Milliliters to Cups Converter

Convert between milliliters (mL) and US cups for cooking and baking. Includes conversions to tablespoons, teaspoons, fluid ounces, and liters.

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Quick Reference Chart

MillilitersCupsFluid OuncesTablespoons
15 mL0.060.511.01
30 mL0.131.012.03
60 mL0.252.034.06
120 mL0.514.068.12
180 mL0.766.0912.17
240 mL1.018.1216.23
360 mL1.5212.1724.35
480 mL2.0316.2332.46
500 mL2.1116.9133.81
1000 mL4.2333.8167.63

How It Works

One US cup equals 236.588 milliliters. When converting recipes from metric to US measurements (or vice versa), this conversion is essential. Note that US cups differ from metric cups (250 mL) and UK cups (284 mL).

Common conversions: 250 mL ≈ 1 cup (slightly more), 500 mL ≈ 2 cups, 1 liter ≈ 4.2 cups. For quick estimates, 240 mL is close enough to 1 cup for most cooking purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many mL in a cup?

A US cup contains 236.588 mL. For practical cooking purposes, 240 mL is often used as it's easier to measure. A metric cup (used in Australia and some other countries) is exactly 250 mL.

Why do US and metric cups differ?

The US cup developed historically before standardization with the metric system. The metric cup was designed as an even 250 mL for simplicity. When following recipes, check whether they use US or metric measurements.

Is 200 mL the same as 1 cup?

No, 200 mL is about 0.85 US cups or 0.8 metric cups. This is a common misconception. One US cup is approximately 237 mL, and one metric cup is 250 mL.

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