Substitutions / sea salt
What to use instead of sea salt
Use kosher salt at 1.5:1. Larger flakes mean less saltiness by volume, so you'll need a bit more — taste as you go.
Every option, best first
| Use instead | How much | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Kosher salt | 1.5:1 | Larger flakes mean less saltiness by volume, so you'll need a bit more — taste as you go. |
| Table salt | 0.75:1 | Finer grind is saltier by volume, so use less; iodized versions can leave a faint metallic note in delicate dishes. |
| Flaky salt | 1:1 | Great for finishing but dissolves unevenly in cooked dishes, so better as a topping than a cooking salt. |
How much is a cup of sea salt?
Substituting by volume and weighing are different problems, and the second one has an exact answer. Weigh sea salt in grams →
A word on how to read these
A substitution is a trade, not an equivalence. The ratio gets the quantity right; the third column is the part worth reading, because it tells you what you are giving up. In a stew, most of these are invisible. In a cake — where flour, liquid, fat and leavening are in a fixed relationship — the same swap can change the crumb.
Why baking notices and stew doesn't →
Where these came from
These substitutions were written by Gather's own kitchen model — the same one the app uses when you tap an ingredient and ask what else would work — then checked and saved as a fixed list in July 2026. Nothing on this page is generated while you read it. They are a good starting point and not a substitute for tasting as you go.