Volume Converter
Convert ml, liters, cups, fluid ounces, spoons, and gallons for cooking.
What it does
Kitchen volume runs on cups and spoons while bottles and fuel run on liters and gallons, and recipes cross the border constantly. The bridge is the milliliter: one US cup holds 236.588 ml, one tablespoon 14.7868, one teaspoon a third of that.
The tool above converts between milliliters, liters, teaspoons, tablespoons, fluid ounces, cups, and US gallons. Pick both ends, enter the value, and read every equivalent below the answer.
Cups are national. The US cup is 236.588 ml, the metric cup used in Commonwealth recipes is 250 ml, and the old imperial cup is 284 ml. A recipe that just says cups usually means its own country cup, which shifts flour and liquid by five percent.
Spoons stay safer. US teaspoons and tablespoons match the metric five and fifteen milliliters within a percent, so spoon measures travel well across borders.
How to use
- Enter the value in the source unit.
- Pick source and target units.
- Read the converted line and scan all units for the rest.
- For baking, weigh flour in grams instead. Cups of flour vary by scoop.
Formula
- 236.588
- Milliliters in one US legal cup (240 ml on nutrition labels, close but not equal).
- 29.5735
- Milliliters in one US fluid ounce, two tablespoons.
- 3785.41
- Milliliters in one US gallon. Imperial gallons hold 4546 ml.
US nutrition labels round the cup to 240 ml for simplicity, which drifts recipes by about one percent. Serious baking weighs instead: 120 g per cup of flour is the common standard.
Worked example
Example: 2 cups to milliliters
Value 2, from US cups, to milliliters.
- Multiply: 2 x 236.588 = 473.176 ml.
- Result: 2 cups = 473.176 ml.
- In liters: 473.176 / 1000 = 0.4732 L.
- In tablespoons: 473.176 / 14.7868 = 32 tbsp.
Reference table
| Unit | Milliliters | Cups |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tsp | 4.93 ml | 0.021 cups |
| 1 tbsp | 14.79 ml | 0.0625 cups |
| 1 fl oz | 29.57 ml | 0.125 cups |
| 1 cup | 236.59 ml | 1 cup |
| 1 pint (2 cups) | 473.18 ml | 2 cups |
| 1 quart (4 cups) | 946.35 ml | 4 cups |
| 1 US gallon | 3785.41 ml | 16 cups |
Limits
- US customary units. Imperial gallons, pints, and cups differ.
- Volume is not weight. A cup of honey outweighs a cup of flour.
- Nutrition label cups round to 240 ml, slightly above the true cup.
- Fuel and aquariums may quote imperial gallons in Commonwealth countries.
Common mistakes
- Swapping US and imperial gallons, a 20% error.
- Weighing liquids on food scales without density.
- Scooping flour with the cup. Spoon and level, or weigh 120 g.
- Reading dessert spoons as tablespoons. They differ.
- Halving odd thirds by eye instead of converting to ml first.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
500 ml in cups?
500 / 236.588 = 2.11 cups.
1 gallon in liters?
3785.41 / 1000 = 3.7854 L.
Questions
How many ml in a cup?
236.588 ml in a US cup, 250 ml in a metric cup. Check the recipe country.
How many cups in a liter?
About 4.23 US cups. A liter plus a cup covers most dough recipes.
Tablespoons per cup?
Sixteen. Three teaspoons make one tablespoon.
Fluid ounces vs ounces?
Fluid ounces measure volume (29.57 ml). Ounces measure weight (28.35 g).
Why do bakers weigh flour?
Cup scoops vary 20% with packing. 120 g per cup repeats exactly.
US or imperial gallon?
US holds 3.785 L, imperial 4.546 L. Fuel economy math must pick the right one.