Cup to mL conversion formula
The US cup equals 236.588 milliliters. It is the cornerstone of American recipes — and a classic trap for metric bakers.
The milliliter (mL) is one thousandth of a liter — the standard for drinks, medicine doses and small recipes.
Cup to mL conversion table
| cup | mL |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 236.588 mL |
| 2 cup | 473.176 mL |
| 3 cup | 709.764 mL |
| 5 cup | 1182.94 mL |
| 10 cup | 2365.88 mL |
| 20 cup | 4731.76 mL |
| 25 cup | 5914.7 mL |
| 50 cup | 11829.4 mL |
| 100 cup | 23658.8 mL |
| 250 cup | 59147 mL |
| 500 cup | 118294 mL |
| 1000 cup | 236588 mL |
How to convert cup to mL
- Write down the value in cup you want to convert.
- Multiply it by 236.588 — or use the converter above, which does it instantly.
- Read your result in mL. Done.
Real-world examples
- A US recipe calling for 2 cups of flour means 473 mL — a standard water bottle plus a splash.
- One cup of milk, 237 mL, is exactly the small coffee-shop size in Europe.
- Half a cup of butter (118 mL / 113 g) is one full US stick.
- Same volume, different ingredient, different mass: 1 cup of chocolate chips weighs 170 g, 1 cup of honey 340 g.
Common mistakes
The biggest trap: a cup measures volume, not weight — 1 cup of flour (120 g) and 1 cup of honey (340 g) weigh wildly different amounts. Converting to mL only works for liquids; for dry ingredients you need a gram conversion per ingredient. Second trap: the US cup (236.6 mL) is not the UK imperial cup (284 mL) and not the “metric cup” of Australia (250 mL) — a British recipe's cup is 20% bigger than an American one, which ruins leavened baking. Always check which country the recipe comes from.
Quick mental conversion
Round to 240 mL and multiply: 2 cups ≈ 480, 1.5 cups ≈ 360, ¾ cup ≈ 180 mL. The 1.6% error versus the exact 236.588 is invisible in cooking. For the reverse: divide mL by 240 — a 500 mL carton ≈ a generous 2 cups.
Frequently asked questions
How many mL is 1 cup?
Using the official conversion factor, 1 US cup = 236.588 milliliter. The converter above handles any value instantly.
What is the formula to convert US cup to milliliter?
1 US cup = 236.588 milliliter. Multiply any value in cup by this factor to get mL.
Is this cup to mL converter free?
Yes — 100% free, unlimited, with no sign-up. CalculUnits is funded by non-intrusive ads, never by paywalls.