A recipe is a step-by-step guide for preparing a dish, complete with ingredient amounts—cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, etc. You can find countless recipes online or in cookbooks, but when you share one (or revisit it yourself), it helps to know exactly how much each serving yields. Jotting down your own batch size ensures you won’t have to guess the next time.

Because measurement standards vary by country, translating a recipe from one system to another can be tricky. Most recipes include a conversion chart to bridge the gap between imperial and metric units. In the U.S., cooks typically use cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons (imperial). In Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, the metric system—milliliters and liters—prevails.

Keep these handy conversions in mind when scaling or adapting recipes:

• 1 cup = 237 mL
• 1 tablespoon = 15 mL
• 1 teaspoon = 5 mL

By noting your own serving sizes and using a straightforward conversion chart, you’ll be able to cook—and share—recipes with confidence, no matter which measurement system you prefer.