storage. Drink fresh; refrigerate leftovers up to 1 week.

The most common mistake with coffee is reading a measuring jug from above instead of at eye level, which makes the level look higher than it is. Set the jug on a flat surface and crouch down to read it. The second mistake is measuring a sticky liquid in a dry jug without oiling it first — the liquid clings to the sides and you end up short. The third mistake is treating all liquids as if a cup weighs 240 g: for coffee a cup weighs 237 g, and in baking that difference matters.

When the conversion matters most is when the recipe is unforgiving: a cake, a loaf, a meringue, a sauce that has to set. In those recipes, weigh the coffee on a kitchen scale and use the numbers on this page as a check, not as the measurement itself. For everyday cooking — a soup, a salad, a stir-fry — a level spoon or a jug is accurate enough, and the figures here will keep you close. The rule of thumb is simple: the more the recipe depends on the exact amount, the more you should weigh it.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams is 1 cup of coffee?

One cup of coffee weighs approximately 237 g, measured poured, according to USDA. That is the figure every other number on this page is derived from: a tablespoon is 14.8 g, a teaspoon is 4.9 g, and 2 cups are 474 g. All figures are approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.

How do I measure coffee without a scale?

Pour the liquid into a liquid measuring jug, set the jug on a flat surface, and read the level at eye height, at the bottom of the meniscus. Or weigh it directly into the bowl on a kitchen scale, which is the most accurate method of all and needs no jug at all. For small amounts, use proper measuring spoons and level them with a knife. For liquids, use a jug on a flat surface and read the level at eye height. These methods are accurate enough for everyday cooking, but for baking — where the ratio of ingredients decides the result — a kitchen scale is worth the small cost.

What can I use instead of coffee?

The substitution database on this site lists no direct substitution pair for coffee, so there is no published ratio to give here. In practice, cooks swap in a similar ingredient by weight — the same weight, not the same volume — and accept that the flavour and texture will change. When the recipe has to work the first time, buy the ingredient the recipe actually calls for.

How should I store coffee?

Drink fresh; refrigerate leftovers up to 1 week. Storing it properly also keeps its weight consistent: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture or dried out will not weigh the same per cup as a fresh one, so a recipe that worked last month can drift if the storage has changed.

Can I freeze coffee?

In most cases, yes, but check the storage guidance first: Drink fresh; refrigerate leftovers up to 1 week. Freezing changes the texture of some liquids — dairy and coconut milk can separate when thawed — so frozen stock is best used in cooking rather than served as it is. Freeze in small portions, label the container with the date, and thaw in the fridge overnight.

Related links