Cups to Milliliters Converter - Convert cup to mL Instantly

About Cups to Milliliters Conversion

Cups and milliliters both measure volume. The US customary cup is widely used in American recipes, measuring 8 US fluid ounces. The milliliter (mL) is the SI metric unit used on global packaging, lab glassware, and medical devices. Converting cups to mL lets you follow international recipes, standardize nutrition facts, and prepare solutions or beverages with precision.

Because the US cup is tied to US fluid ounces and those ounces are defined exactly in milliliters, the cup-to-mL conversion factor is exact: 1 US cup = 236.5882365 mL. Using the exact constant keeps your documentation auditable and your results reproducible across kitchens, factories, and labs.

Cups to Milliliters Formula

Use the direct factor method:

mL = cups × 236.5882365

Example:

2.5 cups = 2.5 × 236.5882365 = 591.47059 mL

To convert in the opposite direction: cups = mL ÷ 236.5882365.

US Cup vs Metric Cup

The US customary cup is exactly 236.5882365 mL (8 US fl oz). The metric cup used in some countries is exactly 250 mL. That’s a ~5.7% difference—large enough to affect baking outcomes. Always confirm which standard your recipe uses and choose the appropriate converter to avoid under- or over-measuring liquids.

Why Convert Cups to mL?

• 🍰 Baking precision: Convert cup-based recipes to exact metric quantities.
• 🥤 Beverage formulation: Standardize drink mixes and syrups for production lines.
• 📦 Labeling & QA: Align US directions with metric packaging requirements.
• 🧪 Lab prep: Translate procedural volumes into mL for glassware and instrumentation.
• 🍳 Home cooking: Use metric jugs and scales without guesswork.

Common Conversions

• 1/4 cup = 59.14706 mL
• 1/3 cup ≈ 78.86275 mL
• 1/2 cup = 118.29412 mL
• 3/4 cup = 177.44118 mL
• 1 cup = 236.58824 mL
• 2 cups = 473.17647 mL
• 4 cups = 946.35295 mL

What is a Cup?

A US cup is a customary cooking measure equal to 8 US fluid ounces. It’s convenient in the kitchen but varies by system (US customary vs metric). For technical work and consistent results, pairing cup measurements with exact mL equivalents avoids ambiguity across regions.

What is a Milliliter?

The milliliter is a metric unit equal to one-thousandth of a liter. It’s standard on packaging, lab instruments, and in healthcare. It pairs naturally with teaspoons (5 mL) and tablespoons (15 mL), and scales to liters (L) for larger volumes.

Step-by-Step: Converting Cups to mL

1. Write down your volume in US cups.
2. Multiply by 236.5882365.
3. Express the result in mL (milliliters).

Example walkthrough:

Input:  1.75 cups
Multiply: 1.75 × 236.5882365 = 414.02940
Output: 414.02940 mL

Precision, Rounding & Significant Figures

For everyday cooking, 1–2 decimals are often enough, but this tool defaults to 5 for high precision. In professional contexts (R&D, QA), match significant figures to your measuring instruments and reporting standards to avoid rounding bias across chained calculations.

Use Cases of Cups → mL

• 🎂 Translating US cookbook recipes for metric kitchens
• 🧃 Converting beverage batch sheets to metric process controls
• 🏷️ Creating dual-unit nutrition labels and instructions
• 🧫 Preparing lab solutions when SOPs list cups or fl oz
• 🍽️ Standardizing portion sizes across international operations

Quick Reference Table

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips for Accurate Kitchen Measuring

• Use a liquid measuring cup at eye level to reduce parallax error.
• Confirm whether a recipe uses US or metric cups before converting.
• For very small amounts, consider teaspoons (5 mL) and tablespoons (15 mL) for repeatable measures.