Unit conversion
How AreaCacao converts between grams, kilos, milliliters, liters, ounces, pounds, units, and tablespoons.
What it is
AreaCacao works internally in grams. When you enter a quantity in another unit, the app converts it automatically and also stores the gram equivalent.
Supported units
The unit selector on each row offers eleven options:
- Mass: grams (g), kilograms (kg), milligrams (mg), ounces (oz), pounds (lb).
- Volume: milliliters (ml), liters (L), centiliters (cl).
- Discrete: unit, tablespoon (15g), teaspoon (5g).
How mass and volume are converted
Mass (g, kg, mg, oz, lb) converts directly. To go from volume (ml, L, cl) to mass, AreaCacao needs the ingredient's density (g/ml), which lives on its sheet. When an ingredient has no declared density and you pick a volume unit, it defaults to 1 g/ml (accurate for water, approximate for other things — add the real density if you'll work a lot with that unit).
How discrete units are converted
To go from units to mass, AreaCacao needs the ingredient's weight per unit. A tablespoon is treated as 15 g and a teaspoon as 5 g by default. The unit option requires the ingredient to have a declared weight per unit; if it doesn't, the app can't convert and flags it.
Why it matters
Without consistent conversions:
- The recipe totals don't add up.
- The aggregated macros are calculated incorrectly.
- Scaling to other weights gives wrong results.
Having correct densities and weights per unit on the ingredients you use most is the best time investment you can make when setting up your account.