Cups to mL Conversion Chart: Complete Tables (US, UK & Metric Cups)

Table of Contents

• How Many mL in a Cup?
• Cups to mL Conversion Chart
• Cups to mL Conversion Formula
• mL to Cups Conversion Chart (Reverse)
• Tablespoons, Teaspoons & Cups in mL
• US Cup vs UK Cup vs Metric Cup
• Common Mistakes to Avoid
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Convert Instantly with Our Free Tool

If you have ever followed a recipe from another country, you have probably stopped mid-step and asked: how many milliliters are in a cup? The answer depends on which “cup” the recipe means — and getting it wrong can ruin a cake. This guide gives you a complete cups to mL conversion chart you can bookmark, plus the simple formula, a reverse mL-to-cups table, and the differences between US, UK, and metric cups. And if you would rather skip the math entirely, our free unit converter tool does it for you in one click.

How Many mL in a Cup?

The short answer: 1 US cup = 236.588 mL (usually rounded to 237 mL). This is the standard used in American recipes and by the US FDA for nutrition labels (which rounds it to an even 240 mL).

But there is a catch. The word “cup” is not universal:

• US customary cup: 236.588 mL — used in American recipes
• US legal cup (nutrition labels): 240 mL — the rounded figure you see on packaging
• Metric cup: 250 mL — used in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and much of Europe
• UK / Imperial cup: 284.131 mL — older British recipes

So when someone asks “how many ml in a cup,” the honest answer is: which cup? For most online recipes written in English, assume the US cup (236.6 mL) unless the recipe says otherwise. The full breakdown is in the cup standards section below.

Cups to mL Conversion Chart

Here is the complete cups to milliliters chart, from 1/8 cup all the way to 16 cups (1 gallon). Values are based on the US customary cup (236.588 mL), with practical rounded figures you can actually measure.

Cups (US)	Milliliters (exact)	Rounded (practical)
1/8 cup	29.57 mL	30 mL
1/4 cup	59.15 mL	59 mL
1/3 cup	78.86 mL	79 mL
1/2 cup	118.29 mL	118 mL
2/3 cup	157.73 mL	158 mL
3/4 cup	177.44 mL	177 mL
1 cup	236.59 mL	237 mL
1 1/4 cups	295.74 mL	296 mL
1 1/3 cups	315.45 mL	315 mL
1 1/2 cups	354.88 mL	355 mL
1 2/3 cups	394.31 mL	394 mL
1 3/4 cups	414.03 mL	414 mL
2 cups (1 pint)	473.18 mL	473 mL
2 1/2 cups	591.47 mL	591 mL
3 cups	709.76 mL	710 mL
3 1/2 cups	828.06 mL	828 mL
4 cups (1 quart)	946.35 mL	946 mL
5 cups	1182.94 mL	1183 mL
6 cups	1419.53 mL	1420 mL
8 cups (1/2 gallon)	1892.71 mL	1893 mL
10 cups	2365.88 mL	2366 mL
12 cups	2839.06 mL	2839 mL
16 cups (1 gallon)	3785.41 mL	3785 mL

Tip: For everyday cooking, rounding to the nearest milliliter (or even nearest 5 mL) makes no detectable difference in the finished dish. Save the decimals for baking, where precision matters more.

Cups to mL Conversion Formula

If you want to convert any amount yourself, the cups to mL conversion formula is simple multiplication:

Milliliters = Cups × 236.588

And to go the other way:

Cups = Milliliters ÷ 236.588

Worked examples:

• 2.5 cups × 236.588 = 591.47 mL
• 0.75 cups × 236.588 = 177.44 mL
• 500 mL ÷ 236.588 = 2.11 cups

Quick mental shortcut: treat 1 cup as 240 mL. The error is only about 1.5%, which is invisible in soups, stews, smoothies, and most cooking. Switch to the exact 236.588 figure for delicate baking.

mL to Cups Conversion Chart (Reverse)

Sometimes the recipe is written in milliliters and your measuring cups are in cups. This reverse chart lets you convert mL to cups at a glance.

