WorldCalcs

Cooking Measurement Converter

Convert cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, mL, ounces and grams — with ingredient weights for accurate baking.

Reviewed by the WorldCalcs team · Methodology · Last reviewed: June 2026

Result

1 cup = 236.5882365 milliliter (mL)

What this converter does

This cooking converter handles three different kinds of conversion in one tool: volume to volume (cups, tablespoons, fluid ounces, mL, liters), weight to weight (grams, kilograms, ounces, pounds), and volume to weight for common baking ingredients. Volume and weight aren't interchangeable — a cup is a unit of space, a gram is a unit of mass — so the volume-to-weight conversion picks up the density of the specific ingredient you're using.

For raw unit conversion of liquids, the volume converter covers the same units. For weights without an ingredient, see the weight converter. If you're comparing pack sizes at the supermarket, the unit price calculator works in either system.

Why baking is more accurate by weight

Cup measurements vary a lot in practice. A cup of flour can weigh anywhere from about 110 g to 150 g depending on whether you scoop, spoon and level, or pack it. That swing — about 30% — is enough to noticeably change a cookie or bread recipe. Using grams removes the guesswork: 120 g is 120 g no matter how it ended up in the bowl. Professional baking recipes are almost always written by weight for this reason.

Worked examples

Volume → volume. 1 cup = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp = 8 fl oz = 236.5882365 mL. A pint is 2 cups, a quart is 4 cups, and a US gallon is 16 cups. 250 mL is about 1.057 cups — slightly more than a US cup.

Weight → weight. 1 lb = 16 oz = 453.59237 g. 500 g converts to about 17.637 oz, and 1 kg is about 2.205 lb. These factors are exact international definitions.

Volume → weight. 1 cup of all-purpose flour is 120 g, so 2 cups are 240 g and 1 tablespoon is about 7.5 g. Sugar is denser — 1 cup of granulated sugar is 200 g. Honey is denser still: 1 cup is 336 g.

Ingredient weights

The Mode C densities come from the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart, which is a widely used reference for US baking. Where King Arthur lists more than one number (for example sifted vs unsifted confectioners' sugar), this calculator uses the unsifted, lightly-spooned figure as the default.

All calculations happen in your browser. Nothing is sent, stored, or tracked.

Results are estimates and may contain errors — for general information only, not professional advice. Always verify before relying on them. Disclaimer

How to use

Pick a conversion mode, type a number, and choose your units. Results update as you type.

Volume ↔ Volume is exact (1 cup is always 236.5882365 mL). Weight ↔ Weight is also exact (1 lb is always 453.59237 g). Volume ↔ Weight needs an ingredient because the weight of a cup depends on what's in it — a cup of flour is much lighter than a cup of honey.

Frequently asked questions

How many tablespoons are in a cup?+

Exactly 16 US tablespoons. One US cup is 236.5882365 mL and one tablespoon is 14.78676478125 mL, so 236.5882365 ÷ 14.78676478125 = 16. There are also 48 teaspoons in a cup, because 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons.

How many grams are in a cup of flour?+

About 120 g for both all-purpose flour and bread flour, using the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart. That means 1/2 cup is 60 g, 1 tbsp is about 7.5 g, and 250 g of flour is roughly 2.08 cups. Spoon-and-level lightly into the cup — packing or scooping can add 20–30 g per cup.

How many grams are in a cup of sugar?+

Granulated white sugar is 200 g per US cup. Packed brown sugar is denser at about 213 g per cup, and unsifted confectioners' (powdered) sugar is lighter at about 113 g per cup.

How many mL are in a cup?+

One US cup is exactly 236.5882365 mL. Many recipes round this to 240 mL, and the metric cup used in Australia and parts of Europe is 250 mL — slightly larger than the US cup.

How do I convert cups to grams?+

Multiply the number of cups by the grams-per-cup density of the ingredient. For example, 2 cups of all-purpose flour at 120 g/cup is 240 g. Pick the ingredient in Mode C above and the calculator does this for you, including for tablespoons, teaspoons and mL.

How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?+

Three teaspoons make one tablespoon in both US and metric systems. So 1 tbsp = 3 tsp, 1/2 tbsp = 1.5 tsp, and 1 cup (16 tbsp) is 48 tsp.

How many ounces are in a cup?+

Eight US fluid ounces in a US cup — that's a volume measure, not a weight. The weight of a cup of liquid in ounces depends on the liquid: a cup of water weighs about 8.33 oz, but a cup of honey weighs about 11.85 oz.

Is a cup of flour the same weight as a cup of sugar?+

No. A cup is a unit of volume, not weight. A cup of all-purpose flour is about 120 g, but a cup of granulated sugar is about 200 g — roughly 67% heavier — because the two ingredients have very different densities. This is why baking by weight is more reliable than by cups.

References

  • King Arthur Baking — Ingredient Weight Chart (grams per US cup for flour, sugar, butter, honey and other baking ingredients).

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