New feature: US <> metric unit conversions for all ckbk recipes

A little while ago we ran a survey of ckbk users, and one of questions we asked was ‘what new feature would you most like to see added to ckbk’. The answer came through loud and clear. Conversion between metric and US measurements was easily the most popular feature request. Well – you ask, we deliver. Today we are very happy to announce the release of ckbk’s automated unit conversion feature.

One of the best things about ckbk is the way it offers access to cookbooks from authors all over the world. Rather than being limited to book which are published in your own region of the world, with ckbk you get access to a truly global collection. If you are in the UK and Want to know about the cooking of Louisiana, you can go to Tom Fitzmorris’s New Orleans Food. If you are in the US and want some authentic British food, you can browse Gary Rhodes New British Classics or Caroline Conran’s British Cooking. 

One obstacle remains, however. The Guardian recently asked the question “Why can’t American and British cooks agree on food measurements?” Whatever the reason, it’s true that most (but not all) US cooks favor measurements using cups of flour, pints of milk and sticks of butter. In most of the rest of the world, though, metric units (grams and litres) hold sway.

ckbk includes more than 145,000 cookbook recipes and around about half these recipes have (until now) included only one of the two measurement systems. To address this, the ckbk development team has been hard at work on a system to make automated conversions available for all recipes, which are now happy to make available via the website and the the latest versiondof the ckbk iOS and Android apps.

How does it work?

Just click the slider at the top of the ingredients list to switch between measurement systems. Any ingredient quanties which have been converted will be be highlighted with a grey background.

Here’s an example of a US recipe

Moroccan-Inspired Sweet and Hot Cherry Tomato Jam from Back to Square One by Joyce Goldstein 

And here is an example of a British recipe

Yorkshire Pudding from New British Classics by Gary Rhodes

FAQ

How accurate are the automated conversions?

We always provide the author’s original ingredient list and quantities, and that is what is displayed by default unless you tell us otherwise. Those provide the ultimate reference, while the conversion is provided for guidance. Authorities do not always agree on what the most appropriate conversion is between cup measurements (volume) and metric (weight), but we seek to offer as reliable a guide as we can and we will continue to tune and improve based on feedback.

I don’t see the US <> metric slider on some recipes. Why not?

If the original version of a recipe already contains US and metric measurements, no conversion option is offered as the recipe already provides everything you need.

In this initial release, there may occasionally be other recipes which lack conversions for technical reasons. Please let us know if you come across any such gaps.

Can I print the converted recipe?

Absolutely! When you print out a recipe, the version printed will reflect the units that you see on screen.

I like prefer to use metric (or cups) - will I be able to set a preference to see conversions to my preferred units by default?

Yes - that’s coming soon.

What about temperatures?

Many/most recipes do already include both °C and °F measurements, but automated temperature conversion is coming soon for the remainder.

What should I do if I see a conversion which doesn’t look right?

Please use the “Spotted a problem?” link, which appears a the bottom of every recipe, to let us know.

Some of the books from US authors, now with metric conversions:

• Back to Square One by Joyce Goldstein

• Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman

• Craig Claiborne's Kitchen Primer by Craig Claiborne

• Craig Claiborne's Southern Cooking by Craig Claiborne

• Hazan Family Favorites by Giuliano Hazan

• How to Cook Italian by Giuliano Hazan

• In Nonna's Kitchen by Carol Field

• Jewish Holiday Cooking by Jayne Cohen

• Madeleines by Barbara Feldman Morse

• Marcella Cucina by Marcella Hazan (one of Kamala Harris’s favorite cookbooks!)

• Marcella's Italian Kitchen by Marcella Hazan

• Southern Cakes  by Nancie McDermott

• Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor

• The Classic Pasta Cookbook by Giuliano Hazan

• The Gefilte Variations by Jayne Cohen

• The New York Times Menu Cook Book by Craig Claiborne

• Tom Fitzmorris's New Orleans Food by Tom Fitzmorris

Just some of the books from non-US authors, now with cup measurements added

• A Taste of Australia by Victoria Alexander and Genevieve Harris

• Bad Girl Bakery by Jeni Ianetta

• Bake by Lorraine Pascale

• British Cooking by Caroline Conran

• British Food by Mark Hix 

• Cooking for Christmas by Joseceline Dimbleby

• Cuisine Gourmand by Michel Guérard

• Cuisine of the Sun by Roger Vergé

• Dark Rye and Honey Cake by Regula Ysewijn

• For the Love of the Land by Jenny Jefferies

• For the Love of the Sea by Jenny Jefferies

• French by Damien Pignolet

• French Regional Cooking by Anne Willan

• Goose Fat & Garlic by Jeanne Strang

• Keep it Simple by Alastair Little

• La Varenne Pratique by Anne Willan

• Magrets & Mushrooms by Jeanne Strang

• My Best by Alain Ducasse

• My Best by Pierre Hermé

• New British Classics by Gary Rhodes

• Prue by Prue Leith

• Rococo: Mastering the Art of Chocolate by Chantal Coady

• Sud de France by Caroline Conran

• The Birthday Cake Book by Fiona Cairns

• The Carved Angel Cookery Book by Joyce Molyneux

• The Cooking of the Mediterranean by Jane Grigson

• The Eagle Cookbook by David Eyre

• The Independent Cook by Jeremy Round

• The Pasta-lover's Cookbook by Anna del Conte

• The Quality Chop House by William Lander, Shaun Searley and Daniel Morgenthau

• The Richard Corrigan Cookbook by Richard Corrigan

• The Seafood Shack by Kirsty Scobie and Fenella Renwick 

• The Vegetarian Kitchen by Prue Leith and Peta Leith

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