Convert Pounds of Flour to Cups
Enter the amount of flour in pounds below to get the value converted to cups.
Result in Cups:
1 lb ≈ 3 2/3 c
Do you want to convert cups of flour to pounds?
How to Convert Pounds of Flour to Cups
Joe is the creator of Inch Calculator and has over 20 years of experience in engineering and construction. He holds several degrees and certifications.
Chef Shannon is a menu and recipe developer, food stylist, private chef, and author of the book The All-American Lemonade Stand.
To convert a measurement in pounds to a measurement in cups, multiply the flour by the following conversion ratio: 3.628739 cups/pound.
Since one pound of flour is equal to 3.628739 cups, you can use this simple formula to convert:
cups = pounds × 3.628739
The flour in cups is equal to the flour in pounds multiplied by 3.628739.
How Many Cups Are in a Pound of Flour?
There are 3.628739 cups in a pound of flour, which is why we use this value in the formula above.
1 lb = 3.628739 c
Experts often recommend measuring dry ingredients by weight for accuracy,[1] but some recipes use volume, and not all home cooks own a digital scale. Converting between weight and volume can be tricky because different types of flour vary in density.
The table below can help with the conversion and shows the approximate volume measurement for the weight of various types of flour.
Flour Weight to Volume Conversion Table
| Pounds | Cups (A.P. Flour) | Cups (Bread Flour) | Cups (Cake Flour) | Cups (Rye Flour) | Cups (Wheat Flour) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 lb | 7/8 c | 7/8 c | 1 1/8 c | 1 1/8 c | 1 c |
| 0.5 lb | 1 7/8 c | 1 3/4 c | 2 1/4 c | 2 1/4 c | 1 7/8 c |
| 0.75 lb | 2 3/4 c | 2 2/3 c | 3 1/3 c | 3 1/3 c | 2 7/8 c |
| 1 lb | 3 2/3 c | 3 1/2 c | 4 1/2 c | 4 1/2 c | 3 3/4 c |
| 1.25 lb | 4 1/2 c | 4 1/2 c | 5 2/3 c | 5 1/2 c | 4 3/4 c |
| 1.5 lb | 5 1/2 c | 5 1/3 c | 6 3/4 c | 6 2/3 c | 5 2/3 c |
| 1.75 lb | 6 1/3 c | 6 1/4 c | 8 c | 7 3/4 c | 6 2/3 c |
| 2 lb | 7 1/4 c | 7 1/8 c | 9 1/16 c | 8 7/8 c | 7 1/2 c |
| 2.25 lb | 8 1/8 c | 8 1/16 c | 10 1/4 c | 10 c | 8 1/2 c |
| 2.5 lb | 9 1/16 c | 8 7/8 c | 11 1/3 c | 11 1/8 c | 9 1/2 c |
| 2.75 lb | 10 c | 9 7/8 c | 12 1/2 c | 12 1/4 c | 10 1/3 c |
| 3 lb | 10 7/8 c | 10 3/4 c | 13 2/3 c | 13 1/3 c | 11 1/3 c |
| 3.25 lb | 11 3/4 c | 11 2/3 c | 14 3/4 c | 14 1/2 c | 12 1/4 c |
| 3.5 lb | 12 2/3 c | 12 1/2 c | 15 7/8 c | 15 1/2 c | 13 1/4 c |
| 3.75 lb | 13 2/3 c | 13 1/3 c | 17 c | 16 2/3 c | 14 1/8 c |
| 4 lb | 14 1/2 c | 14 1/4 c | 18 1/8 c | 17 3/4 c | 15 1/8 c |
| 4.25 lb | 15 1/2 c | 15 1/8 c | 19 1/4 c | 18 7/8 c | 16 1/16 c |
| 4.5 lb | 16 1/3 c | 16 1/16 c | 20 1/3 c | 20 c | 17 c |
| 4.75 lb | 17 1/4 c | 17 c | 21 1/2 c | 21 1/8 c | 18 c |
| 5 lb | 18 1/8 c | 17 7/8 c | 22 2/3 c | 22 1/4 c | 18 7/8 c |
Should You Measure Flour by Weight or Volume?
Most experts agree that dry ingredients like flour should be measured by weight rather than volume, especially in baking. The reason for this is that flours vary slightly in density, so a volume measurement will likely yield an incorrect amount of ingredients. Additionally, the amount that the flour is packed or compressed in the cup or tablespoon will alter the amount of ingredients being added.
For these reasons, a food scale, rather than measuring cups or spoons, is the preferred way to measure flour when cooking. For recipes that call for measurements in volume, professional bakers use a whisk to aerate flour that's been stored in a bag or canister before measuring since flour will settle when stored and weigh heavier even in the same-sized measuring cup.
Pounds and cups are both units used to measure flour. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure.
What Is a Pound?
A pound is a commonly used unit to measure flour weight. A pound of flour is equal to 16 ounces, and there are 0.453592 kilograms in one pound.
The pound is a US customary and imperial unit of weight. Pounds can be abbreviated as lb; for example, 1 pound can be written as 1 lb.
Learn more about pounds.
What Is a Cup?
The cup is a commonly used unit to measure flour volume. One cup of flour is equal to 16 tablespoons.
The cup is a US customary unit of volume. Cups can be abbreviated as c, and are also sometimes abbreviated as C. For example, 1 cup can be written as 1 c or 1 C.
Learn more about cups.
References
- Nila Jones, The Best and Most Accurate Way to Measure Wet and Dry Ingredients for Baking, Serious Eats, https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-measure-wet-dry-ingredients-for-baking-accurately-best-method