Convert Dessertspoon (US) (dessertspoon) to Teaspoon (UK) (tsp (UK)) instantly.
About these units
Dessertspoon (US) (dessertspoon)
The US dessertspoon, though rarely used today, traditionally equals 2 teaspoons or about 10 mL. Unlike the UK version, it never gained strong cultural traction in American cooking. Most US recipes skip directly from teaspoons to tablespoons, leaving the dessertspoon as a historical curiosity that occasionally appears in antique cookbooks. Despite its near-obsolescence, understanding the dessertspoon is important for culinary historians and those interpreting older domestic manuals.
Teaspoon (UK) (tsp (UK))
The UK teaspoon is defined as 5 milliliters, a value adopted in modern culinary and medical standards. Historically, however, its size varied considerably, often ranging from 4 to 6 mL depending on household spoons, region, or era. The modern 5 mL standardization brought consistency to recipes, pharmaceutical dosing instructions, and food labeling. Because teaspoons were once everyday household items rather than calibrated instruments, the move toward fixed metric equivalents significantly improved recipe reliability and medical accuracy. Despite the shift to SI units, the teaspoon endures as a culturally intuitive volume measure used in cooking and oral medication dosing, tying contemporary practice to long-standing domestic traditions.