Convert cups to milliliters instantly for precise recipe measurements. Supports US cups, fraction inputs (¼, ⅓, ½ cup), and all common volume units.
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Milliliters (mL)
0 mL
Primary result
Liters (L)
0 L
Metric volume
Fluid Ounces (fl oz)
0 fl oz
US fluid ounces
Pints (pt)
0 pt
US pints
Quarts (qt)
0 qt
US quarts
Gallons (gal)
0 gal
US gallons
Tablespoons (tbsp)
0 tbsp
US tablespoons
Teaspoons (tsp)
0 tsp
US teaspoons
📐 Conversion Formula
Enter a value and click convert to see the formula.
📊 Common Cooking Conversions (Quick Reference)
Cups
Milliliters
Other Units
¼ cup
59.15 mL
4 tbsp · 12 tsp · 2 fl oz
⅓ cup
78.86 mL
5⅓ tbsp · 16 tsp · 2.67 fl oz
½ cup
118.29 mL
8 tbsp · 24 tsp · 4 fl oz
⅔ cup
157.73 mL
10⅔ tbsp · 32 tsp · 5.33 fl oz
¾ cup
177.44 mL
12 tbsp · 36 tsp · 6 fl oz
1 cup
236.59 mL
16 tbsp · 48 tsp · 8 fl oz · ½ pt
2 cups
473.18 mL
1 pt · 16 fl oz · ¼ qt
4 cups
946.35 mL
1 qt · 32 fl oz · ¼ gal
8 cups
1,892.71 mL
½ gal · 64 fl oz · 2 qt
16 cups
3,785.41 mL
1 gal · 128 fl oz · 4 qt
📊 Reverse: Convert mL to Cups
Cups
0 cups
US cups
Real-World Conversion Examples
🥣 Baking a Cake
A cake recipe calls for 2 cups of all-purpose flour. How many milliliters is that?
Formula: 2 cups × 236.588 = 473.18 mL
That's almost exactly ½ liter — perfect for a standard loaf cake.
☕ Morning Coffee
You want to make 1½ cups of coffee using a French press. What's that in milliliters?
Formula: 1.5 cups × 236.588 = 354.88 mL
A typical French press serving is about 350 mL — a generous morning brew.
🥜 Nut Butter Recipe
A homemade peanut butter recipe calls for ¾ cup of peanuts. Convert to milliliters.
Formula: 0.75 cups × 236.588 = 177.44 mL
¾ cup is a common measurement for nuts, seeds, and grains in recipes.
🥤 Hydration Tracking
You want to drink 8 cups of water per day. What's the total volume in milliliters?
Formula: 8 cups × 236.588 = 1,892.71 mL ≈ 1.89 L
That's about ½ gallon, or roughly the common "8×8" hydration guideline.
Cup to mL Conversion Guide
The US cup is a standard unit of volume used primarily in cooking and recipe measurement. This converter uses the US legal cup (236.588 mL) as its base — the most widely accepted standard for recipes in the United States.
mL = Cups × 236.588
1 US cup = 236.588 milliliters
Conversion Factors
Unit
Value
1 Cup
236.588 mL
1 Cup
0.2366 L
1 Cup
8 fl oz
1 Cup
16 tbsp
1 Cup
48 tsp
1 Cup
½ pint
1 Cup
¼ quart
4 Cups
1 quart
16 Cups
1 gallon
How the Conversion Works
1
Enter cups: Type the number of cups you want to convert (or select a fraction from the dropdown).
2
Multiply by 236.588: Multiply the cup value by 236.588 to get the equivalent in milliliters.
3
View all results: See the conversion displayed in mL, L, fl oz, pints, quarts, gallons, tablespoons, and teaspoons simultaneously.
US Cup vs Other Cup Standards
While the US legal cup (236.588 mL) is the most common standard for recipe measurements in the United States, other cup definitions exist:
US Customary Cup: 236.588 mL — used in US recipes and cooking
Metric Cup: 250 mL — used in UK, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth countries
Imperial Cup: 284.131 mL — used in some older UK recipes
Japanese Cup: 200 mL — used in Japanese cooking
This converter uses the US legal cup (236.588 mL) by default. If you're using a recipe from outside the US, the actual volume may differ slightly.
