Recipes / Kitchen Reference
Kitchen Measurement & Vintage Can Size Conversions
A corrected, printable version of the conversion reference kept at the front of the creator's handwritten recipe notebook.
Spoons & Cups
| Measure | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon (Tbsp) | 3 teaspoons (tsp) |
| ¼ cup | 4 tablespoons |
| ⅓ cup | 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon |
| ½ cup | 8 tablespoons |
| ⅔ cup | 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons |
| ¾ cup | 12 tablespoons |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons |
US Fluid Volume
| Fluid ounces | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| ½ fl oz | 1 tablespoon |
| 1 fl oz | 2 tablespoons |
| 2 fl oz | ¼ cup |
| 2⅔ fl oz | ⅓ cup |
| 4 fl oz | ½ cup |
| 8 fl oz | 1 cup = ½ pint |
| 16 fl oz | 2 cups = 1 pint |
| 32 fl oz | 4 cups = 1 quart |
| 128 fl oz | 16 cups = 1 gallon |
Vintage Numbered Cans (Approximate)
| Can designation | Common nominal capacity |
|---|---|
| Picnic / No. 1 picnic | About 1¼ cups (10 fl oz) |
| No. 1 tall | About 2 cups (16 fl oz) |
| No. 2 | About 2½ cups (20 fl oz) |
| No. 2½ | About 3½ cups (28 fl oz) |
| No. 3 | About 4 cups (32 fl oz), varies by shape |
| No. 10 | About 12–13 cups (96–104 fl oz) |
Important Distinctions
Fluid ounces measure volume, while ounces on packaged food often mean weight. An 8-ounce can of thick food is not automatically one cup of food. For recipes listing a can by its number, check the named ingredient and package label, especially for historical labels or unusually shaped cans.
Vintage numbers are approximations, not universal guarantees; the original notebook includes additional numbered cans whose actual capacities may differ by style or product. The handwritten ¾-cup entry was corrected to 12 tablespoons, and the ⅓-cup entry to 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon.
Kitchen reference based on the creator's notebook; standard US customary volume conversions independently checked for arithmetic consistency. Can capacities are historical approximations.