Community Voting on Conversions

FourFork uses community voting to improve the accuracy of ingredient conversions, especially for volume-to-weight conversions.

Why Community Voting Matters

Ingredient densities can vary:

• Different brands have different densities
• Preparation affects density (sifted vs unsifted flour)
• Regional variations exist
• Packing methods matter (loosely packed vs firmly packed)

Your real-world measurements help everyone get better results.

How to Vote on Conversions

Finding Votable Conversions

1. Visit any ingredient detail page
2. Look for the "Conversions" section
3. See current conversion factors
4. Find conversions marked "Community Verified"

Casting Your Vote

When you see a conversion:

• Upvote (👍) if the conversion seems accurate
• Downvote (👎) if you think it needs adjustment
• Add a comment explaining your experience

Example: "1 cup all-purpose flour = 120g"

• Upvote if this matches your experience
• Downvote if you consistently measure different amounts

Providing Context

When voting, consider adding:

• Your measurement method (spooned and leveled, scooped)
• Brand or type (if relevant)
• Geographic region
• How you tested it

What Conversions Can Be Voted On

Volume to Weight:

• Cup to grams
• Tablespoon to grams
• Teaspoon to grams
• Most relevant for dry goods

Count to Weight:

• Average item weights
• Size-specific weights (small, medium, large)
• Example: "1 medium apple = 180g"

Preparation Forms:

• Weight changes after cooking/prep
• Yield percentages
• Example: "1 cup diced onion = 150g"

How Votes Affect Conversions

Voting Thresholds:

• Conversions need minimum votes to be considered
• High confidence requires positive vote ratio
• Controversial conversions are flagged for review

Automatic Updates:

• High-confidence votes automatically adjust conversions
• System calculates weighted average from votes
• Outliers are excluded

Admin Review:

• Very controversial conversions are reviewed by admins
• Testing may be done to verify
• Official USDA data is consulted when available

Best Practices for Voting

Do:

• Vote based on actual measurements
• Use a kitchen scale for accuracy
• Consider multiple tests
• Explain your reasoning
• Update your vote if you learn new information

Don't:

• Vote based on guesses
• Vote on conversions you haven't tested
• Vote maliciously
• Vote multiple times with different accounts

Conversion Confidence Levels

High Confidence (Green):

• Many votes in agreement
• Matches USDA data
• Widely accepted

Medium Confidence (Yellow):

• Some votes, generally agree
• Reasonable but less tested
• May have minor variations

Low Confidence (Orange):

• Few votes
• Conflicting information
• Needs more community input

Under Review (Red):

• Disputed conversion
• Significant disagreement
• Admin review needed

Contributing New Conversions

If a conversion doesn't exist:

1. Measure it accurately yourself
2. Submit the conversion with your data
3. Explain your methodology
4. Include any relevant context

Requirements:

• Use accurate kitchen scale
• Multiple measurements recommended
• Document your process
• Be honest about uncertainty

Ingredient Size Variants

For produce with size variants:

• Vote on specific sizes (small, medium, large)
• Each size has separate conversion factors
• Very important for items like onions, apples, potatoes

Example:

• Small apple: ~150g
• Medium apple: ~180g
• Large apple: ~220g

Impact on Recipes

Accurate conversions affect:

• Nutrition calculations
• Shopping list quantities
• Recipe scaling
• User success with recipes

Your votes help millions of users cook better!

Reporting Issues

If you notice:

• Obviously incorrect conversions
• Malicious voting patterns
• System errors

Report through:

• Ingredient page "Report Issue" button
• Help center contact form
• Community guidelines page