Quick Reference Tips
🥣 Cup to mL
Multiply cups by ~237. For 1 cup: ≈ 237 mL. A handy mental shortcut is "~¼ liter per cup."
🔄 mL to Cups
Divide mL by 237. 500 mL ≈ 2.1 cups. For quick estimates, 240 mL ≈ 1 cup.
📏 Tablespoons
1 cup = 16 tbsp. Each tablespoon = 14.79 mL. Great for scaling recipes up or down.
🌍 International
Metric countries often use 250 mL cups. If a recipe fails, check whether cups are US or metric!
🥣
Fraction Support
Quickly select common cooking fractions like ¼, ⅓, ½, ⅔, and ¾ cup from the dropdown for instant conversion.
🎯
8 Units at Once
See your cup value converted to milliliters, liters, fluid ounces, pints, quarts, gallons, tablespoons, and teaspoons simultaneously.
📊
Quick Reference Table
Built-in cooking reference showing common cup fractions (¼ to 16 cups) with their mL, tbsp, tsp, and fl oz equivalents.
🔄
Reverse Conversion
Need mL to cups instead? Use the built-in reverse converter to convert milliliters back to cups instantly.
Converting cups to milliliters is one of the most common kitchen measurement conversions. The standard formula is simple: 1 US cup = 236.588 milliliters. To convert any number of cups to milliliters, simply multiply the cup value by 236.588.
For example: 2 cups × 236.588 = 473.18 mL. This is the exact volume you'd need for a 2-cup liquid measuring cup filled to the line.
Formula: mL = cups × 236.588 Reverse: cups = mL ÷ 236.588
Why Use Our Converter?
Our Cup to Milliliter Converter is designed with cooking and baking in mind. It supports fraction inputs (¼, ⅓, ½, ⅔, ¾ cup) right from a dropdown menu, so you don't have to do the decimal conversion yourself. The results display in 8 different volume units simultaneously — milliliters, liters, fluid ounces, pints, quarts, gallons, tablespoons, and teaspoons — so you can use whichever measurement your recipe calls for.
Common Uses for Cup to mL Conversions
Cup to milliliter conversions are essential in many everyday scenarios:
International recipes: Adapting US recipes that use cups for cooks who use metric measuring tools
Baking precision: Getting exact milliliter equivalents for accurate baking measurements
Meal prep & portioning: Converting serving sizes between cup-based recipes and metric meal plans
School & education: Teaching volume conversion concepts in math and home economics classes
Nutrition tracking: Logging food portions when nutrition labels use milliliters instead of cups
Coffee & tea making: Converting coffee scoop measurements (often in cups or fractions) to milliliters for water ratios
Frequently Asked Questions
How many milliliters are in a cup?
There are 236.588 milliliters in 1 US cup. For everyday cooking, it's common to round this to 237 mL or 240 mL for simpler calculations, but precise baking may require the exact figure.
How many cups are in 500 mL?
500 mL equals approximately 2.11 cups. Using the formula: 500 ÷ 236.588 = 2.113 cups. For quick reference, 500 mL is just slightly more than 2 cups (which is 473.18 mL).
Is a US cup the same as a metric cup?
No, they are different. The US cup is 236.588 mL, while a metric cup (used in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand) is 250 mL. The difference is about 13.4 mL per cup, which can affect recipes scaled to large batches. This converter uses the US cup standard.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are 16 tablespoons in 1 US cup. Each tablespoon equals approximately 14.79 mL. So 1 cup = 16 tbsp = 236.588 mL. This is a handy conversion for scaling recipes up or down.
How do I convert ¼ cup to milliliters?
¼ cup equals 59.15 mL. Simply multiply 0.25 × 236.588 = 59.147 mL. In cooking, this is often rounded to 60 mL. ¼ cup also equals 4 tablespoons or 12 teaspoons.
How many cups are in a liter?
There are approximately 4.23 cups in 1 liter. Since 1 L = 1000 mL and 1 cup = 236.588 mL, then 1000 ÷ 236.588 = 4.227 cups. This is why you'll often see 1-liter containers labeled as "4¼ cups" or "4.2 cups."
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Important Measurement Note
This converter uses the US legal cup (236.588 mL) standard. Cup sizes vary by country — metric cups (250 mL) are common in the UK, Australia, and NZ, while Japan uses a 200 mL cup. Always verify which cup standard your recipe uses, especially for precise baking where small volume differences matter.