1 kilogram is 1,000 grams. Below is the full chart, with a section of its own for each amount worth having to hand.
Kilograms to grams: full chart
| Kilograms | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1/4 kg | 250 g |
| 1/2 kg | 500 g |
| 1 kg | 1,000 g |
| 2 kg | 2,000 g |
| 3 kg | 3,000 g |
| 4 kg | 4,000 g |
| 6 kg | 6,000 g |
| 8 kg | 8,000 g |
| 12 kg | 12,000 g |
| 16 kg | 16,000 g |
1 kilogram to grams
1 kilogram is 1,000 grams. 1 of these makes 1,000, counting from the 1 kilogram figure of 1,000 grams.
2 kilograms to grams
2 kilograms is 2,000 grams. Half this amount, 1 kilogram, comes to 1,000; double it and you are at 4,000.
3 kilograms to grams
3 kilograms is 3,000 grams. Working from 1 kilogram is 1,000 grams, 3 scales to 3,000.
4 kilograms to grams
4 kilograms is 4,000 grams. Take the 1 kilogram figure of 1,000 grams and multiply by 4 to get there.
6 kilograms to grams
6 kilograms is 6,000 grams. 6 of these makes 6,000, counting from the 1 kilogram figure of 1,000 grams.
8 kilograms to grams
8 kilograms is 8,000 grams. Take the 1 kilogram figure of 1,000 grams and multiply by 8 to get there.
12 kilograms to grams
12 kilograms is 12,000 grams. Take the 1 kilogram figure of 1,000 grams and multiply by 12 to get there.
16 kilograms to grams
16 kilograms is 16,000 grams. 16 of these makes 16,000, counting from the 1 kilogram figure of 1,000 grams.
Where the number comes from
This one is fixed by definition rather than measured, so it carries no rounding and no dependence on what is being weighed. One kilogram is exactly 1,000 grams, and every row above is that one ratio multiplied out.
The metric units are defined against each other in powers of ten, which is why none of these rows needs a repeating decimal.
Reading the chart
Nothing in the table depends on your kitchen. The same rows hold at sea level and at altitude, in a cold room and a hot one.
Does anything change this
Nothing. This conversion is fixed by definition, so it holds regardless of ingredient, temperature or brand. That is what makes it safe to scale a recipe by.
Going the other way: grams to kilograms
| Grams | Kilograms |
|---|---|
| 25 g | 0.025 kg |
| 50 g | 0.05 kg |
| 100 g | 0.1 kg |
That is the shape of it in reverse. The complete chart for that direction has a page of its own.
Getting the measurement right
Small amounts are where cheap scales fail. Most have a floor of two or three grams, below which they round to a tidy number that was never really measured.
Rounding: when it matters
A convenient number costs little on a single quantity and adds up quickly once a recipe is doubled or tripled. Round late, not early.
The mistake that shows up most
Reading the scale in the wrong unit. Most kitchen scales toggle between grams and ounces with one button, and a number taken against the wrong setting is out by a factor of twenty-eight.
Where this comes up
Most recipes are written for one system and cooked in another. American recipes measure by cup, European ones by gram, and anything from a bakery measures by weight. Knowing that 1 kilogram is 1,000 grams is what lets you cook from any of them.
Halving and doubling
Half of 1 kilogram is 500 grams. Double it and you have 2,000 grams; triple it and you are at 3,000 grams. A batch cut to a quarter needs 250 grams.
The relationship is a straight multiple all the way through, so any factor scales the same way.
The exact number against the practical one
1 kilogram is 1,000 on the nose. No approximation enters anywhere, which is why doubling and halving stay exact all the way down.
Other ways this gets asked
The same question is typed in these ways, and the chart above covers every one:
- Kilograms to Grams: Full Conversion Chart?
- How Many Grams Are In A Kilogram?
Related conversions
For every kitchen figure in one place, see the full conversion chart.
