Convert millilitres to cups and back, with the answer in US measuring cups and spoons. Switch to a metric, UK, Japanese or rice cooker cup when the recipe calls for one.
US cups = mL ÷ 236.59 · metric cups = mL ÷ 250
Measuring cups are rounded to the nearest tablespoon, which is close enough for any liquid in a recipe.
| mL | US cups | US measuring cups | Metric cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 mL | 0.127 | 2 tbsp | 0.12 |
| 50 mL | 0.211 | 3 tbsp | 0.2 |
| 60 mL | 0.254 | ¼ cup | 0.24 |
| 75 mL | 0.317 | ¼ cup + 1 tbsp | 0.3 |
| 80 mL | 0.338 | ¼ cup + 1 tbsp | 0.32 |
| 100 mL | 0.423 | ¼ cup + 3 tbsp | 0.4 |
| 120 mL | 0.507 | ½ cup | 0.48 |
| 125 mL | 0.528 | ½ cup | 0.5 |
| 150 mL | 0.634 | ½ cup + 2 tbsp | 0.6 |
| 175 mL | 0.74 | ¾ cup | 0.7 |
| 180 mL | 0.761 | ¾ cup | 0.72 |
| 200 mL | 0.845 | ¾ cup + 2 tbsp | 0.8 |
| 240 mL | 1.014 | 1 cup | 0.96 |
| 250 mL | 1.057 | 1 cup + 1 tbsp | 1 |
| 300 mL | 1.268 | 1¼ cups | 1.2 |
| 350 mL | 1.479 | 1½ cups | 1.4 |
| 375 mL | 1.585 | 1½ cups + 1 tbsp | 1.5 |
| 400 mL | 1.691 | 1½ cups + 3 tbsp | 1.6 |
| 500 mL | 2.113 | 2 cups + 2 tbsp | 2 |
| 750 mL | 3.17 | 3 cups + 3 tbsp | 3 |
| 1000 mL | 4.227 | 4¼ cups | 4 |
"1 cup" ranges from 180 to 284 mL depending on where the recipe was written. That's nearly a 60% spread. For most liquids the difference between a US and a metric cup (6%) won't ruin anything, but a Japanese or rice cooker cup in place of a US one will.
| Cup | mL | In US cups | Where it’s used |
|---|---|---|---|
| US cup | 236.6 | 1 | US recipes and measuring cups |
| US nutrition-label cup | 240 | 1.014 | Nutrition Facts serving sizes |
| Metric cup | 250 | 1.057 | Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa |
| UK imperial cup | 284.1 | 1.201 | Older British recipes (half an imperial pint) |
| Japanese cup | 200 | 0.845 | Japanese recipes and measuring cups |
| Rice cooker cup, 1 gō | 180.4 | 0.762 | The cup that comes with a rice cooker |
A recipe's origin is the best clue. Australian and New Zealand sites mean 250 mL, US sites mean 236.6 mL, and a British recipe from before the 1970s that says "a cup" may mean a breakfast cup closer to 284 mL.
A European muffin recipe lists its liquids in millilitres, but your kitchen only has US measuring cups and spoons.
Step 1: Divide each amount by 236.6
Step 2: Round to the nearest tablespoon (1/16 cup)
Step 3: Do the same for every line
| Ingredient | Recipe | US measure |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 250 mL | 1 cup + 1 tbsp |
| Vegetable oil | 125 mL | ½ cup |
| Warm water | 75 mL | ¼ cup + 1 tbsp |
| Vanilla extract | 5 mL | 1 tsp |
The milk is 1 cup + 1 tbsp (the Load Example). Keep the extra tablespoon: leaving it out shifts the batter's balance by about 6%, the same as the gap between a metric and a US cup.
The plastic cup that comes with a rice cooker holds one gō, an old Japanese unit of about 180 mL. That's three-quarters of a US cup. It holds roughly 150 g of uncooked white rice, enough for about two small bowls once cooked.
The water lines inside the cooker's pot are marked in the same gō cups. If you measure the rice with a US cup instead but fill water to the line, you'll have about 30% more rice than the cooker expects, and it comes out dry and firm. Either use the cooker's cup, or convert: 3 rice cooker cups = 541 mL = about 2¼ US cups.
Japanese recipes use a separate 200 mL kitchen cup, so "1 cup" in a Japanese recipe is not the same as the rice cooker's cup.
Below about 60 mL (¼ cup), measuring spoons are more accurate than a cup. Metric spoons are 5 mL and 15 mL, but Australia's tablespoon is 20 mL. If an Australian recipe says 2 tablespoons, that's 40 mL, which is 2 tbsp + 2 tsp with US spoons.
| mL | US teaspoons | US tablespoons | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mL | 0.51 | 0.17 | ½ metric teaspoon |
| 5 mL | 1.01 | 0.34 | Metric teaspoon |
| 15 mL | 3.04 | 1.01 | Tablespoon (US, UK, Canada, Japan) |
| 20 mL | 4.06 | 1.35 | Australian tablespoon |
| 30 mL | 6.09 | 2.03 | About 1 US fl oz |
| 45 mL | 9.13 | 3.04 | About a US jigger |
To weigh a liquid instead of measuring it, use the mL to grams calculator.
2.11 US cups, or 2 cups + 2 tbsp. In metric cups it is exactly 2.
It is one metric cup. In US cups it is 1.06, or 1 cup + 1 tablespoon.
4.23 US cups, or 4 metric cups. A litre is a little more than a US quart (4 cups).
0.85 US cups, or ¾ cup + 2 tbsp. It is exactly one Japanese cup.
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