Cups to mL Converter
Recipe cards flip between cups and milliliters depending on where they were written. Enter either unit, pick US (240 mL) or metric (250 mL) cup size, and read the matching volume for your measuring jug or scale bowl.
Cup size
Quick amounts
Need grams for flour or sugar, not just volume? Use the cups to grams converter — cup size still matters, but density changes the weight.
Why cup size matters
A “cup” is not universal. American test kitchens and FDA references use 240 mL. Australian and Canadian home cooks often learn on 250 mL cups. If you convert 2 cups without checking which standard the author meant, you can be off by 20 mL — noticeable in panna cotta, simple syrup, or cocktail ratios.
For baking weights, volume in mL still does not tell you grams. After you know the liquid volume, switch to the cups to grams converter when the ingredient is flour, sugar, or cocoa.
Cups to mL quick chart
Rounded values for mid-recipe checks. Use the calculator above for exact amounts and other cup fractions.
| Cups | US (240 mL) | Metric (250 mL) |
|---|---|---|
| ¼ cup | 60 mL | 62.5 mL |
| ⅓ cup | 80 mL | 83 mL |
| ½ cup | 120 mL | 125 mL |
| ⅔ cup | 160 mL | 167 mL |
| ¾ cup | 180 mL | 188 mL |
| 1 cup | 240 mL | 250 mL |
| 1½ cups | 360 mL | 375 mL |
| 2 cups | 480 mL | 500 mL |
| 4 cups (1 qt) | 960 mL | 1000 mL |
Related kitchen tools
Celsius to Fahrenheit for oven dials. Rice portion calculator for dry US cups of rice. Ingredient scaling when you multiply every line on the card.
FAQ
- How many mL in a US cup?
- A US legal cup is 240 milliliters (about 8.12 US fluid ounces). That is the standard used on this site for dry and liquid US recipe measures unless a card specifies otherwise.
- Is a metric cup 250 mL?
- Yes. Australia, New Zealand, and many European home references use a 250 mL cup. One metric cup is about 4% more volume than a US cup — enough to matter in custards or gelatine.
- Should I use a dry or liquid measuring cup?
- For water, milk, and broth, use a clear liquid cup with the meniscus at eye level. For flour or sugar, this page only converts volume — use the cups to grams tool when you need weight on a scale.
- Does 1 cup of flour equal 240 mL of flour by weight?
- A US cup of water is about 240 g, but a cup of flour weighs far less (often near 120–130 g spooned). Volume in mL does not equal grams unless you know the ingredient density.
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