mL to Cups Converter
Convert milliliters to US cups for adapting international recipes to American kitchens.
How It Works
Formula: mL to US cup = value ÷ 236.5882365
Example: 250 mL = 1.056688 US cup
Note: 1 US customary cup equals 236.588 milliliters; divide mL by 236.588 to get cups.
Common Uses
Quick Conversion Table
| mL | US cup |
|---|---|
| 0.5 | 0.0021 |
| 1 | 0.0042 |
| 2 | 0.0085 |
| 4 | 0.0169 |
| 8 | 0.0338 |
| 16 | 0.0676 |
| 32 | 0.1353 |
| 64 | 0.2705 |
Rounding Rule
Rounded to 4 decimal places
Error Margin
±0.01 cup
Precision Guidance
For cooking, round to 2 decimals. For precise baking, keep 3-4 decimals.
Common Mistakes
The US cup (236.59 mL) differs from the metric cup (250 mL) and FDA cup (240 mL). Use the right standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 250 mL in US cups?
250 mL equals 1.0567 US cups using the standard (1 cup = 236.588 mL).
How do I convert mL to cups?
Divide the milliliter value by 236.588. For example, 250 mL ÷ 236.588 = 1.0567 cups.
Is 240 mL one cup?
240 mL is the FDA labeling cup, about 1.014 US customary cups (236.59 mL). They are close but not identical.
Is this the US or metric cup?
This uses the US customary cup (236.59 mL), not the metric cup (250 mL).
Deep Dive Guide
mL to Cups: Convert Metric Volume to US Baking Measures
Convert mL to cups with the exact US formula (1 cup = 236.588 mL). Covers 100 mL, 250 mL, and recipe scaling for everyday American baking.
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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 converter was reviewed for accuracy