There are about 6 grams in a teaspoon of salt when it's fine table salt, measured level. The King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart lists 1 tbsp of table salt at 18 g, and the Morton iodized salt label lists 1/4 tsp at 1.5 g, which both work out to the same 6 g per teaspoon.
| Amount | Grams (table salt) |
|---|---|
| 1/8 tsp | 0.8 g |
| 1/4 tsp | 1.5 g |
| 1/2 tsp | 3 g |
| 3/4 tsp | 4.5 g |
| 1 tsp | 6 g |
| 1 tbsp | 18 g |
Why a spoonful of salt isn't always the same weight
Salt is just salt, but the shape and size of the crystals change how much fits in a spoon. Fine table salt has small, dense grains that pack tightly with very little air between them. Kosher salt and flaky salts have bigger, lighter crystals with lots of gaps, so a spoonful weighs less.
That's why a recipe that says "1 tsp salt" can taste very different depending on what's in your salt box. Packing matters too. Scooping firmly from a damp container or tapping the spoon settles the crystals and adds weight.
Grams in a teaspoon of salt, by type
Using the King Arthur chart and dividing each tablespoon figure by 3:
- Table salt: about 6 g per teaspoon (18 g per tablespoon).
- Morton kosher salt: about 5.3 g per teaspoon (16 g per tablespoon).
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt: about 2.7 g per teaspoon (8 g per tablespoon).
So a teaspoon of table salt carries more than twice the salt of a teaspoon of Diamond Crystal. Sea salts and flaky finishing salts vary even more by brand, so if you use them often, weigh a level teaspoon of your own and note the number.
How to swap salts without ruining a dish
When a recipe was written for one salt and you have another, convert through grams instead of spoons. A few examples:
- A recipe calls for 1 tsp table salt, which is 6 g. With Diamond Crystal, you'd need about 2 1/4 tsp to reach 6 g.
- The same 6 g with Morton kosher salt is about 1 1/8 tsp, so a scant 1 1/4 tsp is close enough.
- A bread recipe lists 9 g of salt. That's 1 1/2 tsp of table salt.
Grams take the guesswork out, and they let you follow recipes from bakers who write everything by weight.
How to measure salt by weight
- Put your bowl or spoon on the scale and zero it.
- Add salt slowly. Small amounts move the number fast.
- For tiny amounts like 1/8 tsp (about 0.8 g), measure a larger batch for several dishes, or use a scale that shows tenths of a gram.
- Season to taste at the end of cooking, since ingredients like broth, cheese and butter add their own salt.
For more on pinches and other tiny amounts, see how to measure small ingredients without guessing.
A practical tip: a MeasureMate digital measuring spoon scoops and weighs in one step and reads in 0.1 g steps, so a 1.5 g quarter teaspoon shows up clearly instead of rounding to zero. Hit the tare button between ingredients and keep going.
Quick questions
Is a teaspoon of salt 5 grams?
For table salt, it's closer to 6 g. Morton kosher salt is about 5.3 g per teaspoon, and Diamond Crystal is about 2.7 g.
How many teaspoons is 10 grams of salt?
About 1 2/3 tsp of table salt. With kosher salt you'll need more spoonfuls, so weigh it if you can.
Does sea salt weigh the same as table salt?
Not by the spoon. Fine sea salt can be close to table salt, while coarse and flaky sea salts weigh less per teaspoon. Weigh your own to be sure.
Weights based on the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart and the Morton iodized salt nutrition label.