Ground Black Pepper
One US cup of ground black pepper weighs between 111 and 134 grams, depending on how the cup is filled and which source measured it. That range is the answer; a single number would not be. Every figure behind it is below, with the method each source used.
Also called ground black pepper, black pepper powder, ground pepper, fine ground black pepper, table grind black pepper, black pepper ground.
Most sites print one number for a cup of ground black pepper. This page prints 111 to 134 grams, because that is what USDA FoodData Central — Spices, pepper, black, FreeFoodTips ingredient reference, Chefs-Resources professional kitchen conversion chart, ChefSolver (finely-ground reference), Ground Black Pepper UPC 078742230320 (aqua-calc branded, fine), Coarse Ground Black Pepper UPC 016291441378 (aqua-calc branded) and King Arthur Baking (KA-blind) actually measured, and it names the method behind every figure rather than picking a favourite.
Two or more sources describe the same way of filling the cup and still disagree, by 20.7%. That is more than this site will average over, so both figures stand and neither is chosen. Ground black pepper shows a ~21% spread from 111 g/cup (USDA table-grind laboratory fill) to 134 g/cup (settled retail brands, fine and coarse both observed at this density due to jar-settling dominance). Grind coarseness (fine vs table vs coarse vs cracked) is a first-order density variable for pepper in a way it is not for softer spices — freshly-milled coarse grinds pack noticeably lighter than settled fine-grind commercial jars.
| Volume | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 111–134 g |
| 3/4 cup | 83.3–100.5 g |
| 2/3 cup | 74–89.3 g |
| 1/2 cup | 55.5–67 g |
| 1/3 cup | 37–44.7 g |
| 1/4 cup | 27.8–33.5 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 6.9–8.4 g |
| 1 teaspoon | 2.3–2.8 g |
| Filling the cup | 1 cup | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Standard, spooned and leveled (table grind) | 112 g | USDA FoodData Central — Spices, pepper, black |
| Standard, spooned and leveled (table grind) | 111 g | FreeFoodTips ingredient reference |
| Standard, spooned and leveled (table grind) | 120 g | Chefs-Resources professional kitchen conversion chart |
| Standard, spooned and leveled (table grind) | 127.8 g | ChefSolver (finely-ground reference) |
| Standard, spooned and leveled (table grind) | 134 g | Ground Black Pepper UPC 078742230320 (aqua-calc branded, fine) |
| Standard, spooned and leveled (table grind) | 134 g | Coarse Ground Black Pepper UPC 016291441378 (aqua-calc branded) |
Why this page publishes a range
TL;DR: **One US cup of ground black pepper weighs 111 to 134 g depending on grind coarseness and how settled the jar is — USDA's reference for table grind is 112 g/cup (7 g per tablespoon, 2.3 g per teaspoon).** King Arthur does not publish a per-cup weight for black pepper, leaving no anchor to correct against. The 21% spread is driven by fine-vs-coarse grind differences and jar-settling over shelf life — grind size matters here more than for any other spice in the ExactCups catalogue.
Ground black pepper is the dried unripe green berry of *Piper nigrum*, a climbing vine native to the Malabar Coast of southwest India. The green drupes are picked before ripening, briefly blanched in hot water to rupture cell walls, then sun-dried for several days until the outer skin oxidises to the familiar wrinkled black exterior. Commercial supply today comes primarily from Vietnam (the world's largest producer), India, Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, with Malabar and Tellicherry grades from India commanding premium prices for their higher piperine content and larger berry size. The active alkaloid is piperine at 5-9% by weight, responsible for pepper's pungency; the volatile oil (1-3%) carries the aromatic top notes that dissipate within days of grinding.
The density spread is driven by grind coarseness in a way that doesn't apply to softer spices. USDA FoodData Central FDC 170931 lists 7 g per tablespoon and 2.3 g per teaspoon for standard table grind, extrapolating to 112 g per US cup. FreeFoodTips independently reports 6.99 g per tablespoon (111 g/US cup) — essentially identical to USDA. Chefs-Resources' professional kitchen chart lands at 120 g/cup for standard commercial ground pepper and notes explicitly that coarse-ground pepper is lighter per gram than fine-ground. ChefSolver publishes 0.54 g/mL (128 g/cup) as the density for finely-ground pepper specifically, and recommends adding 10-15% to their table values for coarser grinds. Aqua-calc's USDA-branded entries for two specific retail brands — one fine (UPC 078742230320) and one coarse (UPC 016291441378) — both report 142 g per metric cup (134 g per US cup), suggesting that shelf-life settling in commercial jars dominates over the initial grind coarseness for final measured density. That is a 21% spread from USDA's table-grind laboratory fill to fully-settled retail — over ExactCups' 10% milled tolerance and honestly published as a range.
