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 humble teaspoon, while commonly found in kitchen drawers today, has its origins as a unit of measure dating back to the 17th century. Originally used to denote a small, practical serving size for tea, its measurement varied widely until it was standardized in the 19th century. In modern culinary and pharmaceutical fields, a teaspoon is typically equivalent to 5 milliliters or approximately 1/6 of a fluid ounce.
Interestingly, the reason behind this specific measurement standardization was to ensure the consistency needed for medical dosing, underscoring the spoon’s importance beyond culinary purposes. Teaspoons are not just handy for adding sugar to your tea; they play an integral role in recipes and medication precision, highlighting the intersection of culinary art and science.
Tablespoons | Teaspoons |
---|---|
0
Tbs
|
0
tsp
|
1
Tbs
|
3
tsp
|
2
Tbs
|
6
tsp
|
3
Tbs
|
9
tsp
|
4
Tbs
|
12
tsp
|
5
Tbs
|
15
tsp
|
6
Tbs
|
18
tsp
|
7
Tbs
|
21
tsp
|
8
Tbs
|
24
tsp
|
9
Tbs
|
27
tsp
|
10
Tbs
|
30
tsp
|
11
Tbs
|
33
tsp
|
12
Tbs
|
36
tsp
|
13
Tbs
|
39
tsp
|
14
Tbs
|
42
tsp
|
15
Tbs
|
45
tsp
|
16
Tbs
|
48
tsp
|
17
Tbs
|
51
tsp
|
18
Tbs
|
54
tsp
|
19
Tbs
|
57
tsp
|
20
Tbs
|
60
tsp
|
21
Tbs
|
63
tsp
|
22
Tbs
|
66
tsp
|
23
Tbs
|
69
tsp
|
24
Tbs
|
72
tsp
|
25
Tbs
|
75
tsp
|
26
Tbs
|
78
tsp
|
27
Tbs
|
81
tsp
|
28
Tbs
|
84
tsp
|
29
Tbs
|
87
tsp
|
30
Tbs
|
90
tsp
|
31
Tbs
|
93
tsp
|
32
Tbs
|
96
tsp
|
33
Tbs
|
99
tsp
|
34
Tbs
|
102
tsp
|
35
Tbs
|
105
tsp
|
36
Tbs
|
108
tsp
|
37
Tbs
|
111
tsp
|
38
Tbs
|
114
tsp
|
39
Tbs
|
117
tsp
|
40
Tbs
|
120
tsp
|
41
Tbs
|
123
tsp
|
42
Tbs
|
126
tsp
|
43
Tbs
|
129
tsp
|
44
Tbs
|
132
tsp
|
45
Tbs
|
135
tsp
|
46
Tbs
|
138
tsp
|
47
Tbs
|
141
tsp
|
48
Tbs
|
144
tsp
|
49
Tbs
|
147
tsp
|
50
Tbs
|
150
tsp
|
51
Tbs
|
153
tsp
|
52
Tbs
|
156
tsp
|
53
Tbs
|
159
tsp
|
54
Tbs
|
162
tsp
|
55
Tbs
|
165
tsp
|
56
Tbs
|
168
tsp
|
57
Tbs
|
171
tsp
|
58
Tbs
|
174
tsp
|
59
Tbs
|
177
tsp
|
60
Tbs
|
180
tsp
|
61
Tbs
|
183
tsp
|
62
Tbs
|
186
tsp
|
63
Tbs
|
189
tsp
|
64
Tbs
|
192
tsp
|
65
Tbs
|
195
tsp
|
66
Tbs
|
198
tsp
|
67
Tbs
|
201
tsp
|
68
Tbs
|
204
tsp
|
69
Tbs
|
207
tsp
|
70
Tbs
|
210
tsp
|
71
Tbs
|
213
tsp
|
72
Tbs
|
216
tsp
|
73
Tbs
|
219
tsp
|
74
Tbs
|
222
tsp
|
75
Tbs
|
225
tsp
|
76
Tbs
|
228
tsp
|
77
Tbs
|
231
tsp
|
78
Tbs
|
234
tsp
|
79
Tbs
|
237
tsp
|
80
Tbs
|
240
tsp
|
81
Tbs
|
243
tsp
|
82
Tbs
|
246
tsp
|
83
Tbs
|
249
tsp
|
84
Tbs
|
252
tsp
|
85
Tbs
|
255
tsp
|
86
Tbs
|
258
tsp
|
87
Tbs
|
261
tsp
|
88
Tbs
|
264
tsp
|
89
Tbs
|
267
tsp
|
90
Tbs
|
270
tsp
|
91
Tbs
|
273
tsp
|
92
Tbs
|
276
tsp
|
93
Tbs
|
279
tsp
|
94
Tbs
|
282
tsp
|
95
Tbs
|
285
tsp
|
96
Tbs
|
288
tsp
|
97
Tbs
|
291
tsp
|
98
Tbs
|
294
tsp
|
99
Tbs
|
297
tsp
|
100
Tbs
|
300
tsp
|
If you like the website, share it on social media.