Why "sticks" trip up so many recipes
US butter is sold pre-portioned into "sticks," each individually wrapped with measurement markings printed right on the wrapper — a US recipe calling for "1 stick of butter" is assuming you have this exact product in front of you. Outside the US, butter is sold in blocks without stick markings, so "1 stick" needs translating: 1 stick = ½ cup = 8 tablespoons = 113.5g. A standard US butter box contains 4 sticks, totaling 2 cups (454g, almost exactly 1 pound) — which is itself a useful anchor number if you're working from a full box.
Solid vs. melted butter — does it matter?
Yes, for volume measurements specifically. Measuring melted butter by volume (in a cup/tablespoon) gives a different weight than measuring the same weight of solid butter by volume, since melted butter is slightly denser per cup — the air pockets in solid butter disappear once melted. This converter assumes solid, room-temperature butter (the standard baking convention); if a recipe measures melted butter by volume, weigh it in grams instead for accuracy, or measure the butter solid before melting it.
Quick reference chart
| Sticks | Cups | Tbsp | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ stick | 2 Tbsp | 2 | 28g |
| ½ stick | ¼ cup | 4 | 57g |
| 1 stick | ½ cup | 8 | 113.5g |
| 2 sticks | 1 cup | 16 | 227g |
FAQ
Are all US butter sticks the same size? Almost always yes — the standard is ¼ lb (113g) per stick. A less common "Western"/short-and-wide stick shape (used in some Western US regions) holds the same weight, just a different shape.
Is salted or unsalted butter a different weight? No, the weight/volume relationship is essentially the same — salt content doesn't meaningfully change density.