Cups to Milliliters
Convert cups to milliliters. 1 US cup = 236.588 ml. For recipe conversion and cooking.
Enter your values above to see the results.
Tips & Notes
- ✓1 US cup = 236.588 ml exactly. The metric cup (used in Canada, Australia) = 250 ml — do not confuse them in international recipes.
- ✓Common cooking conversions: 1/4 cup = 59.15 ml, 1/3 cup = 78.86 ml, 1/2 cup = 118.29 ml, 3/4 cup = 177.44 ml.
- ✓UK recipes use the imperial cup (284.131 ml) — significantly larger than the US cup. Always check which cup a recipe uses.
- ✓For precision baking, weigh ingredients in grams rather than measuring in cups — volume measurements vary by ingredient density.
Common Mistakes
- ✗Using 240 ml instead of 236.588 ml for 1 US cup — a 1.4% error. For 4 cups, this adds up to 13.7 ml extra.
- ✗Confusing US cups with metric cups (250 ml) — 1 metric cup is 5.7% larger than 1 US cup. Australian recipes use metric cups.
- ✗Using the same cup size for dry and liquid ingredients — a cup is a volume measure; the weight of a cup varies by ingredient.
- ✗Confusing ml (milliliter) with mg (milligram) — ml is volume, mg is mass. They are different units entirely.
Cups to Milliliters Overview
What This Calculator Does
Converts US cups to milliliters using the exact defined factor: 1 US cup = 236.5882365 ml. This value is exact — derived from 1 US fluid ounce = 29.5735295625 ml, and 1 cup = 8 fl oz.
The Formula
ml = cups × 236.588
The Cup System: Which Cup?
The word "cup" refers to different volumes depending on the country and era:
| Cup Type | Volume (ml) | Used In | |----------|-------------|---------| | US customary cup | 236.588 ml | United States | | Metric cup | 250 ml | Australia, Canada, New Zealand | | UK imperial cup | 284.131 ml | Old UK recipes (rare today) | | Japanese cup | 200 ml | Japan |
This calculator uses the US cup (236.588 ml), which is the most common in recipe websites and apps worldwide.
Common Cooking Conversions
| US Cups | Milliliters | Common Usage | |---------|-------------|--------------| | 1/4 cup | 59.15 ml | Small amounts | | 1/3 cup | 78.86 ml | Common baking | | 1/2 cup | 118.29 ml | Half cup | | 2/3 cup | 157.73 ml | Two-thirds | | 3/4 cup | 177.44 ml | Three-quarters | | 1 cup | 236.59 ml | Standard | | 2 cups | 473.18 ml | Just under 500 ml | | 4 cups | 946.35 ml | Just under 1 liter |
Why Cups Cause Confusion in Baking
Cups measure volume, but baking recipes require precise mass. A cup of all-purpose flour can weigh anywhere from 120 g to 160 g depending on how it is scooped, sifted, or packed. Professional bakers use grams for this reason.
Scooped from bag: 1 cup flour ≈ 140-160 g Spooned into cup: 1 cup flour ≈ 120-130 g Sifted: 1 cup flour ≈ 100-110 g
For liquids, cups are more reliable since water and most liquids have consistent density at room temperature.
US Cooking Measurement System
The US uses a nested system: teaspoon, tablespoon, cup, pint, quart, gallon.
- 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon (14.79 ml)
- 16 tablespoons = 1 cup (236.59 ml)
- 2 cups = 1 pint (473.18 ml)
- 4 cups = 1 quart (946.35 ml)
- 16 cups = 1 gallon (3,785.41 ml)