Cups to mL — Volume Converter

Convert between cups, millilitres, tablespoons, teaspoons and fluid ounces. Works for any liquid. 1 US cup = 236.6 ml.

Cups to ml chart

Note: this converts volume only. To convert a volume to grams you need the ingredient (density) — pick it from the ingredient list.

Not every "cup" is the same size

This is the single biggest source of confusion in international recipes. A cup is not a standard unit — it depends on where the recipe was written:

A US and a metric cup differ by about 6%. In a stew that's invisible. In a cake — where the ratio of flour to liquid to fat decides the texture — using metric cups for a US recipe adds roughly an extra tablespoon of flour per cup, and four cups in, you have a noticeably drier crumb. The UK imperial cup is 20% larger than a US cup and will simply break a recipe; if you're following a British cookbook from before the 1970s, check whether it means imperial cups or is just using "cup" loosely.

Rice cookers are the other common trap: the plastic cup supplied with a rice cooker is a Japanese 180 ml gō, not a US cup, and the water lines inside the bowl are calibrated to it.

Dry cups vs liquid cups

They hold the same volume but are shaped for different jobs. Liquid measuring cups are jugs with the graduations below the rim and a pouring spout, so you can fill to a line without spilling and read it at eye level. Dry measuring cups are individual scoops meant to be filled and levelled off flat with a knife.

Using a jug for flour is where errors creep in — you can't level flour in a jug, so you end up eyeballing a heaped, settled quantity that can be 20% over. Using dry cups for liquid is less harmful, but filling one to the exact brim without spilling is awkward. For anything where precision matters, weigh it: grams remove the question entirely, which is why every ingredient page on this site leads with grams.

Frequently asked questions

How many ml in a cup?

1 US cup is 236.6 ml, usually rounded to 240 ml. A metric cup (Australia, New Zealand, Canada) is 250 ml, and an old UK imperial cup is 284 ml — so the answer depends on whose recipe you're reading.

How many ml is 1/2 cup?

Half a US cup is about 118 ml (125 ml if the recipe uses metric cups).

How many ml is 1/4 cup?

A quarter US cup is about 59 ml, normally rounded to 60 ml.

How many ml is 3/4 cup?

Three quarters of a US cup is about 177 ml, usually rounded to 180 ml.

How many tablespoons in a cup?

There are 16 tablespoons in 1 US cup, and 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon — so 48 teaspoons to the cup.

How many ml in a tablespoon?

A US tablespoon is 14.8 ml, rounded to 15 ml. Australian tablespoons are 20 ml, which matters in recipes that use several of them.

Is a cup 250 ml or 240 ml?

Both exist. US recipes use a 236.6 ml cup that's rounded to 240 ml on nutrition labels; Australia, New Zealand and modern Canadian recipes use a 250 ml metric cup. The 6% difference is harmless in a soup and noticeable in a cake.

How many cups is 500ml?

500 ml is about 2.1 US cups, or exactly 2 metric cups.

How many cups in a litre?

A litre is about 4.2 US cups, or exactly 4 metric cups.

Can I use a measuring jug instead of cups?

Yes for liquids — convert the cups to millilitres with the calculator above and read the jug at eye level. For dry ingredients this is less reliable, because how tightly flour or sugar settles changes its volume; weighing in grams is the accurate route.