How Many Ounces in a Kilogram

Everything you need to know about measuring ounces in a kilogram, from terms and origin to how many ounces are in a kilogram, and other helpful measurements!

There are 35.27 ounces in a kilogram. Why is this conversion not nice and round? Because we’re converting between two systems of measurement! Ounces are an imperial measurement, while kilograms are a metric measurement.

Most of the world has been using the metric system for a very long time, but we in the US like our imperial measurements of ounces, pounds, etc.

The trick is, metric measurements are increasingly used in the United States for cooking, so we need to be ready to convert between the two because precise measurements are essential in great cooking and brewing!

What Is An Ounce?

The term ounce comes from the Roman term “uncia.” An uncia was 1/12^th of a roman copper bar that was used as a tool to measure the length of an inch and the weight of an ounce. Modern ounce weight and volume measurements, however, come from Britain. A dry ounce weighs 1/16 of a pound, or 28.346 grams. 1,000 grams in a Kilogram (or kilo or kg).

Have you ever tried doubling or halving a recipe, only to find that you’re not as cut out for on-the-fly measuring as you thought you were? Same here. Though many recipe conversions are easy to mess around with, certain ingredients require precise measurements. Knowing quick conversions can make the cooking process that much easier and the result that much more successful!

What Is A Kilogram (Kilo Or Kg)?

Simplistically, a kilogram (Kilo or Kg) is 1,000 grams or the weight of 1 liter of water.  The currently accepted mass of a kilogram is within 30 parts per million of the 1795 definition, so it hasn’t changed much in 227 years. The metric system sprang out of the French Revolution of 1789. While this seems an odd birthplace for a measuring system, the people of France were in a mood and wanted to be rid of everything to do with the corrupt monarchy. This included the imperial measuring system. At the same time, world trade was expanding rapidly and a need for a simple standardized measuring system was clear. Today only the US, Myanmar, and Liberia use the imperial system though metric units are becoming much more common here in the US.

Quick Conversion Chart

	Ounce	Pound	Gram	Kilogram
1 Ounce	1	1/16th	28.35	0.028
1 Pound	16	1	453.6	0.453
1 Gram	0.035	0.002	1	1/1000
1 Kilogram	35.27	2.2	1000	1

So to review, how many ounces are in a kilogram? The answer is 35.27 ounces!