To convert ml to cups, divide by 236.5882365 for US customary cups, by 250 for metric cups, or by 240 for the US nutrition label cup. Formula: US customary cups = mL / 236.5882365; metric cups = mL / 250. For example, 250 mL ≈ 1.057 US cups, exactly 1 metric cup, and about 1.042 label cups.
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How to use the mL to cups converter
- Enter the volume in milliliters, for example 180.
- Pick the cup your recipe uses.
- Read the ml to cups converter result: 180 mL ≈ 0.761 US cup, 0.72 metric cup.
What is the mL to cups formula?
US cups = milliliters × 0.00422675
The reverse is milliliters = US cups × 236.58824 (approximately).
The US liquid gallon is exactly 231 cubic inches (3.785411784 L) and the US customary cup is 1/16 of a gallon (236.5882365 mL), so these factors are exact. The multiplier 0.00422675 is rounded to six significant digits; the ml to cups calculator uses the full-precision value.
What are milliliters and US cups?
Volume is the amount of three-dimensional space something occupies. The SI unit is the cubic meter; the liter is 1/1,000 of a cubic meter. A US liquid gallon is exactly 231 cubic inches (about 3.785 L), while an imperial gallon is exactly 4.54609 L.
- Milliliter (mL): 1 mL = 1 × 10−6 m³ (Metric unit).
- US cup (cup US): 1 cup US = 0.0002365882365 m³ (US Liquid unit).
Ml to cups worked examples
- 250 mL of milk: 250 × 0.00422675 = 1.05669 cup US
- 100 mL of oil: 100 × 0.00422675 = 0.422675 cup US
- 500 mL of stock: 500 × 0.00422675 = 2.11338 cup US
Conversion chart
| mL | cup US | mL | cup US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 0.1268 | 180 | 0.7608 |
| 50 | 0.2113 | 200 | 0.8454 |
| 60 | 0.2536 | 240 | 1.0144 |
| 80 | 0.3381 | 250 | 1.0567 |
| 100 | 0.4227 | 300 | 1.268 |
| 120 | 0.5072 | 400 | 1.6907 |
| 125 | 0.5283 | 500 | 2.1134 |
| 150 | 0.634 | 1,000 | 4.2268 |
Values are rounded to four decimal places, or two for results of 100 or more.
Quick mental conversion
Divide by 240 for US cups: 120 mL ≈ ½ cup.
Which cup?
| Cup | Milliliters |
|---|---|
| US customary cup (used here) | 236.588 |
| US legal cup (nutrition labels) | 240 |
| Metric cup (Australia, Canada, NZ, many recipes) | 250 |
| Imperial cup (older UK recipes) | 284.131 |
The difference matters most in baking. For flour and sugar, weighing in grams is more reliable than any cup.
Milliliters from US cups: reverse chart
Going the other way, milliliters = US cups × 236.58824. Common values:
| US cups | milliliters |
|---|---|
| 1 | 236.5882 |
| 2 | 473.1765 |
| 5 | 1,182.941 |
| 10 | 2,365.882 |
| 20 | 4,731.765 |
| 50 | 11,829.41 |
| 100 | 23,658.82 |
| 500 | 118,294.1 |
| 1,000 | 236,588.2 |
Tablespoons and teaspoons in mL
Small amounts are easier in spoons. US customary measures, from 1 cup = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp:
| Measure | mL (US customary) | Metric equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 236.59 | 250 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 118.29 | 125 mL |
| 1/4 cup | 59.15 | 60 mL |
| 1 tablespoon | 14.787 | 15 mL |
| 1 teaspoon | 4.929 | 5 mL |
For baking, the 4% difference between US and metric cups rarely matters, but weighing flour in grams is more consistent than any cup.
Water weight per cup
Water is about 1 g per mL near room temperature, so 1 US cup of water weighs about 236.6 g (8.35 oz) and a metric cup about 250 g. Milk is slightly denser, oil lighter. Use the cups to mL converter for the reverse and the grams to ounces converter for weights.
Scaling recipes and drinks
When scaling a recipe up or down, convert once and then scale the converted amount. A sauce that needs 300 ml of stock is about 1.27 US cups. For double the batch, use about 2.5 cups. Measuring cups have marks for 1/4 and 1/3 cups, so round to the closest mark.
Daily water goals are often given in liters. Two liters is about 8.45 US cups, which is where the familiar “eight glasses a day” idea comes from. A ml to cups conversion turns a 500 ml bottle into about 2.1 cups.
Baby bottles are marked in both units. A 240 ml feed is about 1.01 US cups, or 8.1 fluid ounces.
Thick liquids such as honey or syrup are easier to measure by weight, so some recipes switch to grams for those.
Coffee mugs vary a lot, from about 240 ml to over 400 ml, so a “cup” of coffee is not a measuring cup. If a recipe or diet plan says one cup, use a marked measuring cup or 240 ml.
Related converters and calculators
Related conversions:
- Cups to mL: cups to mL
- Liters to gallons: L to gal
- Grams to ounces: g to oz
- Volume converter: L, gal, m³
- Pounds to ounces: lb to oz
Sources
NIST Special Publication 811, Appendix B; 21 CFR 101.9: Nutrition labeling of food.
Questions about this calculator
How many mL are in a US cup?
236.5882365 mL (8 US fluid ounces).
How do I convert ml to cups?
Divide by 236.588 for US cups. For example, 500 mL ≈ 2.113 cups.
How many mL is a metric cup?
250 mL.
What cup do US nutrition labels use?
240 mL, under FDA labeling rules.
How many mL is a tablespoon?
About 14.79 mL (US); recipes often round to 15 mL.
Check the assumptions and units before relying on a result. Financial, tax and health estimates do not replace advice for your individual circumstances.
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