Cups, Tablespoons, and Teaspoons: Understanding US Cooking Measures
US recipes use cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons while the rest of the world uses milliliters and grams. Learn the exact volumes and how to convert them for any recipe.
Why US Kitchens Use Cups and Spoons
American recipes measure liquids and many dry ingredients by volume: cups, tablespoons (tbsp), and teaspoons (tsp). Most other countries measure with milliliters and liters, and often weigh ingredients in grams for baking precision. Following a metric recipe with US tools means converting these volumes.
The exact links are fixed: 1 US cup = 236.588 mL, 1 tbsp = 14.7868 mL, and 1 tsp = 4.92892 mL. Our US cups to mL converter and tablespoons to mL converter apply them to any amount.
The Exact Volumes
A US cup is 236.588 mL (note: an Australian metric cup is 250 mL, so confirm a recipe's origin). There are 16 tbsp in a cup and 3 tsp in a tbsp, which is why 1 tbsp = 1/2 fl oz = 14.7868 mL and 1 tsp = 1/3 fl oz = 4.92892 mL.
Common Cooking Conversions
1 cup = 236.59 mL. 1/2 cup = 118.29 mL. 1 tbsp = 14.79 mL. 1 tsp = 4.93 mL. For the reverse direction, see our mL to cups guide.
Cups to Grams Depends on the Ingredient
Volume to weight only works if you know density. One cup of flour weighs far less than one cup of sugar. For baking accuracy, a kitchen scale in grams beats cup measures; convert cups to mL first, then weigh on a metric scale.
Practical Tips for Following Metric Recipes
When a recipe lists milliliters, use a metric jug or scale. When it lists grams, weigh directly. Keeping both a cup set and a metric scale handy lets you follow any recipe without guessing, and it removes the most common source of baking inconsistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many mL are in a US cup?
Exactly 236.588 mL. An Australian metric cup is 250 mL, so check the recipe's origin.
How many mL in a tablespoon and teaspoon?
1 US tablespoon = 14.7868 mL and 1 teaspoon = 4.92892 mL.
Why do my cup conversions taste off in baking?
A cup of flour and a cup of sugar weigh different amounts. Weigh in grams for consistent baking results.
How do I follow a metric recipe with US tools?
Convert cups to mL with a converter, or better, use a metric scale and weigh ingredients in grams.
Are US and metric cups the same?
No. A US cup is 236.588 mL; a metric cup (common in Australia) is 250 mL.
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Quick Summary
US cooking measures are volumes: 1 cup = 236.588 mL, 1 tbsp = 14.7868 mL, and 1 tsp = 4.92892 mL, all exact. For baking accuracy, convert to milliliters or weigh in grams rather than relying on cup equivalents.
Related Guide
mL to Cups: Convert Metric Volume to US Baking Measures
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8 oz to mL: What a Standard US Cup Really Holds
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Disclaimer
Unit conversions on this site use internationally recognized, fixed conversion factors (for example, 1 inch = 2.54 cm, 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg, 1 °F = (°C × 9/5) + 32). They are provided for general, informational, and educational use. For applications where accuracy is critical — such as medical dosing, engineering, scientific research, trade, or legal compliance — always verify results against authoritative sources such as the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the official International System of Units (SI) brochure, and follow any applicable local standards.
Exact Constants & Authoritative Sources
Every conversion on this page uses the fixed, internationally agreed constants below — drawn from NIST and the SI Brochure. No values are estimated or rounded as if exact. See the full list on our Sources & Standards page.
- EXACT1 US gallon (gal) = 3.785411784 litres (exact, 231 in³)
- EXACT1 US fluid ounce (fl oz) = 29.5735295625 mL (exact, 1/128 gal)
- EXACT1 US cup = 236.5882365 mL (exact, 8 fl oz)
- EXACT1 US pint (pt) = 473.176473 mL (exact, 16 fl oz)
- EXACT1 US quart (qt) = 946.352946 mL (exact, 32 fl oz)
- EXACT1 litre (L) = 1000 millilitres (definition)
Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
US vs. Imperial (UK) cups
A US cup is 236.59 mL, but a UK/metric cup is 250 mL and an Imperial cup is ~284 mL. Recipes from different countries are not interchangeable drop-in.
Fluid ounce is volume, not mass
A US fl oz is 29.57 mL of volume. 1 fl oz of water ≈ 29.57 g, but 1 fl oz of honey or oil weighs more. Do not treat fluid ounces as grams.
Teaspoon/tablespoon sizes differ
1 US tbsp = 14.7868 mL; 1 US tsp = 4.92892 mL. Metric measuring spoons are 15 mL and 5 mL — close but not exact; for baking precision use weighed grams.
A unit-conversion reference site has no manufacturer-specific or device calibration parameters, so "layered tuning" does not apply here. The only real error-handling is input validation: the converter rejects non-numeric, empty, or out-of-range entries and shows a clear message, then falls back to exact constants above. No estimated or rounded figures are ever presented as exact.
Authoritative sources for this page
- NIST (U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology) — NIST SP 330 — The International System of Units (SI), 2019 edition
- BIPM (International Bureau of Weights and Measures) — SI Brochure — The International System of Units (9th edition)
Last Updated 2026 | This article was reviewed for accuracy