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Instant coffee — Teaspoons to Grams

One teaspoon of instant coffee weighs about 0.896 grams, and one tablespoon is about 2.69 grams. Instant coffee is light and fluffy: a level teaspoon is only about 0.9 g, so a level cup comes to roughly 43 g. Most people scoop it rounded, which USDA puts nearer 1.8 g a teaspoon — so 2 g is about one rounded teaspoon. It is lighter than espresso powder, so use a little more if you swap it into baking. Use the converter below to switch instant coffee between teaspoons, tablespoons, grams, ounces and more.

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Instant coffee conversion chart

Instant coffee conversion chart
Amount	Grams	Ounces
⅛ tsp	0.112 g	0.004 oz
¼ tsp	0.224 g	0.008 oz
½ tsp	0.448 g	0.016 oz
¾ tsp	0.672 g	0.024 oz
1 tsp	0.896 g	0.032 oz
1 tbsp	2.69 g	0.095 oz
2 tbsp	5.38 g	0.19 oz
¼ cup	10.75 g	0.379 oz

How to measure instant coffee

Instant coffee is light and fluffy: a level teaspoon is only about 0.9 g, so a level cup comes to roughly 43 g. Most people scoop it rounded, which USDA puts nearer 1.8 g a teaspoon — so 2 g is about one rounded teaspoon. It is lighter than espresso powder, so use a little more if you swap it into baking.

Because a cup measures volume rather than weight, the most reliable way to measure instant coffee is with a digital kitchen scale. If you are working from cups, keep your technique consistent every time so your results are repeatable. For more, see our guide on baking by weight versus volume.

Substitutes for instant coffee

1 tsp espresso powder = about 1½ tsp instant coffee (King Arthur Baking)
Espresso powder is darker and more concentrated, so use roughly 50% more instant coffee to match its depth in baking.
1–2 tbsp instant coffee + 1 cup hot water = 1 cup strong brewed coffee (King Arthur Baking)
Dissolve it fully before adding to a batter so it doesn't speckle.

See all instant coffee substitutes, ratios and sources →

Compare instant coffee

Espresso powder vs Instant coffee

Instant coffee conversions: FAQ

Why doesn't a teaspoon of instant coffee weigh the same as a teaspoon of water?

A teaspoon measures volume, not weight. Instant coffee is less dense than water (about 0.896 g versus 4.9 g per teaspoon), so the same volume has a different weight. Weighing in grams is the most accurate way to measure it.

Common instant coffee conversions

Quick-answer pages for the conversions people search for most.

¼ tsp to grams

¼ teaspoon instant coffee ≈ 0.224 g

½ tsp to grams

½ teaspoon instant coffee ≈ 0.448 g

1 tsp to grams

1 teaspoon instant coffee ≈ 0.896 g

2 tsp to grams

2 teaspoons instant coffee ≈ 1.79 g

½ tbsp to grams

½ tablespoon instant coffee ≈ 1.34 g

1 tbsp to grams

1 tablespoon instant coffee ≈ 2.69 g

2 tbsp to grams

2 tablespoons instant coffee ≈ 5.38 g

3 tbsp to grams

3 tablespoons instant coffee ≈ 8.06 g

Related converters

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* Conversion figures are typical average weights for one US customary cup (236.6 ml), based on the King Arthur Baking Ingredient Weight Chart and cross-referenced with the U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central database. Actual weight varies with packing, brand and humidity — see our methodology.