Cups to ml Calculator
Convert US cups or metric cups to millilitres instantly. A US cup is 237 ml, a metric cup is 250 ml. Essential for adapting American recipes to a UK kitchen — includes a full sub-unit table for tablespoons and teaspoons.
US Cup Measurement Sub-Units
Cups to Grams: Common Baking Ingredients
The number of grams in a cup varies by ingredient because different foods have different densities. Here is a reference table for the most common baking ingredients:
| Ingredient | 1 US Cup (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plain flour | 120g | Spooned and levelled |
| Caster sugar | 200g | Fine grain |
| Butter | 227g | 2 sticks US |
| Milk | 240g | Approx = 240ml |
| Water | 240g | Approx = 240ml |
| Rice (uncooked) | 185g | Long grain |
| Rolled oats | 90g | Lightly packed |
| Honey | 340g | Very dense |
| Cocoa powder | 100g | Spooned and levelled |
| Icing sugar | 120g | Sifted |
US Cups vs Metric Cups vs UK Measurements
The cup is one of the most commonly misunderstood units in international cooking. There are at least three different "cups" in widespread use around the world, and none of them are the same size:
Why the UK Doesn't Use Cups in Baking
British baking has long favoured weight measurements over volume. This is not mere tradition — it reflects sound baking science. The problem with measuring by cups is that the same volume can contain very different weights of dry ingredient depending on how the ingredient is packed.
Consider flour: a "packed" cup of plain flour can weigh up to 160g, while a "spooned and levelled" cup is only 120g. That 40g discrepancy — a 33% difference — can mean the difference between a tender cake and a dense, dry one. British recipes specify grams precisely: "120g plain flour" is unambiguous, while "1 cup plain flour" is not.
Top UK bakers like Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood consistently advocate for weighing ingredients. Mary Berry has stated in interviews that she would never use cup measurements in her recipes because they lack the precision required for reliable results. The Great British Bake Off uses exclusively gram measurements for this reason.
How to Adapt US Recipes for a UK Kitchen
When working with an American recipe, here are the practical steps for successful adaptation:
- Identify all cup measurements in the recipe and convert to ml or grams using the tables above.
- Use ingredient-specific conversions for dry goods: flour is not the same as sugar by weight per cup.
- Measure liquids in ml using a metric jug — most UK kitchen jugs have ml markings.
- Check oven temperatures: US recipes usually give Fahrenheit (F). To convert to Celsius (C): subtract 32, then multiply by 5/9. 350°F = 176°C (Gas Mark 4).
- Check pan sizes: a US "9-inch round tin" is a 23cm tin in UK terms.
Measuring Cups: Liquid vs Dry Measures
Professional kitchens and serious home bakers distinguish between two types of measuring cups:
Liquid measuring cups are typically made of clear glass or plastic with a pour spout. They are designed to be filled to the measurement line while held level, and you read the measurement from eye level. The extra space above the measurement line prevents spilling.
Dry measuring cups are solid cups (often metal or plastic) that you fill to the brim and level off with a straight edge. They are designed to be filled completely and heaped, then levelled. Using a liquid measuring cup for dry ingredients (or vice versa) introduces measurement error.
In the UK, this distinction rarely matters because British cooks weigh dry ingredients and measure liquids in a jug. But if you are using a set of measuring cups from an American recipe, be aware of which type you have.
Packed vs Sifted Measurements: How Different Are They?
The same cup of flour can have dramatically different weights depending on technique:
- Sifted flour, then measured: approximately 100g per cup (lightest)
- Spoon and level: approximately 120-125g per cup (standard US method)
- Scoop directly from bag: approximately 140-150g per cup
- Packed flour: approximately 155-160g per cup (heaviest)
That's a 60% difference between sifted and packed! This is precisely why UK recipes use grams. "Sift 120g of flour" is perfectly clear; "1 cup sifted flour" could mean anything.
Brown sugar is traditionally measured "packed" in American recipes — you press it firmly into the cup. One packed cup of brown sugar = approximately 200g. One lightly packed cup = approximately 165g. Again, the gram specification eliminates ambiguity.
