Whether you’re following a US recipe that lists liquids in cups or a European recipe that uses milliliters, this cups to milliliters converter makes the switch seamless. It uses the standard US cup — defined as exactly 236.588 mL — so you get accurate, consistent results every time. The swap button instantly reverses the direction, letting you convert milliliters to cups whenever you need to go the other way.

Unlike volume-to-weight conversions, cups to milliliters is a straightforward, 1-to-1 mapping: every cup of any liquid (water, milk, oil, juice) equals 236.588 mL. This makes it one of the most reliable conversions in the kitchen — no ingredient density involved.

How to Convert Cups to Milliliters

The conversion is simple and exact because both are measures of volume:

milliliters = cups × 236.588

For example:

• ¼ cup = 59.15 mL
• ½ cup = 118.29 mL
• 1 cup = 236.59 mL
• 1.5 cups = 354.88 mL
• 2 cups = 473.18 mL
• 4 cups = 946.35 mL

To convert the other way (mL → cups):

cups = milliliters ÷ 236.588

For example, 500 mL ÷ 236.588 ≈ 2.11 cups.

The US Cup vs Metric Cup vs UK Cup

Here’s a common point of confusion: the “cup” isn’t universal. There are three common variants, and using the wrong one changes your results:

Cup Type	Volume	1 cup = ? mL
US customary cup	236.588 mL	236.588 mL
US legal cup (nutrition labels)	240 mL	240 mL
Metric cup (Australia, NZ, Canada)	250 mL	250 mL
UK / Imperial cup (legacy)	284.13 mL	284.13 mL

Our converter uses the US customary cup (236.588 mL) — the standard used in American recipes and most online cooking resources.

If your recipe comes from Australia or New Zealand, be aware that “1 cup” usually means 250 mL, which is about 5.6% larger. If you’re following a metric cup recipe, multiply the result by 250 ÷ 236.588 ≈ 1.057 to get an accurate conversion.

Common Cups to Milliliters Conversions

Here’s a quick reference for the most common amounts. For anything else, use the converter at the top of this page.

Cups to Milliliters: Standard Chart

Cups	Milliliters	Common Use
⅛ cup	29.57 mL	2 tbsp
¼ cup	59.15 mL	4 tbsp
⅓ cup	78.86 mL	5 tbsp + 1 tsp
½ cup	118.29 mL	8 tbsp
⅔ cup	157.73 mL	10 tbsp + 2 tsp
¾ cup	177.44 mL	12 tbsp
1 cup	236.59 mL	16 tbsp
1 ½ cups	354.88 mL	24 tbsp
2 cups	473.18 mL	32 tbsp (1 pint)
3 cups	709.76 mL	48 tbsp
4 cups	946.35 mL	64 tbsp (1 quart)

Milliliters to Cups: Reverse Chart

Milliliters	Cups
50 mL	≈ 0.21 cups
100 mL	≈ 0.42 cups
200 mL	≈ 0.85 cups
250 mL	≈ 1.06 cups
500 mL	≈ 2.11 cups
1000 mL	≈ 4.23 cups

These numbers are helpful when you’re cooking from a metric recipe but only have measuring cups.

Is a US Cup 240 mL or 236.588 mL?

Both numbers show up in cooking, but they serve different purposes:

• 236.588 mL — the US customary cup, used in traditional American recipes, home cooking, and this converter.
• 240 mL — the US legal cup, defined by the FDA for nutrition labeling. It’s a rounded number for packaging labels, not recipes.

For everyday cooking, the 1.4% difference between these two numbers rarely matters. But for baking and precise measurements, 236.588 mL is the correct standard — and that’s what we use here.

If a US recipe says “1 cup,” assume 236.588 mL. If a nutrition label says “1 cup,” assume 240 mL.

When to Use Cups vs Milliliters

Which unit should you use in the kitchen? It depends:

Use cups when:

• Following a US recipe (which uses cups by default)
• Measuring dry ingredients like flour, sugar, or oats
• Working without a kitchen scale

Use milliliters when:

• Following a European, Australian, or Asian recipe
• Measuring liquid ingredients (water, milk, oil, stock)
• Brewing coffee or tea where precision matters
• Making cocktails or drinks with exact ratios

Professional tip: For liquids, milliliters are more precise because measuring cups vary in shape and have a “meniscus” — the curve at the liquid’s surface that makes reading the exact line difficult. A metric measuring jug gives a clearer, more accurate reading.

Cups to Milliliters in Real Recipes

Here are some common situations where the conversion comes up:

“Add 1 cup of milk” → 236.59 mL
“Pour in ½ cup of olive oil” → 118.29 mL
“Stir in 1 ½ cups of water” → 354.88 mL
“Use 250 mL of stock” → about 1 cup (slightly over)

These examples show why this converter is useful in everyday cooking — the numbers are consistent, predictable, and easy to double-check.

Frequently Asked Questions

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