Salt Conversion Calculator
Convert between table salt, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, Morton kosher salt, and coarse sea salt for accurate seasoning.
How to use this tool
- Enter amount and salt type in the fields above.
- Results update instantly as you type — or click Calculate.
- Read your table salt and the full breakdown beneath it.
Formula
Grams = Input amount (tsp) × g/tsp for source salt type
Then convert to other salt types: tsp = Grams ÷ g/tsp for target type
Densities: table salt 6.0 g/tsp, Diamond Crystal kosher 2.8 g/tsp, Morton kosher 4.8 g/tsp, fine sea salt 5.5 g/tsp, coarse sea salt 5.0 g/tsp
How it works
Salt crystals differ enormously in size and shape, causing the same volume measurement to contain very different masses of salt. Diamond Crystal kosher salt has large, hollow flake crystals that pack loosely (2.8 g/tsp), while table salt has tiny dense granules that pack tightly (6.0 g/tsp) — more than twice as much sodium chloride per teaspoon. This calculator converts by mass (grams), so the weight you put into a dish stays constant regardless of the salt form used. A very common mistake is treating Diamond Crystal and Morton kosher salt as interchangeable by volume; Morton kosher crystals are denser and more compact, so a teaspoon of Morton delivers 71 % more salt than a teaspoon of Diamond Crystal.
Worked example
Converting 1 tsp table salt to other salt types
- Convert to grams: 1 tsp × 6.0 g/tsp = 6 g of sodium chloride.
- Diamond Crystal kosher: 6 g ÷ 2.8 g/tsp = 2.14 tsp.
- Morton kosher: 6 g ÷ 4.8 g/tsp = 1.25 tsp.
6 g salt = 1 tsp table = 2.14 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher = 1.25 tsp Morton kosher
Common mistakes to avoid
- Swapping Diamond Crystal kosher salt for Morton kosher salt at a 1:1 ratio -- Morton is about twice as dense per teaspoon (5 g vs 2.8 g), so using the same volume of Morton makes the dish significantly saltier.
- Treating "kosher salt" in a recipe as a single standard without knowing which brand the author used -- Diamond Crystal and Morton behave so differently that many professional recipe writers now specify the brand explicitly.
- Converting salt amounts by weight when the recipe specifies volume (or vice versa) without checking the density of the specific salt -- a teaspoon of table salt weighs 6 g while a teaspoon of Diamond Crystal weighs 2.8 g.
Key terms
- Kosher salt
- A coarse-grained salt originally used in koshering meat; its large crystals make it easy to pinch and control, but the crystal size varies significantly between brands.
- Crystal density
- The mass of salt per unit volume; it determines how much sodium chloride is in a teaspoon and why volume-based salt measurements are unreliable across salt types.
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- A brand of kosher salt with hollow, pyramid-shaped flake crystals that are light and crunchy; at about 2.8 g/tsp it is the least dense common cooking salt by volume.
- Table salt
- Finely ground sodium chloride, often iodised, with a very high packing density of about 6 g/tsp; the densest common salt by volume measurement.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I substitute kosher salt for table salt?
- Yes, but adjust the volume. For 1 tsp table salt, use about 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher or 1.25 tsp Morton kosher salt.
- Why does the type of kosher salt matter?
- Diamond Crystal and Morton kosher salts have different crystal structures; Diamond Crystal is less dense and you use more of it by volume.