Milliliters to Cups Converter

A cup is a volume measure, but its size depends on the recipe convention. This calculator divides the entered volume by the selected milliliters per cup. Its US cup uses 236.588 mL, rounded from the NIST conversion factor; its metric cup uses 250 mL. The imperial preset uses 284.131 mL, the volume of ten imperial fluid ounces. The Japanese cooking cup preset uses 200 mL; a Japanese rice cooker's one-gō cup is 180 mL and should not be confused with it.

Presets and recipe labels

The 237 mL preset is a rounded US cup for recipes that explicitly define a cup that way. It is not a standard Chinese cup. If the recipe names no cup size, check its source or measuring vessel before choosing a preset.

cups = volume (mL) ÷ selected cup size (mL per cup)

For 500 mL and the default US preset, 500 ÷ 236.588 = 2.11 US cups after the calculator rounds to two decimal places. If the recipe uses a metric cup, 500 ÷ 250 = 2.00 metric cups. The accompanying fluid-ounce and tablespoon outputs are US measures computed directly from the original mL value, regardless of the selected cup preset.

The form accepts a nonnegative mL value, including zero. It displays results to two decimal places; the display rounding does not make a kitchen vessel more precise. The calculator converts volume, not mass: 250 mL of flour and 250 mL of water do not necessarily weigh the same. For a rice cooker, use its marked 180 mL gō cup or the manufacturer's water lines instead of the 200 mL cooking-cup preset.

Why does 500 mL make two metric cups but more than two US cups?

The metric preset is 250 mL per cup; the US preset is about 236.588 mL per cup. Dividing by a smaller cup size yields a larger cup count.

Can I use the 200 mL preset for Japanese rice?

Only if the recipe explicitly specifies a 200 mL cooking cup. A one-gō rice cup is 180 mL.

• NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.9 lists the US cup and US and imperial fluid-ounce factors.
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand uses 250 mL for a one-cup serving.
• Japan's Ministry of Agriculture distinguishes a 200 mL cooking cup from a 180 mL rice cup.

Last reviewed: 2026-09-28.

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