Convert Cups to Milliliters
Convert US cups to milliliters using the 236.588 factor. Covers baking measurements, liquid ingredients, international recipe conversion, and measuring cup sizes.
Detailed Explanation
Cups to Milliliters Conversion
The formula using US customary cups:
milliliters = cups × 236.588
One US cup equals approximately 236.6 mL (often rounded to 240 mL in recipes).
Quick Reference Table
| US Cups | Milliliters | Other Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 | 29.6 | 2 tablespoons |
| 1/4 | 59.1 | 4 tablespoons |
| 1/3 | 78.9 | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 1/2 | 118.3 | 8 tablespoons |
| 2/3 | 157.7 | 10 tbsp + 2 tsp |
| 3/4 | 177.4 | 12 tablespoons |
| 1 | 236.6 | 16 tablespoons |
| 1.5 | 354.9 | 24 tablespoons |
| 2 | 473.2 | 1 pint |
| 4 | 946.4 | 1 quart |
Different Cup Standards
Not all cups are equal:
| Type | Milliliters |
|---|---|
| US customary cup | 236.588 |
| US legal cup | 240 |
| Metric cup | 250 |
| Imperial cup | 284.131 |
| Japanese cup | 200 |
The "US legal cup" (240 mL) is used on US nutrition labels. The metric cup (250 mL) is used in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Japanese recipes use a 200 mL cup. Always check which cup standard a recipe uses.
Baking Precision
For baking, volume measurements (cups) are inherently less precise than weight (grams). The same "1 cup" of flour can vary from 120g to 150g depending on how it was scooped. Professional bakers strongly prefer weight-based measurements. This converter helps when adapting cup-based recipes for use with a kitchen scale.
Common Ingredient Weights per Cup
| Ingredient | 1 Cup (mL) | Weight (g) |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 237 | ~125 |
| Granulated sugar | 237 | ~200 |
| Brown sugar | 237 | ~220 |
| Butter | 237 | ~227 |
| Water | 237 | ~237 |
| Milk | 237 | ~245 |
Use Case
A home cook following an American recipe needs to convert cup measurements to milliliters to use their metric measuring tools.