Cooking Volume Converter

Cooking volume conversions are where recipe failures are born. A 'cup' is 236.6 ml in US recipes, 250 ml in Australia and New Zealand, 284 ml in the UK, and 200 ml in Japan. A teaspoon is 4.93 ml in the US but 5 ml everywhere else, and a tablespoon is 14.79 ml in the US but 20 ml in Australia. This calculator is tuned for baking and home cooking.

The US cup dates to 1896 (Fannie Farmer's cookbook). She standardized at what became 8 fluid ounces = 236.59 ml. Europe switched to grams for baking in the 20th century because weight is the only way to measure dense ingredients (flour, butter) reproducibly. Japan's cup is 200 ml because it aligns with the go (a traditional rice measure), which is 180 ml × 10/9. These conventions are cultural and stubborn — don't assume an 'American cup' in a British cookbook.

The fluid ounce is also country-dependent. US: 29.57 ml. UK: 28.41 ml (slightly smaller). A '12 oz' can of soda in the US is 355 ml; a '12 oz' can in the UK would be 341 ml. This rarely matters outside chemistry, but it does affect recipe conversions.

Cups to ml: US 1 cup = 236.6 ml, metric 1 cup = 250 ml, UK 1 cup = 284 ml. Tablespoons: US 1 tbsp = 14.79 ml, AU 1 tbsp = 20 ml (15 ml elsewhere). Teaspoons: US 1 tsp = 4.93 ml, elsewhere 5 ml.

For baking, weight beats volume every time. 1 US cup of AP flour is 120-150 g depending on packing method. The 'spoon and level' technique gives ~120 g; the 'scoop' method gives ~150 g. That's a 25% range from the exact same cup. For bread, cookies, and cakes, always weigh.

• Milliliters
• Liters
• Teaspoons (US)
• Tablespoons (US)
• Cups (US)
• Cups (metric)
• Fluid Ounces (US)
• Pints (US)

• Dry vs liquid measuring cups. Same volume, different shapes. Dry cups are meant to be filled to the top and leveled; liquid cups have a pour spout and read at the meniscus. Mixing them up changes the measured amount 5-10%.
• 'Cup' across countries. 200 (JP) - 236.6 (US) - 250 (AU/NZ/metric) - 284 (UK) ml. A 40% spread.
• Tablespoon in Australia. 20 ml, not 15. An American '1 tbsp baking soda' in an Australian recipe is already 25% too much before you start.
• Packed vs unpacked brown sugar. 1 cup packed = ~220 g; unpacked = ~145 g. The recipe writer always meant packed unless it says otherwise.
• '1 stick of butter' (US). 4 oz = 113 g = 8 tbsp = 1/2 cup. Not a thing outside North America.

• 1 US cup = 236.6 ml = 8 fl oz (US).
• 1 metric cup = 250 ml.
• 1 UK cup = 284 ml.
• 1 US tablespoon = 14.79 ml = 3 tsp.
• 1 US teaspoon = 4.93 ml.
• 1 fluid ounce (US) = 29.57 ml.
• 1 cup water = 236.6 ml, weighs 236.6 g.
• 1 cup flour (sifted) = ~120 g; 1 cup flour (packed) = ~150 g.
• 1 cup granulated sugar = 200 g.
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed) = 220 g.
• 1 stick of butter (US) = 113 g = 1/2 cup.

• Buy a kitchen scale. $15, accurate to 1 g, eliminates the volume-unit mess entirely.
• For bread and baking, always weigh. Hydration percentages (water/flour ratio) require it.
• Keep a measuring cup conversion chart inside a kitchen cabinet door.

Related: Cooking Weight Converter · Volume Converter · Concentration Converter.