Kosher Salt vs Table Salt: Why All Salt Is Not Created Equal
Salt is measured by volume but works by weight, and different salts pack that volume completely differently. This is why recipes come out twice as salty.
The short version
- Salt works by weight, but recipes measure it by volume, and crystal shape changes how much weight fits in a spoon.
- A teaspoon of table salt carries nearly twice the salt of a teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher.
- Morton and Diamond Crystal are both kosher salt and are not interchangeable either.
- Finishing salt is texture, not seasoning. It goes on at the table, never in the pot.
Here is the thing recipe writers know and almost never say out loud: when a chef’s recipe says a tablespoon of kosher salt, it means a tablespoon of Diamond Crystal, and if you measure that tablespoon with table salt the dish comes out nearly twice as salty. Not a little saltier. Ruined.
The reason is physics, not quality. Salt seasons by weight, but spoons measure volume, and crystal shape decides how much weight packs into the volume. Table salt is dense little cubes. Diamond Crystal is an airy, hollow pyramid that crushes between two fingers. Same spoon, very different amounts of actual salt.
The chart below is the translation table between the three salts American recipes are written in. It is the difference between a recipe working in your kitchen and you deciding the author does not know how to cook.
The Salt Conversion Chart
Same weight of salt, very different spoons. Find the salt the recipe used, then read across to yours.
One teaspoon, in grams of actual salt
- 6g
- Table salt
- 4.8g
- Morton kosher
- 3.3g
- Diamond Crystal
- 5.5g
- Fine sea salt
- 1% salt
- Pasta water
| Recipe says | Diamond Crystal | Morton kosher | Table salt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tsp Diamond Crystal | 1 tsp | 3/4 tsp | 1/2 tsp |
| 1 tsp Morton kosher | 1 1/4 tsp | 1 tsp | 3/4 tsp |
| 1 tsp table salt | 2 tsp | 1 1/4 tsp | 1 tsp |
| 1 tbsp Diamond Crystal | 1 tbsp | 2 1/4 tsp | 1 3/4 tsp |
| 1 tbsp table salt | 2 tbsp | 3 3/4 tsp | 1 tbsp |
When a recipe just says kosher salt, assume Diamond Crystal if it comes from a restaurant chef, Morton if it comes from a box mix era cookbook. When in doubt, use less. You can always add.
The Salt Conversion Chart
Kosher, table, sea and finishing salt are not interchangeable by volume. The chart gives you the swap ratios so a recipe never comes out twice as salty again.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between kosher salt and table salt?
Crystal shape, mostly. Table salt is tiny dense cubes that pack a spoon tightly, usually with iodine and an anti-caking agent added. Kosher salt is larger, irregular flakes that trap air, so the same spoon holds far less actual salt. The flakes are also easier to pinch and to see on food, which is why cooks prefer it, not any difference in the salt itself.
Can I substitute table salt for kosher salt?
Yes, but cut the amount roughly in half. A teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher is about 3.3 grams of salt while a teaspoon of table salt is about 6 grams, so swapping one for one nearly doubles the seasoning. Going the other way, use about twice as much Diamond Crystal when a recipe was written for table salt.
Are Morton and Diamond Crystal interchangeable?
No, and this is the trap inside the trap. Morton kosher is rolled into dense flakes and runs about 4.8 grams per teaspoon. Diamond Crystal is an airy hollow pyramid at about 3.3 grams. A recipe developed with Diamond Crystal, which is what most restaurant kitchens and food publications use, comes out almost 50 percent saltier when made with the same spoons of Morton.
What is finishing salt for?
Crunch and sparkle, not seasoning. Flaky salts like Maldon are big fragile pyramids that would just dissolve in a pot like any other salt, wasting the texture you paid for. They go on at the end: sliced steak, chocolate chip cookies, tomatoes, caramel. Season the cooking with kosher salt and finish the plate with the fancy one.
Does iodized salt taste different?
Slightly, to sensitive palates, with a faint metallic edge, and the anti-caking agents can make brines cloudy. For most cooking the difference is small. Cooks avoid it mainly because table salt's density makes it easy to overshoot, not because of the iodine itself.