Up for the cup? Tips to convert US recipes to metric measurements

Can you reliably convert American recipes to metric measurements? - Joe, Margate, England, UK

- Anna Berrill

"It really depends on the kind of recipe you're talking about," says the American food writer Sarah Chamberlain, who has converted the likes of Diana Henry's From the Oven to the Table for US cooks. "With all liquid measurements, one cup equals 240ml, which you can easily divide." You can even "fudge it and say 250ml, because 10ml either way isn't going to make a huge difference", but that really boils down to what you're making.

Stews and curries are more forgiving than baking. Here, you have to look up the conversions. "The information is commonly online," Chamberlain says, "but if you're baking or measuring solids, buy a set of cups." Ingredient weights differ so this will make life easier.