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Milliliters to cups is the conversion you reach for when working from a metric recipe in an American kitchen — translating European or Australian recipes into US cup measures. This calculator gives you the exact cup equivalent for any milliliter value.
How to convert mL to cups
One US cup equals 236.588 milliliters, so 1 mL equals about 0.00423 cups. To convert milliliters to US cups, divide by 236.588.
Worked example: 250 mL in cups is calculated as 250 / 236.588 ≈ 1.057 cups. So 250 mL is just over 1 US cup.
Which cup are you converting to?
Different countries use different "cups":
- US cup: 236.588 mL — standard in most American recipes (this calculator).
- US legal cup: 240 mL — used on US nutrition labels.
- Metric cup: 250 mL — common in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and modern UK recipes.
- Imperial cup: 284 mL — older British recipes.
If you are converting for a metric-cup recipe, divide by 250 instead. The handy 250 mL ≈ 1 metric cup approximation makes mental math very simple.
What is the mL to cups formula?
The formula for converting milliliters to US cups is:
cups = mL / 236.588
How do I convert cups to mL?
To convert US cups to milliliters, multiply by 236.588:
mL = cups × 236.588
Or use our cups to mL calculator.
Smaller measurements
For smaller mL values, these tablespoon and teaspoon equivalents are helpful:
- 5 mL ≈ 1 teaspoon
- 15 mL ≈ 1 tablespoon
- 30 mL ≈ 2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce)
- 60 mL ≈ 1/4 cup
- 120 mL ≈ 1/2 cup
- 240 mL ≈ 1 cup (US legal)
- 250 mL = 1 metric cup
ML to Cups Conversion Table
This table shows common values in milliliters and their equivalent in US cups.
| Milliliters (mL) | US Cups |
|---|---|
| 50 | 0.211 |
| 100 | 0.423 |
| 150 | 0.634 |
| 200 | 0.845 |
| 250 | 1.057 |
| 300 | 1.268 |
| 400 | 1.691 |
| 500 | 2.113 |
| 600 | 2.536 |
| 750 | 3.170 |
| 1000 | 4.227 |
| 1500 | 6.340 |
| 2000 | 8.454 |