Quick answer: The easiest way to measure butter without scales is to divide a standard 250 g block. Half the block is 125 g, a quarter is 62.5 g and a tenth is 25 g. For small amounts, one level UK tablespoon of softened butter weighs about 14 g, so 50 g is roughly 3½ tablespoons.
Butter is one of the easiest baking ingredients to measure by eye, because nearly all of it is sold in blocks of a known weight. Once you know the weight of the whole block, a ruler and a knife do the rest. This guide covers the block method, spoon equivalents, the water displacement trick and how to convert American sticks and cups. For more kitchen conversions, see our UK cooking measurements guides.
What do you need to measure butter without scales?
A full or part-used block of known weight, a ruler and a sharp knife will cover most recipes. The other tools below are useful for small amounts or for butter that has already been unwrapped.
- The butter wrapper. It tells you the starting weight, usually 250 g in the UK. Some brands print guide marks on the foil, so check what yours show.
- A ruler or tape measure with a centimetre scale. If you need a refresher, see how to read a tape measure.
- A knife that is long enough to cut straight down through the block in one stroke.
- Measuring spoons (5 ml teaspoon and 15 ml tablespoon) for amounts under about 50 g.
- A measuring jug marked in millilitres, if you want to try the water displacement method.
How do you measure butter by dividing the block?
Work out what fraction of the block you need, then mark and cut that length. Because a block has the same cross-section all the way along, its weight is spread evenly along its length. Cutting a quarter of the length gives a quarter of the weight.
- Check the weight on the pack. Most UK butter comes in 250 g blocks, but some are sold as 200 g, 400 g or 500 g, so read the label rather than assuming.
- Measure the length of the block with the wrapper still on, from end to end along the longest side. Write it down to the nearest millimetre.
- Divide the weight by the length. A 250 g block that is 12.5 cm long holds 20 g per centimetre.
- Divide the amount you need by that figure. For 100 g, 100 ÷ 20 = 5 cm.
- Score the wrapper at that point with the tip of the knife, then cut straight down. Keep the knife upright so the slice is not wedge-shaped.
- Re-measure what is left next time. A part-used block is still accurate as long as the cut ends are square, because every centimetre still weighs the same.
For halves and quarters you do not need numbers at all. Fold a strip of paper to the length of the block, fold it in half again, and use the creases as cutting guides. Halving a half gives 62.5 g, which is close enough to 60 g or 65 g for almost any cake or pastry.
Use the calculator below to find where to cut. Enter how many grams you need and the length of your own 250 g block.
Butter block cutting calculator (250 g block)
g needed cm block length= cm slice or about level tbspHow many grams of butter are in a tablespoon?
One level UK tablespoon (15 ml) of softened butter weighs about 14 g. A level teaspoon (5 ml) holds just under 5 g and a dessertspoon (10 ml) about 9 g. Butter is slightly less dense than water, which is why a 15 ml spoon holds a little under 15 g.
The figure comes from the US Department of Agriculture’s food composition data, which lists a tablespoon of butter at 14.2 g. A US tablespoon is 14.8 ml, almost the same as a UK 15 ml spoon, so the same rule of thumb works on both sides of the Atlantic.
Spoons are best for amounts up to about 50 g. Beyond that, the small errors in each spoonful add up, and cutting from the block is quicker and more accurate. The butter needs to be soft enough to press into the spoon without air gaps, then levelled with the back of a knife.
| Butter needed | Share of a 250 g block | Level UK tablespoons (about 14 g each) | Ounces |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 g | 1/10 | 1.8 | 0.88 oz |
| 50 g | 1/5 | 3.6 | 1.76 oz |
| 75 g | 3/10 | 5.4 | 2.65 oz |
| 100 g | 2/5 | 7.1 | 3.53 oz |
| 125 g | 1/2 | 8.9 | 4.41 oz |
| 150 g | 3/5 | 10.7 | 5.29 oz |
| 175 g | 7/10 | 12.5 | 6.17 oz |
| 200 g | 4/5 | 14.3 | 7.05 oz |
| 250 g | Whole block | 17.9 | 8.82 oz |
Read the table as a guide, not a lab result. Spoon measures depend on how firmly the butter is packed, so the block column is the more reliable of the two.
How do you measure butter with water displacement?
Push the butter under a known volume of cold water and read how far the level rises. This is handy for odd-shaped leftover pieces that you cannot measure with a ruler. It measures volume, so you then convert millilitres to grams.
