Knives

Abbreviations

c/C	cup
t/tsp	teaspoon
T/tbsp/Tbs	tablespoon
D/dstsp	dessertspoon
˚C	degrees Celsius
˚F	degrees Fahrenheit
g/gr	gram
kg	kilogram
l/L	litre
lb	pound
ml	millilitre
oz	ounce
fl oz	fluid ounce
pkt	packet

Conversions

Temperature conversions

Fahrenheit Degrees	Celsius Degrees	Gas Mark	Oven Term
200	100	1/8	Very Low
225	110	1/4	Very Low
250	120	1/2	Very Low
275	140	1	Low
300	150	2	Low
325	160	3	Low
350	180	4	Moderate
375	190	5	Moderate
400	200	6	Moderate
425	220	7	High
450	230	8	High
475	240	9	High
500	260	10	Very High

Measuring conversions

Spoons	Millilitres	Cups	Millilitres
1/8 tsp	1ml	1/8 cup	30ml
1/4 tsp	1.25ml	1/4 cup	60ml
1/2 tsp	2.5ml	1/3 cup	80ml
1 tsp	5ml	1/2 cup	125ml
2tsp	10ml	2/3 cup	170ml
3tsp	15ml	3/4 cup	190ml
1D	10ml	1 cup	250ml
1T	15ml	2 cups	500ml
2T	30ml	3 cups	750ml
3T	45ml	4 cups	1 litre
4T	60ml

Cake tin size conversions

Inches	Millimetres	Centimetres
5in	125mm	12.5cm
6in	150mm	15cm
7in	180mm	18cm
8in	200mm	20cm
9in	230mm	23cm
10in	250mm	25cm
11in	280mm	28cm
12in	300mm	30cm

Square tin to round cake tin conversions

Square Tin	Round Tin
13cm or 130mm (5 inch)	15cm or 150mm (6 inch)
12.5cm or 125mm (5inch)	18cm or 180mm (7 inch)
18cm or 180mm (7 inch)	20cm or 200mm (8 inch)
20cm or 200mm (8 inch)	23cm or 230mm (9 inch)
23cm or 230mm (9 inch)	25cm or 250mm (11 inch)
25.5cm or 255mm(10inch)	28cm or 280mm (11 inch)
28cm or 280mm (11inch)	30cm or 300mm (12 inch)

Microwave oven conversions

Microwave recipes generally give terms based on a 700W to a 750W microwave oven.
The times below are given in minutes and seconds using 100% power.

1000W	850W	750W	650W	550W	450W
00:40	00:45	00:50	01:00	01:10	01:25
01:20	01:30	01:45	02:00	02:20	02:55
01:55	02:15	02:35	03:00	03:30	04:20
02:35	03:05	03:30	04:00	04:45	05:45
03:15	03:50	04:20	05:00	05:55	07:15
03:55	04:35	05:10	06:00	07:05	08:40
04:35	05:20	06:05	07:00	08:15	10:05
05:10	06:05	06:55	08:00	09:25	11:35
05:50	06:50	07:50	09:00	10:40	13:00
06:30	07:40	08:40	10:00	11:50	14:25
09:45	11:30	13:00	15:00	17:45	21:40
13:00	15:15	17:20	20:00	23:40	28:55

Ingredient conversions

Flour
1 cup (250ml) = 100g
1 tablespoon (15ml) = 8g

Sugar
1 cup (250ml) = 200g
1 tablespoon (15ml) = 15g

Icing Sugar
1 cup (250ml) = 100g
1 tablespoon (15ml) = 8g

Butter & Margarine
1 cup (250ml) = 200g
1 tablespoon (15ml) = 15g

Crumbs
1 cup (250ml) = 50g
1 tablespoon (15ml) = 4g

Rice
1 cup (250ml) = 210g
1 tablespoon (15ml) = 16g

Substituting ingredients

15ml cornflour / maizena	30ml cake flour
250ml self raising flour	250ml cake flour + 5ml baking powder
5ml cream of tartar	10ml lemon juice or vinegar
230g butter	220ml cooking oil
250ml melted butter	250ml cooking oil
250ml sugar	200ml golden syrup or honey
250ml sour milk	250ml milk + 20ml lemon juice or vinegar
250ml yoghurt	250ml buttermilk or sour cream
15ml fresh herbs	5ml dried herbs
5ml dry mustard powder	15ml prepared mustard

Often we buy knife sets and only use the one or two we are comfortable with – sometimes we are unsure of the correct uses for all the others. This list covers all the basic home kitchen knives.

Enjoy,

Mandy

A meat Cleaver is a large, rectangular knife that is used for splitting or “cleaving” meat and bone. The edge is sharply bevelled and the bevel is typically convex. The knife is designed to cut with a swift stroke. The cleaver most often found in a home knife set is a light-duty cleaver about 15cm long.

A Bread knife is a serrated knife that is on average 20cm in length. The serrations on the blade make it ideal for cutting bread and other foods with a hard surface and soft interior.

A Boning knife is used to remove bones from cuts of meat. It has a thin, often flexible blade, usually about 12cm to 15cm long that allows it to get into small spaces. A stiff knife is good for beef and pork, but a flexible boning knife is preferred for poultry and fish.

A Chef’s knife also known as a cook’s knife or French knife is an all-purpose knife that is curved to allow the cook to rock the knife on the cutting board for a more precise cut. Chef’s knives are mostly between 15cm and 30cm, with 20cm being the most common size.

A Carving knife is a large knife between 20cm and 38cm that is used to slice thin precise cuts of meat, poultry, roasts, hams and other large cooked meats.

A Paring knife is a small knife with a plain edge blade that is ideal for peeling and other small or intricate work such as de-veining shrimp, removing seeds from chillies, or cutting small garnishes. It is designed to be an all-purpose knife, similar to a Chef’s knife, except much smaller. Parking knives are usually between 6cm and 10cm long.