What is half a cup in mL?

Half a cup equals approximately 118 mL.

Is a metric cup different from a US cup?

Yes, a metric cup is exactly 250 mL, while a US cup is approximately 237 mL.

What is 1/4 cup in mL?

One quarter cup equals approximately 59 mL (often rounded to 60 mL).

What is 2 cups in mL?

2 US cups equals approximately 473 mL, or nearly half a liter.

Why do recipes use different cup sizes?

US cups (237 mL), metric cups (250 mL), and Japanese cups (200 mL) all differ. Always check which system a recipe uses.

Cups to Milliliters Converter | cup to mL Calculator

Conversion Formula

mL = cup × 236.588

To convert US cups to milliliters, multiply the cup value by 236.588. One US cup equals approximately 237 mL.

Complete Guide to Cups (US) to Milliliters Conversion

What is a Cups (US)?

A US cup (customary cup) is a unit of volume used in cooking equal to 8 US fluid ounces, ½ US pint, or approximately 237 milliliters. It is the standard measurement in American recipes.

What is a Milliliters?

A milliliter (mL) is a metric unit of volume equal to 1/1000 of a liter or 1 cubic centimeter. It is used worldwide for precise liquid measurements in cooking, medicine, and science.

How the Conversion Works

The conversion factor 236.588 mL comes from the definition of a US cup as exactly 8 US fluid ounces, which equals 236.5882365 milliliters.

Why This Conversion Matters

Converting cups to milliliters is essential for following American recipes with metric measuring equipment, scaling recipes accurately, and maintaining consistency in baking.

Scientific Context

Milliliters provide more precision than cups, making them preferred for baking where small variations can affect results. Professional kitchens often use grams and mL exclusively.

Step-by-Step Conversion Guide

Follow these steps to convert cups (us) to milliliters manually:

Start with your value in cups (us)

Example: You want to convert 0.5 cup

Apply the conversion formula

Use the formula: mL = cup × 236.588

Calculate the result

0.5 cup = 118.294 mL

✓

Verify your answer

Use our calculator above to double-check your manual calculation.

Quick Mental Math Tip

To convert US cups to milliliters, multiply the cup value by 236.588. One US cup equals approximately 237 mL.

Common Conversions

Cups (US) to Milliliters conversion table
Cups (US) (cup)	Milliliters (mL)	Milliliters → Cups (US)
0.25 cup	59.147	0.25 mL = 0.0011 cup
0.33 cup	78.074	0.33 mL = 0.0014 cup
0.5 cup	118.294	0.5 mL = 0.0021 cup
0.75 cup	177.441	0.75 mL = 0.0032 cup
1 cup	236.588	1 mL = 0.0042 cup
1.5 cup	354.882	1.5 mL = 0.0063 cup
2 cup	473.176	2 mL = 0.0085 cup
3 cup	709.764	3 mL = 0.0127 cup
4 cup	946.352	4 mL = 0.0169 cup
8 cup	1892.704	8 mL = 0.0338 cup

Did You Know?

Professional chefs worldwide rely on precise unit conversions. A recipe that works in cups may fail if measured in tablespoons due to rounding errors.

This converter is used by thousands of people daily for recipe scaling. Bookmark it for instant access.

Popular Cups (US) to Milliliters Conversions

0.25 cup= 59.15 mL 0.33 cup= 78.07 mL 0.5 cup= 118.29 mL 0.75 cup= 177.44 mL 1 cup= 236.59 mL 1.5 cup= 354.88 mL 2 cup= 473.18 mL 3 cup= 709.76 mL 4 cup= 946.35 mL 5 cup= 1182.94 mL 8 cup= 1892.7 mL

When You'll Need This Conversion

Recipe Conversion

Convert American recipes using cups to metric measurements for international cooking.

Nutritional Tracking

Convert serving sizes between cups and mL for accurate calorie and nutrient counting.

Science Experiments

Convert kitchen measurements to precise mL volumes for school science projects.

Pro Tips for Accurate Conversions

Use 240 mL for simplicity

While 236.588 is exact, most recipes work fine with 240 mL per cup—easier for mental math.

Remember common fractions

¼ cup = 60 mL, ⅓ cup = 80 mL, ½ cup = 120 mL, ¾ cup = 180 mL.

Check the recipe origin

Australian recipes use 250 mL cups (metric), US recipes use ~237 mL cups. A 5% difference can matter in baking!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using metric cups for US recipes

A metric cup (250 mL) is 5.5% larger than a US cup (237 mL). In baking, this can affect results.

For US recipes, use 237 mL (or 240 mL) per cup. For metric recipes, use 250 mL.

Measuring flour by cups without sifting

Packed flour weighs more than sifted flour. A "cup" of flour can vary by 20% depending on how it's measured.

For accuracy, weigh flour (1 cup ≈ 120-130g) or use the "spoon and level" method.

History & Background

The cup as a cooking measure developed in the late 19th century in America. Fannie Farmer's 1896 Boston Cooking-School Cook Book popularized standardized cup measurements.

Global Usage Today

Cups are primarily used in the United States, Australia (metric cups), and some Commonwealth countries. Most of Europe, Asia, and South America use grams and milliliters.