swap_horiz Need Ounces to Fluid Ounces instead?

Fluid Ounces to Ounces by Ingredient

This page resolves the single most confusing unit overlap in American cooking: the fact that "ounces" can mean either a volume (fluid ounces) or a weight (ounces). When a recipe says "8 ounces of milk," it almost certainly means fluid ounces (volume). When it says "8 ounces of flour," it means weight. But for some ingredients the distinction is ambiguous, and the actual weight of a fluid ounce varies by ingredient. For example, 1 fluid ounce of olive oil is 0.95 oz, while 1 fluid ounce of honey is 1.50 oz. Choose your ingredient below.

Liquids

Most cooking liquids are close to the weight of water, but syrups and honey are much heavier. Oil is lighter than water.

water_drop Buttermilk water_drop Coconut Milk water_drop Coconut Oil water_drop Condensed Milk water_drop Cooking Wine water_drop Corn Syrup water_drop Evaporated Milk water_drop Heavy Cream water_drop Honey water_drop Light Cream water_drop Maple Syrup water_drop Milk water_drop Molasses water_drop Olive Oil water_drop Soy Sauce water_drop Tomato Sauce water_drop Vanilla Extract water_drop Vegetable Oil water_drop Water

Related Conversions

swap_horiz Ounces to Fluid Ounces scale Fluid Ounces to Grams

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a fluid ounce the same as a weight ounce? expand_more

No. A fluid ounce is a volume measurement (about 29.6 ml) and a weight ounce is a mass measurement (about 28.35g). For water they are close (1 fl oz weighs about 1.04 oz), but for other ingredients they diverge. A fluid ounce of honey weighs about 1.5 weight ounces.

How do I know which type of ounce a recipe means? expand_more

Context tells you. Liquids are almost always measured in fluid ounces (volume). Solids are almost always in weight ounces. If the recipe also uses cups and tablespoons, it is using the volume system. If it uses grams alongside ounces, it means weight.

Why does "ounces" mean two different things? expand_more

Historical convention. Fluid ounces were defined so that 1 fluid ounce of water would weigh approximately 1 ounce. The near-equivalence stuck in the name, but it only holds for water. Every other ingredient breaks the pattern.