The physical density check validates cluster placement. Black pepper is 64% carbohydrate (fibre-dominant from the hard woody peppercorn outer layer), 10% protein, 3% fat, 12% water, and 4% ash. The fat content is low, but the woody peppercorn structure grinds to a denser fine powder than plant-material spices at similar composition. In the ExactCups milled category, ground black pepper (111-134 g/cup) sits denser than fibrous ground ginger (80-104 g/cup, similar low-fat composition), overlaps ground allspice (96-116 g/cup) and ground nutmeg (112 g/cup) at the low end, and approaches ground turmeric (144 g/cup, waxy) at the fine-grind upper bound.
Grind coarseness is the practical variable to name. Fine grind (extra-fine, powder) is the densest at 128-134 g/cup and disperses most evenly through dry rubs and sauces; it also releases piperine and volatile oils fastest, going stale within 3-4 months of milling. Table grind (medium, the McCormick standard shaker fill) sits at 112-120 g/cup and is the reference for most recipes. Coarse grind (cracked pepper, mignonette) is roughly 10-15% lighter than table grind — approximately 100-105 g/cup freshly milled — and preserves pungency longest because less surface area is exposed to air. Freshly-ground pepper from a mill sits at the coarse-to-medium end; pre-ground shaker pepper is invariably at the fine end after any shelf time.
Practical cook recommendation: for weighed cooking, use USDA's 7 g per tablespoon or 2.3 g per teaspoon for table grind, and expect 111-120 g per cup from freshly milled to lightly-settled fill and up to 134 g/cup from a well-settled retail jar of pre-ground fine pepper. For steak rubs, brines, and anything where pepper drives the flavour intensity, grind whole peppercorns fresh — the piperine loss in pre-ground pepper is measurable within weeks, and no weight adjustment on the scale compensates for the lost aromatic complexity.
Sources
Standard, spooned and leveled (table grind) — no single figure published
Ground black pepper shows a ~21% spread from 111 g/cup (USDA table-grind laboratory fill) to 134 g/cup (settled retail brands, fine and coarse both observed at this density due to jar-settling dominance). Grind coarseness (fine vs table vs coarse vs cracked) is a first-order density variable for pepper in a way it is not for softer spices — freshly-milled coarse grinds pack noticeably lighter than settled fine-grind commercial jars.
- USDA FoodData Central — Spices, pepper, black112 g per cupUSDA SR Legacy entry (NDB 2030, FDC 170931) lists 1 tablespoon ground = 7 g and 1 teaspoon ground = 2.3 g, both consistent with approximately 112 g per US cup (7 × 16 tbsp/cup, 2.3 × 48 tsp/cup = 110.4 g/cup — the tsp portion is slightly lighter due to rounding). Represents standard table-grind laboratory fill and anchors the low end of the published range.
- FreeFoodTips ingredient reference111 g per cupReports 117 g per metric cup (250 mL) = 111 g per US cup, with 6.99 g per tablespoon and 2.33 g per teaspoon. Essentially identical to USDA — validates the table-grind anchor.
- Chefs-Resources professional kitchen conversion chart120 g per cupCategorises ground black pepper as a medium-density spice at 0.40 teaspoons per gram, which extrapolates to 120 g per US cup (48 tsp/cup ÷ 0.40 tsp/g). Explicitly notes that coarse-ground pepper is lighter per gram than fine-ground: 'If you switch suppliers or grind in-house, verify your conversions still hold.' Represents settled commercial jar density for standard table grind.
- ChefSolver (finely-ground reference)127.8 g per cupPublishes 0.54 g/mL density for finely-ground black pepper, which extrapolates to 128 g per US cup (2.7 g per teaspoon). Notes: 'Freshly ground pepper is coarser and less dense, typically weighing 10-20% less per teaspoon than finely pre-ground powder. Add 10-15% to table values if your grind is noticeably coarser.' Represents the fine-grind end of the market.
- Ground Black Pepper UPC 078742230320 (aqua-calc branded, fine)134 g per cupReports 142 g per metric cup (4.7 oz per US cup = 134 g/cup) for a specific fine-ground commercial retail brand. Represents settled retail jar density at the high end of the observed range.
- Coarse Ground Black Pepper UPC 016291441378 (aqua-calc branded)134 g per cupReports 142 g per metric cup (4.7 oz per US cup = 134 g/cup) for a specific coarse-ground commercial retail brand — notably the same density as the fine-ground UPC 078742230320. Suggests that shelf-life settling in retail jars dominates over grind coarseness for the final measured density in fully-settled commercial packaging.
- King Arthur Baking (KA-blind)King Arthur does not publish a per-cup, per-tablespoon, or per-teaspoon weight for ground black pepper in their Ingredient Weight Chart. KA's recipes specify pepper only by volume (typically 1/4 to 1/2 tsp for savoury dishes and gingerbread with pepper). No KA correction applies to this entry.
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