Cooking Volume Converter
Recipes do not all use the same volume system. A British recipe may give millilitres or an Imperial pint, an American recipe may use US cups and fluid ounces, and some international recipes use a 250 ml metric cup.
Those units are not always interchangeable. This converter keeps Metric, US customary and UK Imperial measurements clearly separated so you can convert the volume your recipe actually uses rather than relying on a vague 'cup' or 'pint' value.
Also approximately
This tool converts volume to volume. Converting cups of flour, sugar or another ingredient into grams requires ingredient density — use the Cups to Grams Converter instead.
How to Use the Cooking Volume Converter
Enter the recipe quantity, choose the source unit and then choose the unit you want to convert to.
The calculator converts the original amount to millilitres internally before calculating the target value.
Labels such as US cup, Metric cup, US fl oz and Imperial fl oz are deliberately explicit because those measurements are different.
If the recipe states its own cup or spoon size, use that definition.
Metric, US and Imperial Are Different Systems
A millilitre is unambiguous.
A 'cup', 'fluid ounce' or 'pint' may not be.
For example:
- 1 US cup ≈ 236.6 ml
- 1 Metric cup = 250 ml
- 1 US fluid ounce ≈ 29.57 ml
- 1 Imperial fluid ounce ≈ 28.41 ml
- 1 US pint ≈ 473.18 ml
- 1 Imperial pint ≈ 568.26 ml
That pint difference is large enough to noticeably change a recipe.
Why US and Imperial Fluid Ounces Differ
Both systems use the term fluid ounce, but they belong to different gallon systems.
A US fluid ounce is approximately:
29.57 ml
An Imperial fluid ounce is approximately:
28.41 ml
That difference is fairly small for one fluid ounce, but it becomes much more noticeable when a recipe uses several cups or pints.
The safest approach is to identify the recipe's measurement system before converting.
US Cup vs Metric Cup
A US customary cup is approximately:
236.59 ml
The metric cup used by this calculator is:
250 ml
That means a recipe written using 250 ml metric cups should not be treated as if it used US cups.
If a recipe simply says 'cup' with no country or volume stated, check the recipe's origin or measurement notes.
Common Volume Reference
| Measurement | Millilitres |
|---|---|
| Metric teaspoon | 5 ml |
| Metric tablespoon | 15 ml |
| Metric cup | 250 ml |
| US teaspoon | 4.93 ml |
| US tablespoon | 14.79 ml |
| US cup | 236.59 ml |
| US fluid ounce | 29.57 ml |
| US pint | 473.18 ml |
| Imperial fluid ounce | 28.41 ml |
| Imperial pint | 568.26 ml |
| 1 litre | 1000 ml |
Values in this table are rounded for kitchen readability. The calculator keeps more precision internally.
Volume Is Not the Same as Ingredient Weight
This tool converts one volume into another volume.
It can tell you:
1 US cup = 236.6 ml
It cannot tell you that one cup of flour has the same number of grams as one cup of sugar.
Different ingredients have different densities.
If you need to convert cups of flour, sugar or another ingredient into grams, use the Cups to Grams Converter instead.
Worked Example — 1 US Cup
A US recipe asks for:
1 US cup
The internal conversion is:
1 × 236.5882365
So:
1 US cup ≈ 236.6 ml
In US fluid ounces:
236.5882365 ÷ 29.5735295625 = 8
So:
1 US cup = 8 US fl oz
In Imperial fluid ounces:
236.5882365 ÷ 28.4130625 ≈ 8.327
So:
1 US cup ≈ 8.33 Imperial fl oz
In Imperial pints:
236.5882365 ÷ 568.26125 ≈ 0.416
So:
1 US cup ≈ 0.416 Imperial pint
Frequently Asked Questions
How many ml are in a US cup?
One US customary cup is approximately 236.59 ml. For everyday kitchen use you will often see this rounded to about 237 ml or 240 ml, but this calculator uses the more precise conversion internally.
Is a UK pint the same as a US pint?
No. An Imperial pint is about 568.26 ml, while a US liquid pint is about 473.18 ml.
Is a US fluid ounce the same as an Imperial fluid ounce?
No. A US fluid ounce is about 29.57 ml and an Imperial fluid ounce is about 28.41 ml.
How many ml are in a tablespoon?
It depends on the measurement system. This converter uses 15 ml for a metric tablespoon and about 14.79 ml for a US tablespoon.
Can I convert cups of flour to grams using this tool?
No. Cups measure volume while grams measure mass, so the answer depends on the ingredient's density. Use the Cups to Grams Converter for ingredient-specific weight conversions.
What is a metric cup?
For this converter, a metric cup is exactly 250 ml. It is different from a US cup, which is approximately 236.59 ml.