Cups to Milliliters (cups to mL)
A US customary cup is exactly 236.5882365 mL, which is half a US pint or 8 US fluid ounces. Multiply cups by that figure to get milliliters: ½ cup is 118.3 mL and 2 cups are 473.2 mL. Cups aren't the same size everywhere, though, as the notes below explain.
Convert cups to mL
Result
cups to mL
1 cup = 236.588 mL
1 cup = 236.588 mL · 1 mL = 0.00422675 cup
Show the mathHow it was calculated
mL = cup × 236.5882365
Uses exact legal definitions; results are rounded to 6 significant figures for display. Ounces, cups and gallons are US customary units unless noted.
How to convert cups to mL
mL = cup × 236.5882365
One US cup is exactly 236.5882365 milliliters, so multiply by 236.5882365.
Worked example: converting 1 cup:
- mL = cup × 236.5882365
- 1 cup × 236.5882365 = 236.588 mL
Cups to mL conversion table
Common values, each computed with the exact formula and rounded to 6 significant figures.
| US cups (cup) | Milliliters (mL) | Fraction |
|---|---|---|
| 0.125 cup | 29.5735 mL | 1/8 |
| 0.25 cup | 59.1471 mL | 1/4 |
| 0.333333 cup | 78.8627 mL | 1/3 |
| 0.5 cup | 118.294 mL | 1/2 |
| 0.666667 cup | 157.725 mL | 2/3 |
| 0.75 cup | 177.441 mL | 3/4 |
| 1 cup | 236.588 mL | 1 |
| 1.25 cup | 295.735 mL | 1 1/4 |
| 1.33333 cup | 315.451 mL | 1 1/3 |
| 1.5 cup | 354.882 mL | 1 1/2 |
| 1.75 cup | 414.029 mL | 1 3/4 |
| 2 cup | 473.176 mL | 2 |
| 2.5 cup | 591.471 mL | 2 1/2 |
| 3 cup | 709.765 mL | 3 |
| 3.5 cup | 828.059 mL | 3 1/2 |
| 4 cup | 946.353 mL | 4 |
| 5 cup | 1,182.94 mL | 5 |
| 6 cup | 1,419.53 mL | 6 |
| 8 cup | 1,892.71 mL | 8 |
Quick reference: everyday US cups in milliliters
US customary cup
1 cup = 236.588 mL
US 'legal' cup on nutrition labels
1.01442 cup = 240 mL
Metric cup (Australia, NZ, Canada)
1.05669 cup = 250 mL
Imperial cup (old UK recipes)
1.20095 cup = 284.131 mL
Japanese cup
0.845351 cup = 200 mL
US pint (2 cups)
2 cup = 473.176 mL
US, legal, metric and imperial cups
Four different cups appear in recipes. The US customary cup (236.6 mL) is the one American measuring cups and most US recipes use. The US 'legal' cup of exactly 240 mL is used on Nutrition Facts labels. The metric cup of 250 mL is standard in Australia and New Zealand and is common in Canada. The old imperial cup of 284.1 mL is half an imperial pint and turns up in older British recipes.
For most cooking, the 1.5% gap between 236.6 mL and 240 mL doesn't matter. The 250 mL metric cup is 5.7% larger, and the imperial cup 20% larger, which can change the texture of baked goods. If an Australian recipe calls for 2 cups, that is 500 mL, or 2 US cups plus nearly 2 tablespoons.
Spoons, sticks and cups by weight
A US cup holds 16 tablespoons or 48 teaspoons, so ¼ cup is 4 tablespoons (59.1 mL) and ⅓ cup is 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (78.9 mL). Australian tablespoons are 20 mL rather than 15 mL, another reason to check where a recipe comes from.
Cups measure volume, not weight. A cup of water weighs about 237 g, but a cup of flour weighs much less, and the amount depends on how it was scooped. Converting cups to mL tells you how much space an ingredient takes up. For baking precision, weigh dry ingredients instead. The fractions in the table can be scaled exactly with our fraction calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups are in a 500 mL bottle?
500 mL is 2.11 US cups, or exactly 2 metric cups. If you're pouring water from a 500 mL bottle into a US measuring cup, expect to fill two cups with about 27 mL (just under 2 tablespoons) left over. For the reverse conversion with more values, see the mL to cups converter.
Is a coffee 'cup' on a coffee maker the same as a measuring cup?
No. Coffee makers count 'cups' by their own standard, often 5 or 6 fluid ounces (roughly 150–180 mL) rather than 8, and it varies by brand. A 12-cup carafe usually holds about 1.8 L, not 2.8 L. Check the manual or the carafe's mL markings rather than converting the cup count.
Can I use a metric 250 mL cup for an American recipe?
For soups, stews and most savory dishes, yes: the extra 5.7% barely shows. For baking, where flour, liquid and leavening have to balance, the difference can make the result drier or denser. Fill the metric cup to about 237 mL, or convert to grams with a kitchen scale.