The Australian Metric Cup: 250 ml
Australia uses the metric cup of 250 ml, adopted when Australia metricated in the 1970s. Australian cookbooks and recipes use 250 ml cups, which are 13 ml larger than US cups. If you are following an Australian recipe and using US-marked measuring cups, you will be underfilling by about 5% per cup.
New Zealand also uses the 250 ml metric cup. The two countries share extensive recipe and cookbook exchange, making the metric cup the de facto standard across Oceania.
For practical purposes: if you have a 250 ml metric cup and an American recipe calls for 2 cups of milk, use 474 ml (2 × 237 ml) rather than 500 ml (2 × 250 ml). The difference is small for liquids but more significant for dry ingredients.
Starbucks Drink Sizes in ml
Starbucks uses Italian-inspired names for their sizes, which can be confusing without ml context:
- Short: 236 ml (8 fl oz) — approximately 1 US cup — only available for hot drinks
- Tall: 355 ml (12 fl oz) — approximately 1.5 US cups
- Grande: 473 ml (16 fl oz) — approximately 2 US cups — the most popular size
- Venti (hot): 591 ml (20 fl oz) — approximately 2.5 US cups
- Venti (iced): 709 ml (24 fl oz) — approximately 3 US cups
- Trenta: 887 ml (30 fl oz) — approximately 3.75 US cups — iced drinks only
Converting US Thanksgiving Recipes for UK Cooks
Thanksgiving recipes are among the most commonly converted in the UK, particularly for expatriate Americans and Britons who have discovered the joy of Thanksgiving cooking. Here are the key conversions for classic Thanksgiving dishes:
- Pumpkin pie filling: 1 cup pumpkin puree = 240g = 240 ml
- Pecan pie: 1 cup pecans = 100g; 1 cup corn syrup = 340g (use golden syrup as substitute)
- Sweet potato casserole: 2 cups mashed sweet potato = approximately 480g
- Cranberry sauce: 1 cup fresh cranberries = 100g
- Turkey brine: 1 cup salt = 288g (kosher salt) or 292g (sea salt)
Related Calculators
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- Pints to Litres Calculator
- Recipe Converter
- Baking Conversion Calculator
- Ounces to Grams Calculator
Frequently Asked Questions
A US customary cup is exactly 236.588 millilitres, commonly rounded to 237 ml. This is the standard cup used in American recipes and on US measuring cups. When a recipe from the US calls for "1 cup", it means 237 ml. Half a cup = 118 ml, a quarter cup = 59 ml.
A US cup is 236.588 ml (approximately 237 ml), while a metric cup is exactly 250 ml. The metric cup is used in Australia, New Zealand, and metric Canada. The difference is about 13 ml per cup, which may be negligible for a small amount of liquid but can be significant when a recipe calls for 4-6 cups of flour.
No. The UK does not use cups as a standard cooking measurement. British recipes use weight measurements (grams) for dry ingredients and millilitres or litres for liquids. This is considered more accurate because the weight of an ingredient per cup varies by how densely it is packed. If you encounter cups in a recipe labelled as British, it has likely been adapted from an American source.
One US cup of plain (all-purpose) flour weighs approximately 120-125 grams when spooned and levelled. However, if you scoop the measuring cup directly into the flour bag, you can pack in up to 150-160 grams. For baking accuracy, always weigh flour in grams with digital kitchen scales. One cup of self-raising flour is also approximately 120g. Bread flour is slightly denser at around 130g per cup.
No, the size of a cup varies by country. The US cup is 236.588 ml. The Australian and New Zealand metric cup is 250 ml. The traditional Canadian cup is 227.3 ml (now 250 ml in metric recipes). The Japanese cup is 200 ml. This inconsistency is a key reason why UK recipes use weight rather than volume for accuracy.
There are 16 US tablespoons in 1 US cup. Each US tablespoon is 14.787 ml (approximately 15 ml). So: 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons = 237 ml. In the UK, a tablespoon is defined as 15 ml (metric tablespoon). Quick reference: 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 15 ml; 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup = 60 ml.