How Many mL in a Cup?

The answer depends on which cup standard you mean. One US customary cup = 236.588 mL (often rounded to 240 mL on nutrition labels). One metric cup = 250 mL exactly, the standard in Australia and New Zealand. One UK/imperial cup = 284 mL, based on the imperial pint. Most online recipes use the US cup, so 236.588 mL is the value you want unless a recipe says otherwise.

Cup to mL Chart

These values use the US customary cup (1 cup = 236.588 mL). Numbers are rounded to one decimal place for kitchen use.

Which Cup Should You Use?

US recipes use the US customary cup of 236.588 mL. This is the default for the vast majority of American cookbooks, food blogs, and packaging. Many sources simplify it to 240 mL, and the difference of about 3 mL per cup rarely matters for cooking.

Australia and New Zealand use the metric cup of exactly 250 mL. If a recipe lists volumes in round metric numbers — 250 mL, 125 mL, 60 mL — assume the metric cup. Using a 250 mL cup for a US recipe adds roughly 5 percent more volume, which can matter in baking.

UK recipes rarely rely on cups at all; they favor grams and milliliters measured on a scale. When a UK cup is referenced, it equals about 284 mL, derived from the imperial pint of 568 mL.

Quick Reference

Here is how the three cup standards compare for a full cup and a half cup.

For exact figures with any fraction or unit, use our cooking converter — it handles cups, milliliters, tablespoons, and grams with professional precision.