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How many Tablespoons in 1/4 Cup? This is a common question that you may encounter when cooking or baking. If it sounds confusing, this easy guide is for you. Here you will learn everything on how to convert 1/4 cup in tbsp. Free measurement chart included!
What is a tablespoon?
A Tablespoon, commonly abbreviated as “tbsp”, “TBS” or “T”, is a unit of measurement used for cooking and baking all around the world. One tablespoon contains a larger quantity than a teaspoon, but a smaller quantity than a cup. Tablespoons come in very handy for measuring both liquids such as milk or oil, and dry ingredients such as flour or sugar. One tbsp is equal to 3 teaspoons, 0.5 fluid ounce, or about 15 ml (14.79 ml) if you follow the metric system.
What is 1/4 cup?
A 1/4 Cup is one of the most common measurement in recipes that follow the US Imperial system. As the name suggests, it is equal to a quarter of a cup, 4 tablespoons, and 60 ml. You will need this measurement when portioning out milk and flour for baking, or oil for cooking. But if you only have a tablespoon and the recipe requires precision, the question is “1/4 c is how many tablespoons?”.
How many tablespoons are in a fourth of a cup?
Calculating how many tablespoons in 1/4 cup is very straightforward. There are 4 tablespoons in one fourth cup, so there are 16 tbsp in a cup. But you don’t have to memorize that 1/4 cup in tbsp is equal to 4, if you understand the maths behind it. Here’s a simple formula that is impossible to forget:
number of tablespoons ÷ 4 = number of quarter cups
So for example, if we want to convert 4 tbsp to cups we get 1 => 4 ÷ 4 = 1, or one quarter of a cup.
| Cups | Tablespoons | Ounces | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 4 tbsp | 2 fl oz | 59.15 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tbsp | 4 fl oz | 118.30 mL |
| 3/4 cup | 12 tbsp | 6 fl oz | 177.45 mL |
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp | 8 fl oz | 236.59 mL |
| 1 1/4 cup | 20 tbsp | 10 fl oz | 295.74 mL |
| 1 1/2 cup | 24 tbsp | 12 fl oz | 354.88 mL |
| 1 3/4 cup | 28 tbsp | 14 fl oz | 414.03 mL |
| 2 cups | 32 tbsp | 16 fl oz | 473.18 mL |
| 2 1/4 cups | 36 tbsp | 18 fl oz | 532.33 mL |
| 2 1/2 cups | 40 tbsp | 20 fl oz | 591.47 mL |
| 2 3/4 cups | 44 tbsp | 22 fl oz | 650.62 mL |
| 3 cups | 48 tbsp | 24 fl oz | 709.76 mL |
Quarter cup to tablespoons conversion chart
Tips for measuring cups and tablespoons
After understating how many tablespoons in 1 4 cup, we should learn how to correctly measure with both cups and tablespoons. Here are all details to get consistent measurements every time.
- How to measure liquid ingredients with cups. Set the measuring cup on a flat surface such as a table or a counter, then gradually pour the liquid into your cup until it reaches the designated line at the top.
- How to measure liquid ingredients with tablespoons. Pour the fluid into the tablespoon until it is completely full, at its maximum capacity.
- How to measure dry ingredients with cups. First of all, make sure the dry ingredient is loose and without lump. Then, add it to the cup until it overflows, without packing the cup. Finally, smooth out the dry ingredient using the rear of a knife to create an even surface.
- How to measure dry ingredients with tablespoons. Scoop the dry ingredient into the tablespoon until it is heaping, then level it off with a flat edge such as a knife or spatula.
Imperial vs Metric system
If you bake or cook frequently, you may already know that there are 2 different measurement systems. The Imperial system, mainly used in the United States and few other countries, and the metric system, which is the standard in most countries of the world. According to the US system, fluids and dry ingredients are measured in ounces, gallons, pints, quarts, cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons. When working with metric measurements, you’ll often weight out items in kilograms (“kg”), grams (“g”), liters (“L”), and milliliters (“ml”).
The preparation of international dishes requires an understanding of both measurement systems, at least the basics. In case you often cook recipes that use the metric system, I recommend purchasing a food scale.
As we have seen before, 1/4 cup in tbsp is equal to 4 tablespoons. Following the metric system, our 1/4 cup 4 tablespoons conversion is equal to 60. There are 60 ml in a quarter cup or 4 tbsp.
More helpful kitchen conversions
- How many cups in a gallon?
- How many cups in a quart?
- How many cups in a pint?
- How many ounces in a gallon?
- How many ounces in a quart?
- How many ounces in a pint?
- How many ounces in a cup?
There are 4 tablespoons in 1/4 cup of butter. When measuring butter, you should remember that it is considered as a liquid ingredient.
No, 8 tablespoons are the equivalent of 1/2 cup. One cup contains 16 tbsp, instead. If you remember how many tablespoons are in 1/4 cup, just multiply 1/4 by 2 (=8) and you’ll get 1/2 cup.