- Fill a jug with cold water to a clear mark, such as 300 ml. Cold water stops the butter softening and smearing.
- Add butter in pieces. Butter floats, so hold it just under the surface with a skewer or fork. Keep the tool itself as far out of the water as you can.
- Read the new level at eye height. For 100 g of butter, expect the water to rise by roughly 105 to 110 ml.
- Drain and pat dry before using the butter, especially for pastry, where extra water changes the texture.
To turn the rise into grams, multiply the millilitres by about 0.9 to 0.95. A 55 ml rise therefore means roughly 50 g of butter. The method is less precise than cutting a block, because you are reading a jug scale that is usually marked only every 25 or 50 ml, but it is fine for cooking.
How many grams is a stick or a cup of butter?
One US stick of butter is 4 oz, or 113 g, and one US cup is two sticks, or 227 g. American recipes use sticks and cups because US butter is sold in quarter-pound sticks, each wrapped with tablespoon markings.
| US measure | US tablespoons | Grams | Ounces | From a 250 g UK block |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 1 | 14 g | 0.5 oz | about 1/18 |
| ¼ cup | 4 | 57 g | 2 oz | just under a quarter |
| ⅓ cup | 5⅓ | 76 g | 2.7 oz | about 3/10 |
| ½ cup (1 stick) | 8 | 113 g | 4 oz | just under half |
| 1 cup (2 sticks) | 16 | 227 g | 8 oz | about 9/10 |
A handy shortcut: one US stick is a 250 g UK block cut a little short of halfway. If your recipe asks for a cup of butter, use the whole block less a slice of about 23 g, which is just under one tenth.
How do you handle older UK recipes in ounces?
One ounce is 28.35 g, but many British recipes round it to 25 g or 30 g for convenience. That is fine as long as every ingredient in the recipe is converted the same way, because baking depends on proportions more than on exact totals.
A classic Victoria sponge written as 4 oz each of butter, sugar and flour works whether you use 113 g or 100 g of each. What spoils a bake is mixing the two, such as 113 g of butter with 100 g of flour. Our weight converter gives exact figures if you need them, and the cooking converter handles cups and spoons.
Does it matter whether the butter is cold, soft or melted?
The weight does not change, but how you measure it should. Cold butter is best cut from the block, because it holds a clean edge. Softened butter suits spoons. Melted butter is hardest, since it is easy to lose some on the pan.
If a recipe calls for melted butter, cut the weight you need from the block first and then melt it. Measuring melted butter in a jug works, but you need to allow for its lower density: 100 g of melted butter takes up roughly 105 to 110 ml rather than 100 ml.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming every block is 250 g. Read the label first. A 200 g block divided into tenths gives 20 g sections, not 25 g.
- Using heaped spoons. A heaped tablespoon of soft butter can weigh far more than a level one. Always scrape level.
- Spooning hard butter. Cold shavings leave air gaps, so a spoonful weighs less than expected. Cut from the block instead.
- Cutting at an angle. A slanted cut makes one face longer than the other. Score the wrapper on both sides and cut straight down.
- Swapping in a spread without checking. Spreads and baking blocks vary in fat and water content, so follow the pack’s advice on whether a product suits baking.
The same “divide what you know” approach works for other cupboard staples. See how to measure 100 g of flour without scales and how to measure pasta without scales.
Frequently asked questions
How can I measure 100 g of butter without scales?
Cut two fifths of a 250 g block. Measure the block’s length, multiply by 0.4 and cut at that point. Alternatively, use about 7 level tablespoons of softened butter.
How many tablespoons of butter make 50 g?
About 3½ level tablespoons. One level 15 ml tablespoon of softened butter weighs roughly 14 g.
How much is half a block of butter in grams?
Half of a standard 250 g UK block is 125 g, and a quarter is 62.5 g. Check the label, as some blocks are 200 g or 500 g.
How many grams is one stick of butter?
One US stick of butter is 4 oz, which is 113 g. Two sticks make one US cup, or 227 g.
Can I measure butter in a measuring jug?
Yes, by water displacement. Hold the butter under cold water and read the rise. A rise of 105 to 110 ml means about 100 g of butter.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central: portion weights for butter (tablespoon, stick and cup).
- Weights and Measures Act 1985: legal definitions of the pound and ounce in the UK.
- National Physical Laboratory: the UK’s measurement standards body, for metric and imperial definitions.