Last updated: Nov 9, 2023
How big is a cup?
The cup is a cooking measure of volume, commonly associated with cooking and serving sizes. Learn how to convert between cups and milliliters
Cups to mLThe cup is a cooking measure of volume, commonly associated with cooking and serving sizes. Learn how to convert between cups and milliliters
Converting cups to milliliters (ml) can be a bit more complex when considering different cup measurements in the US customary, imperial, and metric systems. Each system has its own cup size, so it's important to use the appropriate conversion factor for the specific cup measurement you're dealing with.
US Customary Cup (US cup): In the United States, a standard cup measurement is approximately 236.588236 milliliters (rounded to the nearest thousandth).
Imperial Cup (UK cup): In the UK and some other countries, the imperial cup is different from the US customary cup. It's equivalent to approximately 284.131 milliliters.
Metric Cup (metric cup): In the metric system, a metric cup is equivalent to exactly 250 milliliters.
Here are the conversion factors for each type of cup:
To convert a specific number of cups to milliliters, you should use the appropriate conversion factor based on the type of cups used in your measurements. Keep in mind that using the wrong conversion factor can result in inaccurate measurements, particularly when dealing with recipes or situations where precise volume is essential.
For example, if you have 2 US customary cups, you would use the conversion factor for the US cup:
2 US cups × 236.588236 ml/cup ≈ 473.176472 ml
If you have 2 metric cups, you would use the conversion factor for the metric cup:
2 metric cups × 250 ml/cup = 500 ml
Always double-check which cup measurement is being used in your context to ensure accurate conversions.