Milliliters	Cups (US)	Also equals
30 mL	0.13 cups	2 tbsp
59 mL	0.25 cups	1/4 cup
79 mL	0.33 cups	1/3 cup
100 mL	0.42 cups	6.8 tbsp
118 mL	0.50 cups	1/2 cup
177 mL	0.75 cups	3/4 cup
237 mL	1 cup	16 tbsp
250 mL	1.06 cups	1 metric cup
355 mL	1.50 cups	1 1/2 cups
473 mL	2 cups	1 pint
500 mL	2.11 cups	just over 2 cups
710 mL	3 cups	—
946 mL	4 cups	1 quart
1000 mL (1 liter)	4.23 cups	—

Notice the row for 100 mL: it is 0.42 cups — not half a cup (118 mL) and not a quarter cup (59 mL). It sits roughly between 1/3 and 1/2 cup, which is why the question “is 100 ml a half cup?” comes up so often. The answer is no — but it is close enough that many people eyeball it.

Tablespoons, Teaspoons & Cups in mL

American recipes love spoons. Here is how they translate:

Measurement	Milliliters	Cup equivalent
1 teaspoon (tsp)	5 mL	1/48 cup
1 tablespoon (tbsp)	15 mL	1/16 cup
2 tablespoons	30 mL	1/8 cup
4 tablespoons	59 mL	1/4 cup
5 tablespoons + 1 tsp	80 mL	1/3 cup
8 tablespoons	118 mL	1/2 cup
10 tbsp + 2 tsp	158 mL	2/3 cup
12 tablespoons	177 mL	3/4 cup
16 tablespoons	237 mL	1 cup

Important: 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 15 mL everywhere. This one is universal — unlike the cup, the tablespoon does not change between the US and metric systems.

US Cup vs UK Cup vs Metric Cup: Which One Does Your Recipe Mean?

This is where most conversion mistakes happen. Here are the three cup standards side by side:

Cup standard	Milliliters	Used in
US customary cup	236.588 mL	American recipes, US cookbooks, most English-language food blogs
US legal cup	240 mL	US nutrition labels (FDA)
Metric cup	250 mL	Australia, Canada, New Zealand, much of Europe
UK / Imperial cup	284.131 mL	Older British recipes (pre-metrication)

So is 1 cup 250 mL? Only if the recipe uses the metric cup. If it is an American recipe, 1 cup is 236.6 mL — about a tablespoon less. For a single cup the difference is small, but across 4 cups of flour it adds up to nearly half a cup of error, which can absolutely change how a cake turns out.

How to tell which cup a recipe means:

• The recipe is American (mentions °F, sticks of butter, “all-purpose flour”) → US cup, 236.6 mL
• The recipe is Australian or modern European → metric cup, 250 mL
• The recipe is an old British one (mentions gas marks, ounces prominently) → Imperial cup, 284 mL
• In doubt → use the US cup; it is the most common standard in online recipes

Common Cups-to-mL Mistakes to Avoid

Most conversion errors come from the same handful of traps:

• Mixing up weight and volume. A cup is a volume, not a weight. A cup of flour weighs about 120 g, but a cup of sugar weighs about 200 g. Never convert cups to grams with a single multiplier — that is a different chart entirely.
• Using a coffee mug as “a cup.” Mugs range from 250 to 350 mL. Always use proper measuring cups or a kitchen scale.
• Ignoring the recipe’s country. An Australian “cup” (250 mL) in an American recipe’s clothing will throw off every measurement by 5%.
• Measuring liquids in dry cups. Liquid measuring cups have a spout and headroom so you can read the meniscus at eye level; dry cups are meant to be leveled off with a knife. Using the wrong one costs you accuracy.
• Rounding too early. Round the final answer, not each intermediate step — small rounding errors compound across a long ingredient list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Convert Instantly with Our Free Tool

Charts are great for the kitchen wall, but for odd amounts — say 2.7 cups, or converting the other direction mid-recipe — a cups to mL conversion calculator is faster. Our free unit converter handles cups, milliliters, liters, fluid ounces, tablespoons, and more, instantly and without sign-ups:

Open the Free Unit Converter →

Bookmark this chart, and next time a recipe throws “2 1/2 cups” at your milliliter-marked jug, you will know exactly where to look.