Cups to Milliliters Converter
Convert US cups to milliliters (mL)
Cup (US)
Definition: The US cup is a unit of volume used primarily in cooking and baking. One US cup is defined as exactly 8 US fluid ounces, or approximately 236.588 milliliters. It is half a US pint and one-sixteenth of a US gallon.
History/origin: The cup as a cooking measurement was popularized in the United States in the late 19th century, largely through the work of Fannie Farmer, whose 1896 cookbook standardized level measurements. The US cup was formally defined as 8 fluid ounces. Note that other countries use different cup sizes — the metric cup (used in Australia, Canada, and South Africa) is exactly 250 mL, while the Japanese cup is 200 mL.
Current use: The US cup is one of the most common volume measurements in American cooking and baking. It is used for measuring both liquid and dry ingredients, though for dry ingredients like flour and sugar, weight measurements are generally more precise. When following international recipes that use metric measurements, converting cups to milliliters is one of the most frequent kitchen conversions needed.
Milliliter (mL)
Definition: The milliliter is a metric unit of volume equal to one-thousandth of a liter (0.001 L). One milliliter is also equal to one cubic centimeter (1 cm³). It is part of the International System of Units (SI) and is the standard unit for small liquid volumes worldwide.
History/origin: The milliliter derives from the liter, originally defined in 1795 as the volume of one kilogram of water at maximum density. The prefix "milli-" (from Latin "mille," meaning one thousand) indicates 1/1000 of a liter. The metric system was formally adopted internationally and is now the global standard for scientific and culinary measurement outside the United States.
Current use: The milliliter is used globally in cooking, medicine, science, and industry for measuring small volumes of liquids. It appears on measuring cups, syringes, medicine bottles, and beverage containers worldwide. In international recipes and food labeling, milliliters are the standard unit for liquid volumes, making cups-to-mL a critical conversion for anyone working between US and international recipes.
Cups to Milliliters Conversion Table
| Cups | Milliliters [mL] |
|---|---|
| ⅛ cup | 29.574 mL |
| ¼ cup | 59.147 mL |
| ⅓ cup | 78.863 mL |
| ½ cup | 118.294 mL |
| ⅔ cup | 157.725 mL |
| ¾ cup | 177.441 mL |
| 1 cup | 236.588 mL |
| 1.5 cups | 354.882 mL |
| 2 cups | 473.176 mL |
| 3 cups | 709.765 mL |
| 4 cups | 946.353 mL |
How to Convert Cups to Milliliters
Formula:
1 cup = 236.5882365 mL
1 mL = 0.00422675 cups
Quick Mental Math:
Multiply cups by 236.6 for a close estimate
Or use cups × 240 as a quick kitchen approximation (less than 2% error)
Useful Relationships:
1 cup = 236.588 mL = 8 fl oz = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp
½ cup = 118.294 mL (common recipe measurement)
¼ cup = 59.147 mL (common recipe measurement)
Note: Metric cup = 250 mL (used in AU, CA, ZA)
Examples:
Convert 1 cup to milliliters:
1 cup × 236.588 = 236.588 mL
This is 236.588 mL (one standard US cup)
Convert 2.5 cups to milliliters:
2.5 cups × 236.588 = 591.47 mL
This is 591.47 mL (e.g., for a baking recipe)
Convert ¾ cup to milliliters:
0.75 cups × 236.588 = 177.441 mL
This is 177.441 mL (a very common recipe measurement)