Free cups to ml calculator
Enter a volume in cups — this cups to mL converter converts US cups to millilitres (and metric or Imperial cups if needed) using the exact NIST conversion factor, updated live, as you type.
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Volume-to-weight conversions are approximate and vary by ingredient brand, moisture, and packing method.
Results are estimates. Consult a professional.
How the cups-to-mL calculator works
This is a pure volume-to-volume conversion — no ingredient density required. The calculation differs only by which cup standard your recipe uses. US recipes use the US customary cup, defined as exactly 236.588 mL by NIST. Australian and Canadian recipes use the metric cup of exactly 250 mL. The obsolete Imperial cup (284 mL) occasionally appears in older British cookbooks but has been replaced by metric measures in modern UK cooking.
Worked example: converting a soup recipe
A US recipe calls for 1¾ cups of chicken broth. A cook in Australia needs the amount in millilitres for a metric measuring jug. They select the US cup standard (236.588 mL).
Step 1 — Confirm the cup standard
The recipe is American, so it uses the US cup (236.588 mL). An Australian cook must not apply the metric cup (250 mL) or the result will be too high by about 5.7% per cup.
Step 2 — Multiply
US cups to millilitres reference table
US mL values are exact per the NIST definition (1 US cup = 236.588 mL). The metric column shows the equivalent using the 250 mL Australian/Canadian cup for the same fraction. All figures rounded to one decimal place.
| US Cups | US mL | Metric mL (AU/CA) |
|---|---|---|
| ¼ cup | 59.1 mL | 62.5 mL |
| ⅓ cup | 78.9 mL | 83.3 mL |
| ½ cup | 118.3 mL | 125.0 mL |
| ¾ cup | 177.4 mL | 187.5 mL |
| 1 cup | 236.6 mL | 250.0 mL |
| 1½ cups | 354.9 mL | 375.0 mL |
| 2 cups | 473.2 mL | 500.0 mL |
| 4 cups | 946.4 mL | 1000.0 mL |
Source: NIST SP 811. US cup = 236.588 mL (exact). Metric cup = 250 mL (exact).
Tips for cup-to-mL conversions
This conversion is exact — the only variable is which cup your recipe intends. A few habits prevent the most common mistakes.
- Identify the recipe's origin first — US recipes use 236.6 mL cups; Australian and Canadian recipes use 250 mL. A British recipe dated after about 1970 almost certainly uses metric measures, not Imperial cups.
- Use a liquid measuring jug for volumes over ½ cup — place on a flat surface, pour to the line, and read at eye level. A dry measuring cup filled to the brim is less accurate for liquids.
- 4 metric cups = 1 litre exactly — a handy shortcut when scaling Australian recipes up or down.
- 4 US cups ≈ 946 mL — just under one litre. A US quart (4 cups) is often swapped for 1 litre in savoury cooking with no noticeable difference.
- For baking, use the conversion the recipe author used — even a 13 mL difference per cup can affect a delicate sponge cake. When in doubt, weigh liquids in grams (water and milk are 1 g/mL).
Accuracy and limitations
The US and metric cup definitions are exact, so the arithmetic in this calculator is precise to as many decimal places as displayed. There is no measurement uncertainty in the conversion itself.
The practical limit is your measuring equipment: a standard kitchen jug is accurate to ±5 mL at best, and a dry measuring cup filled to the brim loses another few millilitres to surface tension. For pharmaceutical, laboratory or nutritional work, weigh liquids on a scale rather than measuring by volume.
Cup and volume terms defined
About this cups-to-mL calculator
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