Cups to Millilitres: US, Metric and Imperial Cup Chart
1 US cup equals 236.6 mL, commonly rounded to 240 mL. The metric cup used in Canada, Australia and New Zealand is 250 mL, and the old British imperial cup is about 284 mL.
Which cup is your recipe using?
| Cup | Millilitres | Where you'll see it |
|---|---|---|
| US customary cup | 236.6 mL | US recipes, most modern Canadian recipes |
| US "legal" cup (nutrition labels) | 240 mL | US food packaging |
| Metric cup | 250 mL | Canadian measuring sets, Australia, NZ, South Africa |
| Imperial cup | 284 mL | Older British recipes (rare today) |
| Japanese cup | 200 mL | Japanese recipes |
| Rice cooker cup | 180 mL | Rice cookers (1 gō) |
For liquids, the US and metric cup are close enough to swap: the difference is about 13 mL per cup, less than a tablespoon. For flour in baking, it's worth weighing instead (see cups to grams for flour).
Cups to millilitres chart
| Cup | US cup (236.6 mL) | Metric cup (250 mL) | Imperial cup (284 mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tbsp (1/16 cup) | 15 mL | 15.6 mL | 18 mL |
| ⅛ cup | 30 mL | 31 mL | 36 mL |
| ¼ cup | 59 mL | 63 mL | 71 mL |
| ⅓ cup | 79 mL | 83 mL | 95 mL |
| ½ cup | 118 mL | 125 mL | 142 mL |
| ⅔ cup | 158 mL | 167 mL | 189 mL |
| ¾ cup | 177 mL | 188 mL | 213 mL |
| 1 cup | 237 mL | 250 mL | 284 mL |
| 1½ cups | 355 mL | 375 mL | 426 mL |
| 2 cups | 473 mL | 500 mL | 568 mL |
| 3 cups | 710 mL | 750 mL | 852 mL |
| 4 cups | 946 mL | 1 L | 1.14 L |
Canadian metric measuring sets usually round the small cups to 60 mL (¼), 80 mL (⅓) and 125 mL (½).
Millilitres to US cups
| Millilitres | US cups |
|---|---|
| 30 mL | 2 tbsp |
| 60 mL | ¼ cup |
| 80 mL | ⅓ cup |
| 100 mL | ⅓ cup + 1½ tbsp |
| 125 mL | ½ cup + 1½ tsp |
| 150 mL | ⅝ cup (½ cup + 2 tbsp) |
| 200 mL | ¾ cup + 1½ tbsp |
| 250 mL | 1 cup + 1 tbsp |
| 500 mL | 2 cups + 2 tbsp |
| 750 mL | 3 cups + 3 tbsp (approx.) |
| 1 L | 4 cups + 3½ tbsp (4.2 cups) |
Pints, quarts and gallons
US and imperial units share names but not sizes. An imperial pint has 20 fluid ounces; a US pint has 16.
| Unit | US | Imperial (UK, older Canadian) |
|---|---|---|
| Fluid ounce | 29.6 mL | 28.4 mL |
| Cup | 236.6 mL (8 fl oz) | 284 mL (10 fl oz) |
| Pint | 473 mL (2 cups) | 568 mL |
| Quart | 946 mL (4 cups) | 1.14 L |
| Gallon | 3.79 L (16 cups) | 4.55 L |
A UK "pint of milk" (568 mL) is about 20% more than a US pint. Canadian milk is now sold in litres, but older Canadian recipes may still use imperial pints and quarts.
Spoons
| Spoon | US | Metric (Canada, UK) | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teaspoon | 4.93 mL | 5 mL | 5 mL |
| Tablespoon | 14.79 mL | 15 mL | 20 mL |
Measuring liquids accurately
- Use a clear liquid measuring jug with a spout, not a dry measuring cup, and read it at eye level on a flat counter.
- The liquid surface curves slightly (the meniscus). Read the bottom of the curve.
- Weighing works for liquids too: 1 mL of water weighs 1 g, and milk is about 1.03 g per mL. Pouring straight onto a scale is often faster than using a jug.
For dry ingredients, cups measure volume, not weight, so the grams depend on the ingredient. See cups to grams.
Questions
Is 1 cup 250 mL or 240 mL?
Both are used. A US customary cup is 236.6 mL, which US nutrition labels round to 240 mL. Canada, Australia and New Zealand use a 250 mL metric cup. The 4 percent difference rarely matters for liquids in cooking.
How many cups are in a litre?
A litre is about 4.2 US cups, or exactly 4 metric (250 mL) cups.
How many mL is half a cup?
Half a US cup is 118 mL (often rounded to 120 mL), and half a metric cup is 125 mL.
What size are Canadian measuring cups?
Most Canadian measuring sets are labelled in both units, typically 250 mL for 1 cup, 125 mL for ½ cup and 60 mL for ¼ cup. They're slightly larger than US cups but interchangeable for nearly all recipes.