Cups to milliliters converter
A cup is not 250 ml everywhere.
Your inputs
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Example loaded. You can change any value.
There is no figure yet: nothing is calculated until you ask for it.
- Enter your measurements.
- Check the units and the assumptions.
- Press Calculate, or load the example.
Rather see a worked case? Press “Load example” and change any value afterwards.
Next step
The other direction, to read in cups what your jug shows in millilitres.
Where each number comes from Conversion constants are exact; densities and coverage rates come from cited sources; everything else is an assumption you can change. Methodology · Sources and updates
How to use it
- Type the number of cups in the recipe.
- Choose which cup it uses: US, US legal or metric.
- The result gives millilitres, litres and fluid ounces.
- It includes the comparison with the other standards.
How it is calculated
A direct multiplication, but with one value you need to get right:
A US cup is 236.5882365 ml, an odd number that comes from an exact definition: the US cup is 8 US fluid ounces, and the US fluid ounce is 1/128 of a gallon. None of that is round in metric, which is why the 240 ml legal cup exists, rounding things off for nutrition labels.
The result also shows what those same cups would be under the other standards, which is the useful comparison when a recipe does not say.
Worked example
A recipe calls for 3 cups of stock:
- US cup: 3 x 236.6 = 710 ml
- Metric cup: 3 x 250 = 750 ml
- Difference: 40 ml, nearly three tablespoons
In a stock that is harmless. In a rice dish, 40 ml of extra water leaves the grain overcooked.
Good to know
- The US cup is not a round number of ml. It is exactly 236.59 ml, not 240 or 250.
- Older American recipes use the US cup. The 240 ml legal cup is mainly a labelling unit.
- Australia uses 250 ml. And the Australian tablespoon is 20 ml, not 15.
- For solids, volume is not enough. You need weight: use the cups to grams calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many millilitres in a cup?
236.6 ml for a US cup, 240 ml for the US legal cup and 250 ml for a metric cup. The calculator lets you choose.
How many ml in half a cup?
118.3 ml with a US cup and 125 ml with a metric cup. The 7 ml difference is about half a tablespoon.
Why does the US cup have such an odd value?
Because it is defined as 8 US fluid ounces, and the US fluid ounce is defined from the gallon. Converted to millilitres that gives 236.5882365.
Which cup should I use if the recipe does not say?
The US cup if the recipe is American, which covers most English-language recipes. The metric cup if it is Australian or European.