Salt Converter

How to use this calculator

Enter the weight of salt in grams. Select the salt type — different salts have very different densities, so the teaspoon result will vary significantly. Press Calculate to see teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, ounces, and the estimated sodium content in milligrams.

Why salt type changes the conversion

Salt crystals vary dramatically in size and shape depending on how the salt is produced. This affects how much air space exists between crystals, which in turn changes how many grams fit into a teaspoon.

Salt Type	g per tsp	1 tsp sodium (mg)	6 g = ? tsp
Table salt (fine)	5.69 g	2,236 mg	1.05 tsp
Fine sea salt	4.80 g	1,886 mg	1.25 tsp
Morton kosher salt	4.80 g	1,886 mg	1.25 tsp
Diamond Crystal kosher	2.80 g	1,100 mg	2.14 tsp
Coarse sea salt	4.20 g	1,651 mg	1.43 tsp
Himalayan pink (fine)	5.50 g	2,162 mg	1.09 tsp
Himalayan pink (coarse)	3.90 g	1,533 mg	1.54 tsp
Fleur de sel	3.80 g	1,494 mg	1.58 tsp

The same 6 grams of salt equals 1 teaspoon of table salt but more than 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher. This is a 2x difference, which is why recipes that specify “kosher salt” without naming the brand can produce noticeably different results.

Common gram-to-teaspoon conversions for salt

Quick reference table for the two most common cooking salts — table salt and Diamond Crystal kosher salt:

Grams	Table Salt (tsp)	Diamond Crystal Kosher (tsp)	Morton Kosher (tsp)
1 g	0.18 tsp	0.36 tsp	0.21 tsp
2 g	0.35 tsp	0.71 tsp	0.42 tsp
3 g	0.53 tsp	1.07 tsp	0.63 tsp
5 g	0.88 tsp	1.79 tsp	1.04 tsp
6 g	1.05 tsp	2.14 tsp	1.25 tsp
10 g	1.76 tsp	3.57 tsp	2.08 tsp
15 g	2.64 tsp	5.36 tsp	3.13 tsp
20 g	3.51 tsp	7.14 tsp	4.17 tsp

Sodium content of common salt amounts

Sodium chloride is 39.3% sodium by mass. The recommended daily sodium intake is 2,300 mg for most adults (some guidelines suggest 1,500 mg for people with high blood pressure).

Salt Amount	Table Salt Grams	Sodium (mg)	% Daily Value
Pinch	0.3 g	118 mg	5%
1/4 tsp	1.42 g	558 mg	24%
1/2 tsp	2.85 g	1,120 mg	49%
3/4 tsp	4.27 g	1,678 mg	73%
1 tsp	5.69 g	2,236 mg	97%
1 tbsp	17.07 g	6,708 mg	292%
1/4 cup	68.28 g	26,834 mg	1,167%

One teaspoon of table salt nearly meets the entire recommended daily sodium intake. This is why recipes that say “season to taste” can result in very different sodium levels depending on individual salting habits.

Understanding kosher salt brands

Kosher salt is used for koshering meat (drawing out blood by absorption), but it has become popular in professional kitchens for its ease of use and milder, less metallic taste compared to iodised table salt.

Diamond Crystal kosher salt has a distinctive hollow, irregular flake structure. Its crystals have more surface area and stick well to food. At 2.80 g/tsp, it is the lightest common salt by volume. Many professional chefs and cookbook authors (Thomas Keller, Samin Nosrat) use Diamond Crystal as their standard, meaning their recipes can come out noticeably saltier if you use table salt at the same volume.

Morton kosher salt has a denser, flatter, pressed crystal. At 4.80 g/tsp it is almost twice as heavy as Diamond Crystal per teaspoon. Morton kosher salt and fine sea salt have nearly identical densities per teaspoon. If a recipe from a professional source specifies “kosher salt” without a brand, check whether they typically use Diamond Crystal or Morton — the answer significantly changes how much you should use.

Substitution rule: 1 tsp Diamond Crystal = 0.58 tsp Morton = 0.49 tsp table salt (by volume). For cooking by weight, the substitution is always 1:1 — any salt type has the same saltiness per gram.

Salt in baking vs cooking

Salt plays different roles in baking and savoury cooking:

In bread and dough: Salt strengthens gluten, controls yeast activity, and affects browning. Typical bread recipes use 1.8 to 2.2% of flour weight in salt. For 500 g of flour, that is 9 to 11 g of salt. In teaspoon terms, this is about 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of table salt.

In pasta water: Restaurant-style pasta water is often called “as salty as the sea” (around 3% by weight). For 4 litres of water: 4000 g x 0.02 = 80 g of salt = about 14 teaspoons of table salt. Most home cooks use far less (1 to 2 tsp), which produces less seasoned pasta.

In pastry: Small amounts of salt balance sweetness. A typical cookie recipe calls for 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (1.4 to 2.8 g) of table salt for a batch of 24 cookies.

In brining: Wet brines for turkey or chicken typically use 5 to 7% salinity by weight. For 4 litres of water: 4000 g x 0.06 = 240 g of salt = about 42 teaspoons or almost 1 cup of table salt.

Specialty salts: sea salt, fleur de sel, and Himalayan

Beyond table and kosher salt, several specialty salts are used in finishing (added just before serving) or for specific flavour profiles:

Fleur de sel: Hand-harvested from salt marshes in France (notably Guerande). Density approximately 3.80 g/tsp. Has a delicate, briny flavour and dissolves on the palate. Used as a finishing salt, not for general cooking. At over $20 per 100 g, it is not cost-effective for cooking.

Himalayan pink salt: Mined from the Khewra Salt Mine in Pakistan. Fine-ground density about 5.5 g/tsp (similar to table salt). Coarse grade: 3.9 g/tsp. The pink colour comes from trace iron oxide. Marketing claims about health benefits are not supported by significant evidence — the mineral content is nutritionally insignificant.

Maldon sea salt: Large, pyramid-shaped flakes from Essex, England. Very light at about 2.8 to 3.1 g/tsp (similar to Diamond Crystal). Used as a finishing salt for its dramatic appearance and clean flavour.

Sel gris (grey salt): Harvested by hand from clay-lined salt pans. Density about 3.5 to 4.0 g/tsp. Higher moisture content than most salts.

Salt in brines, cures, and fermentation

Salt concentration matters precisely in preservation:

Wet brine for poultry: 3 to 5% salinity. 1 litre of 3% brine = 1000 g x 0.03 = 30 g of salt = 5.3 tsp of table salt.

Charcuterie cure: 2.5 to 3% of meat weight. A 1 kg pork belly needs 25 to 30 g of salt (4.4 to 5.3 tsp of table salt).

Fermented vegetables (lacto-fermentation): 2 to 2.5% salt by weight of vegetables. 1 kg of cabbage for sauerkraut needs 20 to 25 g of salt (3.5 to 4.4 tsp table salt).

Fermentation note: Using iodised table salt can inhibit the lactobacillus bacteria that drive fermentation. For fermentation, use non-iodised salt — kosher salt (Diamond Crystal or Morton) or non-iodised sea salt.