Convert Cup (US) to Milliliter
Conversion Formula
mL = cup × 236.588To convert Cup (US) to Milliliter, use the formula above. This is the standard conversion factor used worldwide.
Conversion Table
| Cup (US) (cup) | Milliliter (mL) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 236.5880 |
| 2 | 473.1760 |
| 4 | 946.3520 |
| 8 | 1892.7040 |
Why convert Cup (US) to Milliliter
American recipes measure by volume in cups, but a kitchen scale or an international recipe expects milliliters, so bakers need a precise figure, since cup measures are already less precise than weighing ingredients. Nutrition labels complicate the picture: the FDA's serving size rules use a 'cup' that isn't quite the same volume as the one in your kitchen drawer.
Where the number comes from
This page uses the US customary cup, what your standard American measuring cup set holds, equal to 236.5882365 milliliters, one sixteenth of a US gallon. That's distinct from the US legal cup on nutrition labels, fixed at exactly 240 milliliters, the metric cup used in Australia and New Zealand at 250 milliliters, and the older UK imperial cup at roughly 284 milliliters, four values all called simply 'a cup.'
Quick reference
| 1 US customary cup | 236.588 mL | this page's default, what a US measuring cup holds |
| 1 US legal cup | 240 mL | fixed by FDA regulation for nutrition labeling |
| 1 metric cup | 250 mL | used in Australia, New Zealand, and many international recipes |
| 1 UK imperial cup | 284.131 mL | older UK standard, largely replaced by metric measures today |
| 0.5 cup | 118.29 mL | |
| 2 cups (1 US pint) | 473.18 mL |
Common mistakes
- Following an Australian or UK recipe with a US measuring cup, or the reverse, introduces an error of 5 to 20 mL per cup depending on which definitions you've crossed, small on one cup but compounding across four or five.
- Reading a nutrition label's 'per cup' serving size as if it matches your measuring cup is a second mix-up, since the label's legal cup, 240 mL, isn't identical with the customary cup, 236.6 mL, you'd use to cook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cup does this page convert, and why does it matter?
The US customary cup, 236.588 mL, the one an American measuring cup set actually holds. A metric cup (250 mL) or UK imperial cup (284 mL) will throw off a recipe if you assume they're the same.
Why does a nutrition label's cup differ from my measuring cup?
Food labeling regulations fix the 'cup' at exactly 240 mL for consistency across products, a value close to but not identical with the 236.588 mL customary cup you'd use to actually prepare the food, a small gap that rarely matters for cooking but explains why the numbers don't match perfectly.
Can I use a US measuring cup for an Australian recipe?
Not precisely. An Australian metric cup is 250 mL against the US cup's 236.588 mL, a difference of about 5.6 percent that adds up over several cups in a recipe, so it's worth converting rather than assuming they match.
How many milliliters is a standard coffee mug?
Most US coffee mugs hold 8 to 12 US fluid ounces, about 237 to 355 mL, roughly 1 to 1.5 cups, though mug sizes vary enough that this is a rough reference rather than a fixed conversion.