Cups to Milliliters - How Many ml in a Cup?
The essential conversion for American recipes
1 US Cup = 236.59 ml
One US cup equals 236.59 milliliters - rounded to 237 ml.
Cups to Milliliters Conversion Table
| Cups | Milliliters | Rounded |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 Cup | 59.15 ml | 59 ml |
| 1/3 Cup | 78.86 ml | 79 ml |
| 1/2 Cup | 118.29 ml | 118 ml |
| 2/3 Cup | 157.73 ml | 158 ml |
| 3/4 Cup | 177.44 ml | 177 ml |
| 1 Cup | 236.59 ml | 237 ml |
| 1.5 Cups | 354.88 ml | 355 ml |
| 2 Cups | 473.18 ml | 473 ml |
| 3 Cups | 709.76 ml | 710 ml |
| 4 Cups | 946.35 ml | 946 ml |
What is a cup and how do you convert it?
The cup is a volume unit from the US customary measurement system. One US cup holds exactly 236.5882365 ml. In practice, you round to 237 ml or 240 ml. The formula is simple: milliliters = cups x 236.59. To go the other way: cups = milliliters divided by 236.59.
The cup is the standard cooking unit in the United States and Canada. American kitchens have measuring cups in every drawer. If you live in Europe, Asia or most other regions, you measure in grams and milliliters. To follow American recipes, you need to convert. One cup is close to a quarter liter (250 ml) - but not exactly.
US cup vs. metric cup vs. Imperial cup
There is more than one cup. The US cup (236.59 ml) is the most common worldwide. When a recipe says "1 cup" without further detail, it almost always means the US cup. Australia and New Zealand use the metric cup (250 ml). The UK used the Imperial cup (284.13 ml), but it is mostly obsolete today.
The gap between a US cup and a metric cup is about 14 ml. For one cup of milk, that barely matters. But for three or four cups, the error adds up to over 50 ml. Always check which cup the recipe means. American recipes use the US cup. Australian recipes use the metric cup. British recipes from the last 30 years usually use milliliters directly.
One cup of flour, half a cup of sugar, a quarter cup of butter - American baking in three phrases.
Classic US cookbook, circa 1950How to measure a cup correctly
With a proper measuring cup, fill to the brim and sweep off excess with the back of a knife. This method is called "level cup" and is the US standard. Without a measuring cup, use a regular graduated jug and fill to the 237 ml mark (or 240 ml as a close approximation).
For dry ingredients like flour, sugar and oats, weighing is more accurate than measuring by volume. One cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 to 150 grams depending on how tightly it is packed. One cup of sugar weighs about 200 grams. Professional bakers use a scale instead of cup measures for this reason.
Dry cups vs. liquid cups
In the US, dry and liquid measuring cups hold the same volume: 236.59 ml. The difference is the design, not the capacity. Liquid cups have a spout and extra space above the line so you do not spill. Dry cups are flat on top so you can level off the ingredient.
Use the right type for each ingredient. Measure water in a liquid cup and read at eye level. Measure flour in a dry cup and sweep it flat. Using the wrong cup does not change the milliliter value, but it can change how much you actually scoop.
Quick mental shortcut: 1 cup is roughly 240 ml, which is just under a quarter liter. For most recipes, that approximation is close enough.
Common cup amounts in recipes
American recipes use cups for almost everything: flour, sugar, butter, milk, broth and even chopped vegetables. Typical amounts: 2 cups flour (about 473 ml or 250 g), 1 cup milk (237 ml), 1/2 cup butter (118 ml or 113 g), 3/4 cup sugar (177 ml or 150 g).
Key equivalences to memorize: 1 cup = 237 ml = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons = 8 fluid ounces. Half a cup = 118 ml = 8 tablespoons. A quarter cup = 59 ml = 4 tablespoons. These tablespoon conversions help when you need a small amount and have no measuring cup.
Pro tip: Order a set of US measuring cups online. They cost a few dollars and eliminate the need for conversion entirely when you cook American recipes regularly.