The tablespoon, a common culinary unit, has a fascinating history and diverse applications beyond cooking. Originating from the Middle Ages, tablespoons were initially crafted from wood or horn and varied significantly in size based on regional preferences and the cook’s discretion. Today, the US tablespoon is standardized to 15 milliliters, while in Australia, it measures 20 milliliters. This discrepancy can result in culinary conundrums, especially in international recipes.
Beyond the kitchen, the tablespoon is often used in pharmaceuticals to measure liquid medicine doses and in the sciences for informal yet practical measurements. Fun fact: a tablespoon of water weighs about half an ounce, which can be a neat trick to estimate small weights without a scale.
The cup, a unit of volume commonly used in cooking, has a fascinating history rooted in both tradition and practicality. Although the concept originated in ancient Rome as a vessel for measurement, the modern cup as we know it was defined by the United States during the 19th century, standardizing it to 8 fluid ounces. This measurement still varies across the globe; for example, the UK uses both the metric cup (250 milliliters) and the imperial cup (284 milliliters).
In the culinary world, the cup’s influence extends beyond its volume, serving as a key component in recipes to ensure uniformity and culinary success. Interestingly, for coffee aficionados, the “cup” is often seen as 6 fluid ounces instead of 8, illustrating the cup’s adaptability across different contexts. This adaptability of the cup reinforces its essential role in both day-to-day and cultural culinary practices.
Tablespoons | Cups |
---|---|
0
Tbs
|
0
cup
|
1
Tbs
|
0.0625
cup
|
2
Tbs
|
0.125
cup
|
3
Tbs
|
0.1875
cup
|
4
Tbs
|
0.25
cup
|
5
Tbs
|
0.3125
cup
|
6
Tbs
|
0.375
cup
|
7
Tbs
|
0.4375
cup
|
8
Tbs
|
0.5
cup
|
9
Tbs
|
0.5625
cup
|
10
Tbs
|
0.625
cup
|
11
Tbs
|
0.6875
cup
|
12
Tbs
|
0.75
cup
|
13
Tbs
|
0.8125
cup
|
14
Tbs
|
0.875
cup
|
15
Tbs
|
0.9375
cup
|
16
Tbs
|
1
cup
|
17
Tbs
|
1.0625
cup
|
18
Tbs
|
1.125
cup
|
19
Tbs
|
1.1875
cup
|
20
Tbs
|
1.25
cup
|
21
Tbs
|
1.3125
cup
|
22
Tbs
|
1.375
cup
|
23
Tbs
|
1.4375
cup
|
24
Tbs
|
1.5
cup
|
25
Tbs
|
1.5625
cup
|
26
Tbs
|
1.625
cup
|
27
Tbs
|
1.6875
cup
|
28
Tbs
|
1.75
cup
|
29
Tbs
|
1.8125
cup
|
30
Tbs
|
1.875
cup
|
31
Tbs
|
1.9375
cup
|
32
Tbs
|
2
cup
|
33
Tbs
|
2.0625
cup
|
34
Tbs
|
2.125
cup
|
35
Tbs
|
2.1875
cup
|
36
Tbs
|
2.25
cup
|
37
Tbs
|
2.3125
cup
|
38
Tbs
|
2.375
cup
|
39
Tbs
|
2.4375
cup
|
40
Tbs
|
2.5
cup
|
41
Tbs
|
2.5625
cup
|
42
Tbs
|
2.625
cup
|
43
Tbs
|
2.6875
cup
|
44
Tbs
|
2.75
cup
|
45
Tbs
|
2.8125
cup
|
46
Tbs
|
2.875
cup
|
47
Tbs
|
2.9375
cup
|
48
Tbs
|
3
cup
|
49
Tbs
|
3.0625
cup
|
50
Tbs
|
3.125
cup
|
51
Tbs
|
3.1875
cup
|
52
Tbs
|
3.25
cup
|
53
Tbs
|
3.3125
cup
|
54
Tbs
|
3.375
cup
|
55
Tbs
|
3.4375
cup
|
56
Tbs
|
3.5
cup
|
57
Tbs
|
3.5625
cup
|
58
Tbs
|
3.625
cup
|
59
Tbs
|
3.6875
cup
|
60
Tbs
|
3.75
cup
|
61
Tbs
|
3.8125
cup
|
62
Tbs
|
3.875
cup
|
63
Tbs
|
3.9375
cup
|
64
Tbs
|
4
cup
|
65
Tbs
|
4.0625
cup
|
66
Tbs
|
4.125
cup
|
67
Tbs
|
4.1875
cup
|
68
Tbs
|
4.25
cup
|
69
Tbs
|
4.3125
cup
|
70
Tbs
|
4.375
cup
|
71
Tbs
|
4.4375
cup
|
72
Tbs
|
4.5
cup
|
73
Tbs
|
4.5625
cup
|
74
Tbs
|
4.625
cup
|
75
Tbs
|
4.6875
cup
|
76
Tbs
|
4.75
cup
|
77
Tbs
|
4.8125
cup
|
78
Tbs
|
4.875
cup
|
79
Tbs
|
4.9375
cup
|
80
Tbs
|
5
cup
|
81
Tbs
|
5.0625
cup
|
82
Tbs
|
5.125
cup
|
83
Tbs
|
5.1875
cup
|
84
Tbs
|
5.25
cup
|
85
Tbs
|
5.3125
cup
|
86
Tbs
|
5.375
cup
|
87
Tbs
|
5.4375
cup
|
88
Tbs
|
5.5
cup
|
89
Tbs
|
5.5625
cup
|
90
Tbs
|
5.625
cup
|
91
Tbs
|
5.6875
cup
|
92
Tbs
|
5.75
cup
|
93
Tbs
|
5.8125
cup
|
94
Tbs
|
5.875
cup
|
95
Tbs
|
5.9375
cup
|
96
Tbs
|
6
cup
|
97
Tbs
|
6.0625
cup
|
98
Tbs
|
6.125
cup
|
99
Tbs
|
6.1875
cup
|
100
Tbs
|
6.25
cup
|
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