Cups to mL Converter

Convert between cups, milliliters, tablespoons, teaspoons, and fluid ounces for cooking and baking. Supports US, metric, Imperial, and Australian cup sizes.

Ad Space (728x90)
Key Conversions
1 US cup = 236.588 mL = 8 fl oz = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp

Convert

All Conversions

US Cups
Milliliters
Tablespoons
Teaspoons
Fluid Ounces
Liters
Ad Space (In-Article)

Complete Cooking Measurement Conversion Table

US MeasurementmLTbspTspFl Oz
1/8 teaspoon0.60.125
1/4 teaspoon1.20.25
1/2 teaspoon2.50.5
1 teaspoon4.930.3310.17
1 tablespoon14.79130.5
2 tablespoons29.57261
1/4 cup59.154122
1/3 cup78.865.33162.67
1/2 cup118.298244
2/3 cup157.7310.67325.33
3/4 cup177.4412366
1 cup236.5916488
2 cups (1 pint)473.18329616
4 cups (1 quart)946.356419232
16 cups (1 gallon)3,785.41256768128

International Cup Sizes — Why Recipes Don't Always Work

Cup StandardVolume (mL)Countries UsedDifference from US Cup
US Customary Cup236.588 mLUnited States— (baseline)
US Legal Cup (nutrition labels)240 mLUS (FDA labeling only)+1.4%
Metric Cup250 mLAustralia, NZ, Canada, UK (modern recipes)+5.7%
Imperial Cup (traditional)284.131 mLUK (older recipes), Canada (older)+20.1%
Japanese Cup (gō)180 mLJapan−23.9%

The 5.7% difference between US and metric cups is small enough for most cooking but significant in baking — particularly for flour, where even 10% more can toughen baked goods. Professional bakers worldwide use weight (grams) rather than volume for this reason.

Common Baking Ingredients: Volume to Weight

Ingredient1 Cup (US)1 Tbsp1 Tsp
All-Purpose Flour120 g (4.25 oz)7.5 g2.5 g
Granulated Sugar200 g (7 oz)12.5 g4.2 g
Brown Sugar (packed)220 g (7.75 oz)13.8 g4.6 g
Powdered Sugar120 g (4.25 oz)7.5 g2.5 g
Butter227 g (8 oz / 2 sticks)14.2 g4.7 g
Water / Milk237 g (8.35 oz)14.8 g4.9 g
Honey340 g (12 oz)21.3 g7.1 g
Vegetable Oil218 g (7.7 oz)13.6 g4.5 g
Cocoa Powder85 g (3 oz)5.3 g1.8 g
Salt (table)288 g (10.2 oz)18 g6 g

Weights are approximate and vary by brand, humidity, and measuring technique. For baking, weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale is more accurate than volume measurement. King Arthur Baking recommends the "spoon and level" method for flour: spoon into the cup and level with a knife.

Why Bakers Should Use Weight Instead of Volume

A 2018 study by King Arthur Baking found that 1 cup of flour can range from 113g to 170g depending on how it's measured — a 50% variation that can ruin a recipe. Scooping directly from the bag packs flour tightly (150-170g), while the spoon-and-level method yields the standard 120g. Professional bakeries worldwide use weight because it eliminates this variability entirely.

Volume measurements work well for liquids (water, milk, oil) because liquids always fill the cup completely. Dry ingredients like flour, sugar, and cocoa powder have air gaps, compaction differences, and humidity variations that make volume unreliable. If your baking results are inconsistent, switching from cups to a kitchen scale ($10-20) is the single highest-impact improvement you can make.

For temperature conversions when following international recipes, use our °F to °C Converter. For weight conversions, see kg to Pounds. Convert liquid volumes with our Liters to Gallons Converter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many mL in 1 cup?
1 US cup = 236.588 mL. For practical purposes, round to 237 mL. The US legal cup (used on nutrition labels) is exactly 240 mL. The metric cup (used in Australia, NZ, Canada) is exactly 250 mL — about 5.7% more than a US cup.
How many tablespoons in a cup?
There are exactly 16 US tablespoons in 1 US cup. Common fractions: 1/4 cup = 4 tbsp, 1/3 cup ≈ 5.33 tbsp, 1/2 cup = 8 tbsp, 3/4 cup = 12 tbsp. Each tablespoon is 3 teaspoons or about 14.79 mL.
What's the difference between a US cup and a metric cup?
A US cup is 236.588 mL; a metric cup is 250 mL — about 5.7% more. For most cooking, this difference is negligible. For baking, it matters: 1 metric cup of flour weighs about 7g more than 1 US cup, which can affect texture. Always check whether a recipe uses US or metric measurements.
How do I convert a UK recipe to US measurements?
Older UK recipes use Imperial cups (284 mL), which are 20% larger than US cups. Modern UK recipes typically use metric (250 mL cups or grams). For Imperial conversions: multiply by 1.2 to get equivalent US cups, or better yet, use the weight in grams if provided. Temperature: UK recipes use Celsius — use our °F to °C converter.
Should I use volume or weight for baking?
Weight (grams) is significantly more accurate. 1 cup of flour can vary from 113-170g depending on measuring technique. A kitchen scale ($10-20) eliminates this variability. All professional bakeries and most international recipes use weight. For casual cooking (soups, sauces), volume is fine.

Related Calculators

Get Your Free Kitchen Guide

Measurement conversion charts, baking weight tables, and cooking references.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Ad Space (728x90)