How to Convert Cups to Milliliters
Essential Kitchen Conversions Made Simple
Get the FormulasWhether you're following an American recipe in a European kitchen or scaling up a home recipe for a larger batch, converting cups to milliliters is an essential cooking skill. The challenge? There's more than one definition of a "cup," and using the wrong one can throw off your recipe.
The Conversion Formula
US Cups to Milliliters
Milliliters = Cups × 236.588
For practical purposes, use 237 mL per cup or round to 240 mL for easy math.
Example Calculations
- ½ cup = 0.5 × 237 = 118.5 mL
- 1 cup = 1 × 237 = 237 mL
- 1½ cups = 1.5 × 237 = 355.5 mL
- 2 cups = 2 × 237 = 474 mL
Complete Conversion Table
| US Cups | Milliliters | Rounded (for cooking) |
|---|---|---|
| ¼ cup | 59.1 mL | 60 mL |
| ⅓ cup | 78.9 mL | 80 mL |
| ½ cup | 118.3 mL | 120 mL |
| ⅔ cup | 157.7 mL | 160 mL |
| ¾ cup | 177.4 mL | 180 mL |
| 1 cup | 236.6 mL | 240 mL |
| 1½ cups | 354.9 mL | 355 mL |
| 2 cups | 473.2 mL | 475 mL |
| 3 cups | 709.8 mL | 710 mL |
| 4 cups | 946.4 mL | 950 mL or 1 L |
Which Cup Are You Using?
This is the critical question. The "cup" varies by country:
US Customary Cup (236.6 mL)
- Used in: United States, most online English recipes
- Equals: 8 US fluid ounces, ½ US pint
- Your standard American measuring cup
US Legal Cup (240 mL)
- Used in: US nutrition labeling
- Slightly larger than the customary cup
- What you see on food packaging
Metric Cup (250 mL)
- Used in: Australia, Canada, New Zealand
- Exactly ¼ liter—easy metric math
- About 5% larger than the US cup
Imperial Cup (284.1 mL)
- Used in: Older UK recipes
- Equals: 10 imperial fluid ounces
- Largely replaced by metric in modern UK cooking
Step-by-Step Conversion
- Identify the cup type — Check the recipe's origin. Default to US (237 mL) if unclear.
- Note the cup measurement — Convert fractions to decimals if needed (¾ cup = 0.75)
- Multiply by the conversion factor — US: ×237, Metric: ×250, Imperial: ×284
- Round for practicality — Cooking tolerates rounding; baking is more sensitive
Common Kitchen Equivalents
| Measurement | US Cups | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 1/16 cup | 15 mL |
| 2 tablespoons | ⅛ cup | 30 mL |
| 4 tablespoons | ¼ cup | 60 mL |
| 1 stick butter | ½ cup | 118 mL |
| 1 US pint | 2 cups | 473 mL |
| 1 US quart | 4 cups | 946 mL |
Tips for Accurate Measuring
For Liquids
- Use a clear measuring cup with mL markings
- Place the cup on a flat surface
- Read at eye level at the bottom of the meniscus
- Don't measure over your mixing bowl
For Dry Ingredients
- Cups are for volume, not weight
- Flour measured in cups varies by technique
- For precision baking, weigh dry ingredients in grams
- 1 cup flour ≈ 120-150g depending on how you scoop
Conclusion
Converting cups to milliliters is straightforward once you know which cup you're working with. For most recipes, especially from American sources, use 237 mL (or round to 240 mL) per cup. Australian and Canadian recipes use 250 mL metric cups.
When precision matters—especially in baking—consider using a kitchen scale and grams instead of volume measurements. But for everyday cooking, these cup-to-milliliter conversions will serve you well.