Understanding basic kitchen math will save you tons of time in the kitchen. Have you ever wondered how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon? This is one of the simplest kitchen equations to memorize, and you’ll be amazed how often it comes in handy.
How Many Teaspoons Are in a Tablespoon?
1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons
As Ina Garten would say, “How simple is that?” Drill this into your brain, and you will never run out of measuring spoons again! Well, not as often.
Understanding Kitchen Math saves time
If you’re scaling a recipe up or down, understanding how many teaspoons are in one tablespoon will offer you a lot more flexibility.
Think about this: If you double a recipe that calls for 1 1/2 teaspoons, you get 1 tablespoon, or vice versa if you’re cutting the recipe in half.
I find it especially useful when adjusting spice blends (for example, my everything bagel seasoning and cinnamon sugar blend). Many of my recipes also use pumpkin pie spice (such as my pumpkin slab pie and these pumpkin dinner rolls).
If I don’t want to make a large batch, it’s easy for me to make a smaller quantity for the recipe. That way I can make sure that the spices stay fresh and aren’t sitting around when summer arrives.
Did you also know that 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup? That’s definitely the kitchen conversation I use the most often. If I’m cutting a recipe in half that calls for 1/4 cup, I can use 2 tablespoons.
Download a Free Printable Chart of Common Kitchen Conversions!
More Kitchen Conversions
There are so many useful kitchen equations, but only a few that I refer to on a regular basis. Here are some of the most important ones, in my opinion:
- 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup
- 16 tablespoons = 1 cup
- 1 pint = 2 cups
- 1 quart = 2 pints
- 1 gallon = 4 quarts
You can read a more thorough list of kitchen conversions here, if you’d like to keep going. King Arthur Flour also has a handy ingredient measurement conversion chart which I refer to on occasion.
More Time Savers
Want another great time saver? Save yourself a trip to the store and learn how to make cake flour, bread flour, and self-rising flour from all-purpose flour in this quick tutorial!
Ever find yourself needing buttermilk at the last second for a recipe? Check out my post on how to make homemade buttermilk substitute.
More Kitchen Tutorials and Guides
Want to keep learning? Head over to my learn section, where you can find my entire archive of kitchen tutorials, ingredient guides quick tips, and more.
Thank you! , I wanted to know to measure out my coconut oil doses, so very helpful
I wanted to know to measure out my coconut oil doses, so very helpful