Lentils (dry) measurement conversions

Recipes switch between volume (cups, tablespoons and teaspoons) and weight (grams) all the time, and for lentils (dry) the two aren't interchangeable — you have to know the density. Lentils (dry) has a density of about 0.85 g/ml, which means:

1 cup of lentils (dry) ≈ 204 g
1 dl of lentils (dry) ≈ 85 g
1 tablespoon of lentils (dry) ≈ 12.8 g
1 teaspoon of lentils (dry) ≈ 4.25 g

Measuring tip. For dry, uncooked lentils. They swell to two to three times the volume when cooked, so weigh or measure them dry.

The pages below give you each specific conversion — pick the exact one you need, with a full table and a calculator for any amount. When a recipe really matters, a kitchen scale beats every volume measure: weight ignores how packed or sifted the lentils (dry) is.

Handy tools for this

Digital kitchen scale The most accurate way to bake — skip the cup guesswork and weigh straight into the bowl to the nearest gram. Check price → Measuring cups set A sturdy nested set of US cups for recipes written in cups. Cheap, dishwasher-safe and built to last. Check price → Measuring spoons Tablespoon and teaspoon set for small, precise amounts of baking powder, salt and spices. Check price →

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