If you are in the US or another jurisdiction that requires the inclusion of nutrition information on food labels, stated both in metric and non-metric amounts (which could include a number of counted items, for ingredients like dates), the most reliable conversion method is to calculate based on the values on the label.
So, for example, if the package says that a serving of dates is “2 dates (46 grams)”, you can do simple arithmetic to figure out how many dates will have the mass — number of grams — called for in the recipe. ;o)
My favorite (and very accurate) conversion site is www.convert-me.com Click on "cooking" on left hand side. Use the empty box to type your ingredient and choose from the drop down menu. Some items may not be listed (ie: not all types of extracts are listed, but you can use vanilla as the "ingredient" choice, or water to get your measurement for something like coconut extract). Then enter your measurement into the right category and hit ENTER. It converts it into a number of different "measurements". I love this site!
Hi Morgan, I don't use cups generally as I find metric measurements both easier and more accurate. But you could try using one of the many online converter tools.
To risk sounding unhelpful: please just buy a scale. It breaks my heart to think of all of the burgeoning bakers not living up to their full potential because they don't weigh ingredients.
This is the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-5-Pound-Pull-Out-Display/dp/B0020L6T7K/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1492614901&sr=1-2&keywords=food+scale&refinements=p_89%3AOXO
It's nice because it has a pully-outty screen so that you can weigh wide items without obscuring the measurement.
I 100% agree with using a scale, and most scales can accommodate both metric and imperial weights which makes using recipes written in either so much easier and more accurate.
This thread has a couple of fellow Food52ers favorite conversion sites listed: https://food52.com/hotline/28600-recipes-that-call-for-cups-of-things-how-does-one-convert-these-to-grams-or-ounces
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So, for example, if the package says that a serving of dates is “2 dates (46 grams)”, you can do simple arithmetic to figure out how many dates will have the mass — number of grams — called for in the recipe. ;o)
This is the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-5-Pound-Pull-Out-Display/dp/B0020L6T7K/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1492614901&sr=1-2&keywords=food+scale&refinements=p_89%3AOXO
It's nice because it has a pully-outty screen so that you can weigh wide items without obscuring the measurement.