Cups to mL Converter
Convert between cups, milliliters, fluid ounces, and tablespoons.
This tool is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional financial, medical, legal, or engineering advice. See Terms of Service.
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This converter handles all common cooking volume measurements in a single step. You can convert from any unit and see the equivalent in all five other units simultaneously. Here is how to use it:
- Enter your amount. Type the quantity you want to convert in the Amount field. You can enter whole numbers, decimals, or fractions like 0.25 for a quarter cup.
- Select your source unit. Choose the unit you are starting from: cups, milliliters, fluid ounces, tablespoons, teaspoons, or liters. The converter works bidirectionally from any starting unit.
- Read all conversions at once. The breakdown grid instantly shows the equivalent in every other unit. This is useful when a recipe uses mixed units or when scaling for a different measuring set.
- Copy or share your result. Use the Copy button to grab the primary conversion, or Share to send a link that pre-fills your exact inputs so a cooking partner can see the same numbers.
All calculations run entirely in your browser. No data is stored or transmitted.
About Cooking Volume Conversions
The US customary system and the metric system use fundamentally different base units for liquid volume, which creates friction when following recipes from different countries or cookbooks. The standard US cup equals exactly 236.588 milliliters. This number comes from the US fluid ounce (29.5735 mL), with 8 fluid ounces per cup.
The tablespoon and teaspoon add another layer. There are 16 tablespoons in a cup and 48 teaspoons in a cup, so one tablespoon equals 14.787 mL and one teaspoon equals 4.929 mL. These small-unit conversions matter most in baking, where ingredient ratios are precise. A leavening agent measured in teaspoons has a large effect on texture even in small volumes.
Note that this converter uses US cups and US fluid ounces. An Imperial cup (used historically in the UK and Canada) is 284 mL, not 236 mL. Modern British and Australian recipes typically give metric weights rather than cup measures. If you are following a recipe from those regions and it specifies cups, confirm whether it uses US or metric cups (250 mL, a rounded metric approximation).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many mL are in a cup?
One US cup equals 236.588 milliliters. In practice, many recipes and measuring tools round this to 240 mL for simplicity, but the precise value is 236.588 mL. The difference is small enough (about 1.4%) that it rarely affects the outcome of a recipe, but for precise baking or laboratory use the exact figure matters.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are exactly 16 tablespoons in one US cup. This means half a cup is 8 tablespoons, a quarter cup is 4 tablespoons, and a third cup is approximately 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. Knowing this relationship helps when you only have a tablespoon measure available and need to measure a larger volume.
How do I convert fluid ounces to milliliters?
One US fluid ounce equals 29.5735 milliliters. To convert, multiply the number of fluid ounces by 29.5735. For example, 8 fluid ounces (one cup) equals 236.588 mL, and a standard 12 fl oz can of soda equals approximately 354.9 mL. This converter handles the calculation automatically for any amount you enter.
What is the difference between a US cup and a metric cup?
A US cup is 236.588 mL, while a metric cup (used in Australia, Canada, and some other countries) is defined as exactly 250 mL. The difference is about 5.5%. For most recipes this gap is small enough to ignore, but for precise baking recipes where ratios matter, it can affect rise, texture, and consistency. This converter uses the US cup definition.