From kitchen drawers to office desks to bathroom counters, things that are 20 cm long are all around you right now. In this guide, we cover 7 of the most recognizable 20 cm long objects that will help you picture this measurement instantly, without a ruler in sight.
How Big Is 20 cm? — Quick Conversion Table
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Centimeters | 20 cm |
| Millimeters | 200 mm |
| Inches | 7.87 in |
| Feet | 0.656 ft |
| Meters | 0.20 m |
| Micrometers | 200,000 μm |
Quick Reference List — 7 Things That Are 20 cm Long
| # | Object | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Large Kitchen Spatula | Kitchen & Cooking |
| 2 | Large Wooden Cooking Spoon | Kitchen & Cooking |
| 3 | Chef’s Knife Blade | Kitchen & Cutlery |
| 4 | Standard TV Remote Control | Technology & Electronics |
| 5 | Dinner Plate Diameter | Dining & Home |
| 6 | Medium Hairbrush | Personal Care |
| 7 | Paperback Novel | Books & Reading |
Kitchen Items That Are 20 cm Long
Your kitchen is one of the richest sources of everyday things that are 20 cm long — from the utensils sitting in your drawer to the tools resting beside your stove.
Large Kitchen Spatula — A Practical 20 cm Long Cooking Tool
A large kitchen spatula is one of the most common and immediately recognizable cooking tools found in American homes, used daily for flipping pancakes, scrambling eggs, and serving food from pans.
Most full-sized spatulas measure between 18 cm and 22 cm from handle base to blade tip, with the average landing almost exactly at 20 cm in total working length.
Large Wooden Cooking Spoon — A Classic 20 cm Long Kitchen Object
A large wooden cooking spoon is one of the oldest and most universally recognized kitchen utensils in American cooking, found in virtually every home kitchen across the country.
Standard wooden cooking spoons measure between 20 cm and 22 cm in total length, a dimension that exists specifically so the user can stir deep saucepans and stockpots without risk of hand contact with hot liquid.
Chef’s Knife Blade — A Professional 20 cm Long Cutting Tool
The 8-inch chef’s knife blade is the most widely used knife size in American home kitchens and professional culinary settings, trusted for chopping vegetables, slicing proteins, and dicing herbs with precision.
An 8-inch blade converts to exactly 20.32 cm, making the chef’s knife one of the most dimensionally precise real-world references for things that are 20 cm long.
Home and Living Items That Are 20 cm Long
Beyond the kitchen, several everyday home and living products measure almost exactly 20 centimeters long and sit in plain sight in American living rooms and dining areas every single day.
Standard TV Remote Control — The Most Familiar 20 cm Long Object
A standard TV remote control is one of the most universally handled objects in American households, with the Consumer Technology Association estimating that the average U.S. home contains multiple remote-operated devices.
Most standard remotes manufactured by brands such as Samsung and LG measure between 17 cm and 22 cm in total body length, with the average sitting right at the 20 cm mark.
Dinner Plate Diameter — A Circular 20 cm Long Reference
A standard American salad plate or side plate — the smaller companion to a full dinner plate — measures between 18 cm and 21 cm in diameter, with the most common size landing at approximately 20 cm across.
This diameter is standardized by tableware manufacturers to ensure salad plates fit neatly inside kitchen cabinets, stack efficiently, and load cleanly into standard dishwasher racks.
Personal Care Items That Are 20 cm Long
The bathroom counter and vanity drawer hold some of the clearest personal care examples of objects that are 20 cm long that most Americans reach for every single morning.
Medium Hairbrush — An Everyday 20 cm Long Personal Item
A medium-sized paddle hairbrush or oval hairbrush — the type found in most American bathroom drawers — measures between 19 cm and 21 cm in total length from the base of the handle to the far edge of the bristle pad.
Hairbrush manufacturers engineer this specific length because it allows a natural single-handed grip for adults while providing enough bristle surface to cover large sections of hair in each stroke.
Books and Reading Items That Are 20 cm Long
Whether on a nightstand, inside a school backpack, or displayed on a living room bookshelf, a specific category of reading material provides one of the most accurate visual references for things that are 20 cm long.
Paperback Novel — A Universally Recognized 20 cm Long Reading Object
A standard U.S. trade paperback novel — the format used for most adult fiction and non-fiction titles sold in American bookstores — measures exactly 20.3 cm or 8 inches in height, a dimension standardized by the Book Industry Study Group for shelf compatibility across retailers and libraries.
This height allows trade paperbacks to stand upright on standard bookshelves while remaining compact enough for readers to carry in bags, backpacks, and carry-on luggage.
Conclusion
Now you have 7 clear, real-world examples of things that are 20 cm long — from the TV remote on your couch to the chef’s knife on your kitchen counter to the paperback novel on your nightstand.
These 20 cm long objects replace the need for a ruler with familiar mental anchors you already carry in your everyday experience. The next time you encounter a 20 cm measurement, you will not need to guess — your kitchen, your bookshelf, and even your bathroom drawer already hold the answer.
FAQ’s About Things That Are 20 cm Long
How big is 20 cm in inches?
20 cm equals exactly 7.87 inches, which is just under 8 inches — roughly the length of a standard chef’s knife blade or a trade paperback novel standing upright.
What common household item is 20 cm long?
A standard TV remote control is the most universally recognized example, with most models measuring between 18 cm and 22 cm, averaging right at 20 cm in length.
Is 20 cm considered a large or small measurement?
20 cm is a medium-sized measurement — large enough to hold comfortably in one hand but compact enough to fit inside a kitchen drawer, school backpack, or bathroom cabinet.
How can I measure 20 cm without a ruler?
Hold a standard TV remote or stand a trade paperback novel upright — both measure close to 20 cm and are found in nearly every American home without any searching.
What does 20 cm look like on a ruler?
On a standard 30 cm metric ruler, 20 cm falls exactly at the two-thirds mark — a clean, immediately visible landmark that makes this measurement simple to locate and remember.
Are there any kitchen items that are 20 cm long?
Yes — a large kitchen spatula, a large wooden cooking spoon, and the blade of a standard Wüsthof Classic 8-Inch Chef’s Knife all measure right at or near 20 cm in total length.
Why is knowing things that are 20 cm long useful?
Knowing 20 cm long references helps you make confident decisions when shopping online, planning home improvement projects, choosing kitchen tools, and estimating product dimensions without reaching for a measuring tape.
My name is Shehzad Ali. I am the admin and author of cansdimension.com. I write simple guides about can sizes and dimensions. I share information to help readers understand cans.
