The Ultimate Unit Conversion Cheatsheet for Everyday Life

Despite living in a globally connected world, humanity has fundamentally failed to agree on a single system of measurement. The United States clings to the Imperial System, while the rest of the world relies on the Metric System. This divide creates daily headaches for bakers, travelers, and students.

Cooking and Baking Conversions

Baking is a science where precision matters. A common mistake when adapting European recipes for American kitchens (or vice versa) is confusing volume with weight.

• 1 Cup (US) = 236.59 milliliters (ml)
• 1 Tablespoon (tbsp) = 14.79 ml
• 1 Teaspoon (tsp) = 4.93 ml
• 1 Ounce (oz) = 28.35 grams (g)
• 1 Pound (lb) = 453.59 grams (g)

Temperature: Fahrenheit vs Celsius

This is arguably the most common and frustrating conversion for travelers.

The manual formula to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit is: (°C × 9/5) + 32.

The manual formula to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius is: (°F − 32) × 5/9.

Quick Rules of Thumb:

• 0°C = 32°F (Freezing)
• 20°C = 68°F (Room Temperature)
• 30°C = 86°F (Hot Summer Day)
• 100°C = 212°F (Boiling Water)

Distance and Speed

If you're driving a rental car in Europe or Canada, knowing your kilometers is crucial to avoiding a speeding ticket.

• 1 Mile = 1.609 Kilometers (km)
• 1 Inch = 2.54 Centimeters (cm)
• 1 Foot = 0.3048 Meters (m)
• 60 mph ≈ 100 km/h

The Easy Way Out

While memorizing quick rules of thumb is helpful, nothing beats exact precision when you're working on a construction project or a complex recipe. Instead of doing the math in your head, utilize our free Unit Converter to instantly and perfectly translate any metric.