Salt Conversion Calculator (Kosher / Sea / Table)
Convert between table, fine sea, Morton kosher, Diamond Crystal kosher, and coarse sea salt by volume for the same saltiness, accounting for crystal size. Runs in your browser.
Different salts have different crystal sizes, so the same volume holds different amounts of sodium: a teaspoon of fluffy Diamond Crystal kosher salt is much less salty than a teaspoon of dense table salt. By volume, 1 tsp table salt ≈ 1¼ tsp Morton kosher ≈ 1¾ tsp Diamond Crystal (per the brands’ own guidance and Cook’s Illustrated). Converting by weight is most accurate — salt is salt on a scale — so weigh it if you can. Coarse sea salts vary by brand. Educational; everything runs in your browser.
About this tool
Not all salts are equally salty by the spoonful, and substituting one for another without adjusting is a common way to over- or under-season a dish. The reason is crystal size and shape: table salt is made of tiny dense cubes that pack tightly, so a teaspoon holds a lot of sodium; kosher salts have larger, flakier crystals with air gaps, so the same teaspoon holds less, and the two major kosher brands differ from each other — Diamond Crystal is especially light and fluffy, while Morton is denser. This calculator converts an amount of one salt into the equivalent amount of another so the seasoning stays the same. The conversions follow the brands' own published guidance and standard test-kitchen references: by volume, one teaspoon of table salt is about equal in saltiness to 1¼ teaspoons of Morton kosher and about 1¾ teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher; fine sea salt behaves much like table salt, and coarse sea salt sits in between (and varies by brand). You pick the salt you have, the salt the recipe calls for, the amount, and the unit, and the tool scales it. The single most important caveat it makes clear: these volume conversions are approximations because crystal sizes vary, and the truly accurate way to convert salt is by weight — on a kitchen scale, a gram of salt is a gram of salt regardless of brand or crystal. If precision matters (curing, bread baking, large batches), weigh it. For everyday cooking, the volume conversion here gets you close, and you can always taste and adjust. Educational; everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
How to use it
- Enter the amount and unit (tsp, tbsp, or cup).
- Choose the salt you're converting from.
- Choose the salt you're converting to.
- Read the equivalent amount that delivers the same saltiness, and weigh it for best accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
- Why isn't a teaspoon of kosher salt as salty as table salt?
- Kosher salt has larger, flakier crystals with air between them, so a teaspoon contains less actual salt (sodium) than a teaspoon of dense, fine table salt. You need more volume of kosher salt for the same saltiness.
- How much Diamond Crystal equals a teaspoon of table salt?
- About 1¾ teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt equals 1 teaspoon of table salt by saltiness, because Diamond Crystal is especially light and fluffy. Morton kosher is denser, so about 1¼ teaspoons.
- Are Morton and Diamond Crystal kosher salts interchangeable?
- Not at the same volume. Diamond Crystal is lighter than Morton, so a recipe written for one will be off if you use the same volume of the other — convert between them (Morton is roughly 1.4× as salty per teaspoon as Diamond Crystal).
- What about sea salt?
- Fine sea salt is close to table salt by volume. Coarse sea salts vary widely by brand and crystal size and fall between table and kosher; for those especially, weighing is the reliable approach.
- What is the most accurate way to convert salt?
- By weight. Crystal size only affects volume measurements — on a scale, equal weights of any salt deliver equal sodium. For baking, curing, or large batches, weigh the salt rather than measuring by spoon.
- Is anything uploaded?
- No. All calculations run entirely in your browser.