Butter Converter
Butter sticks, cups, tbsp, oz, grams, pats converted.
What it does
Butter measures in two languages at once. US recipes count sticks, cups, and tablespoons while baking scales weigh grams, and the stick bridges them at 113.4 g. A cup is two sticks at 227 g; a tablespoon is 14.2 g.
The tool above converts between six butter units: grams, ounces, tablespoons, sticks, cups, and pats. Pick source and target, enter the value, and the answer updates with all six equivalents below. Defaults turn 2.5 sticks into 283.5 g.
Standards back each factor. NIST gives the ounce at 28.35 g with tablespoons at 14.79 mL, and USDA SR Legacy portions list the stick at 113 g, the cup at 227 g, and the tablespoon at 14.2 g. Four ounces times 28.35 lands exactly on the 113.4 g stick.
Weight wins for baking. Cup packing and tablespoon rounding drift a few percent per measure, while grams stay put across brands and temperatures. Convert volume to grams first, then scale recipes from the gram totals.
How to use
- Enter the value in the source unit.
- Pick the source and target units.
- Read the converted line first.
- Scan the all units note for the rest.
- Round only the final number.
- Weigh grams for baking accuracy.
Formula
- stick 113.4
- US stick: 4 oz, 8 tbsp, half cup.
- tbsp 14.2
- USDA tablespoon weight for butter.
- cup 227
- Two sticks, 16 tbsp.
Stick figures combine NIST ounces (28.35) with USDA SR Legacy portions (stick 113, cup 227, tbsp 14.2).
Worked example
Example: 2.5 sticks to grams
Defaults: 2.5 sticks to grams.
- Inputs: value 2.5, from sticks, to grams.
- Grams: 2.5 x 113.4 = 283.5 g.
- Cups check: 2.5 / 2 = 1.25.
- Tbsp check: 2.5 x 8 = 20.
- Tool shows 283.5 g with all six equivalents in the note.
Reference table
| Unit | Grams | Everyday check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 pat | 5 | Table serving |
| 1 tbsp | 14.2 | 8 per stick |
| 1 stick | 113.4 | 4 oz, half cup |
| 1 cup | 227 | 2 sticks |
| 2.5 sticks | 283.5 | 1.25 cups |
Limits
- US butter only. European blocks differ.
- Weight conversions; melted volume varies.
- USDA rounding (113 vs 113.4) shifts grams slightly.
- Salted vs unsalted share the same weights.
Common mistakes
- Reading mL equal to grams for butter.
- Packing cups instead of weighing.
- Rounding sticks mid chain.
- Mixing European 250 g blocks with US sticks.
- Trusting tablespoon scoops for pastry.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
500 g to sticks?
500 / 113.4 = 4.4092 sticks. Cups 500 / 227 = 2.2026. Tbsp 500 / 14.2 = 35.2113.
3 tbsp to grams?
3 x 14.2 = 42.6 g. Sticks 3 / 8 = 0.375. Ounces 42.6 / 28.35 = 1.5027.
Questions
How many grams in a stick?
113.4 g: 4 oz at 28.35. USDA rounds the stick to 113 g.
How many grams in a cup?
227 g: 2 sticks at 113.4. USDA lists the cup at 227 g.
How many grams in a tablespoon?
14.2 g per USDA (14.79 mL volume per NIST). A stick holds 8 tbsp.
How do I convert grams to sticks?
Divide grams by 113.4. So 500 g is 4.4092 sticks.
What is a pat of butter?
Five grams per USDA pat. Tablespoon math suits small amounts better.
Are mL and grams the same?
No. Volume (mL) and weight (g) differ; use grams here for US butter near 14.2 g per tbsp.
Sources
- NIST SP 365: US Customary to Metric (oz, tbsp, cup)
- USDA SR Legacy Butter Mirror: Tablespoon 14.2 g (FDC 173410)