Cooking Unit Converter
Convert between cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, fluid ounces, millilitres and other kitchen volume units used in recipes.
Written by Rahman · Last reviewed
Quick answer
Cooking conversion runs through the millilitre. One US cup is 236.6 ml, one metric cup is exactly 250 ml and one UK cup is 284.1 ml, so a recipe's cup depends entirely on where it was written. A US tablespoon is 14.79 ml against the metric 20 ml, a gap wide enough to matter in baking.
| Millilitre (mL) | 1 |
| Litre (L) | 0.001 |
| Teaspoon (US) (tsp) | 0.2028841362 |
| Tablespoon (US) (tbsp) | 0.0676280454 |
| Fluid ounce (US) (fl oz) | 0.0338140227 |
| Cup (US) (cup) | 0.004226752838 |
| Pint (US) (pt) | 0.002113376419 |
| Quart (US) (qt) | 0.001056688209 |
| Gallon (US) (gal) | 0.0002641720524 |
| Cup (metric) (cup (metric)) | 0.004 |
| Tablespoon (metric / AUS) (tbsp (metric)) | 0.05 |
| Teaspoon (metric) (tsp (metric)) | 0.2 |
| Fluid ounce (UK) (fl oz (UK)) | 0.03519507973 |
| Cup (UK) (cup (UK)) | 0.003519507973 |
| Pint (UK) (pt (UK)) | 0.001759753986 |
About the Cooking Unit Converter
Recipes are written in whatever volume units the author grew up with: cups in the US, millilitres in much of Europe, tablespoons everywhere. This converter handles all of them so you can follow any recipe without scaling errors.
It also covers the trickier distinctions: a US cup (236.6 ml) is not the same as a metric cup (250 ml) or a UK cup (284 ml). A US tablespoon (14.8 ml) differs from a metric/Australian tablespoon (20 ml). Pick the right unit and the conversion is exact.
Why a cup is not a cup
Volume-based cooking measures were never standardised internationally, so the same word means different amounts depending on where the recipe was written. For most cooking the difference is absorbed by the method; in baking, where ratios matter, it is not.
- US customary cup: 236.6 ml, used in almost all American recipes.
- Metric cup: exactly 250 ml, standard in Australia, New Zealand and much of Europe.
- UK cup: 284.1 ml, based on the imperial pint and now uncommon but still found in older British books.
- US tablespoon: 14.79 ml, against 20 ml for the Australian metric tablespoon.
- US fluid ounce: 29.57 ml, against 28.41 ml for the imperial fluid ounce.
A US cup of flour measured with a metric cup gives about 6% more, and an Australian tablespoon is over a third larger than an American one. Where precision matters, weight is the reliable route: professional baking recipes specify grams for exactly this reason.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many millilitres are in a US cup?
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One US cup equals about 236.59 ml. A metric cup is exactly 250 ml. A UK cup is about 284.13 ml.
How many tablespoons in a cup?
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A US cup is 16 US tablespoons. A metric cup is 12.5 metric tablespoons (each 20 ml). Always check which system your recipe uses.
How do I convert dry ingredients?
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This converter handles volume only. For dry ingredients like flour or sugar, weight-based measurements are more accurate, so use a kitchen scale and the Weight Converter for grams/ounces.
Is there a difference between US and UK fluid ounces?
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Yes. A US fluid ounce is about 29.57 ml; a UK fluid ounce is about 28.41 ml. The difference is small but matters in precise baking.