🍳 Cup (US) to Milliliter Converter
Convert cups to grams (ml-equivalent) for baking and cooking. Quick reference table for flour, sugar, butter and more.
1 cup=236.588 ml
Quick Reference: Cup (US) → Milliliter
| cup | ml |
|---|---|
| 0.5 | 118.294 |
| 1 | 236.588 |
| 2 | 473.176 |
| 3 | 709.764 |
| 5 | 1182.94 |
| 10 | 2365.88 |
| 25 | 5914.7 |
| 50 | 11829.4 |
| 100 | 23658.8 |
About this conversion
Converting cups to grams is one of the most common kitchen calculations, especially when you follow a US recipe with metric scales or vice-versa. Because grams measure mass and cups measure volume, the exact gram value depends on the ingredient — but for water-based liquids 1 US cup equals roughly 236.6 grams.
Formula
grams = cups × 236.588 (for water-density ingredients). For flour use ≈120 g/cup, granulated sugar ≈200 g/cup, butter ≈227 g/cup.
Worked example
Recipe asks for 2 cups of milk. 2 × 236.588 ≈ 473 g (≈ 473 ml). For 2 cups of all-purpose flour you would weigh roughly 240 g instead, because flour is far less dense than water.
History & background
The US customary cup (236.588 ml) was standardised in the early 20th century by Fannie Farmer, who pioneered level measurements in American cookbooks. The metric cup used in Australia and New Zealand is 250 ml, while the UK historically used the imperial cup of ~284 ml.
Common use cases
- Adapting US baking recipes to a European kitchen scale
- Scaling recipes up or down accurately
- Following nutrition apps that require gram inputs
- Translating grandma's old cookbook into modern measurements
💡 Quick tips
- Always weigh flour for baking — volume measuring can be off by 20% or more.
- For sticky ingredients (honey, peanut butter) measure by weight to avoid waste.
- Use the spoon-and-level method when you must measure flour by cup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many grams are in 1 US cup of water?+
1 US cup of water weighs approximately 236.6 grams.
Is 1 cup of flour 240 g or 120 g?+
Most US baking references use ≈120 g per cup of all-purpose flour. The 240 g value applies to denser ingredients like sugar.
Are US cups and metric cups the same?+
No. A US cup is 236.588 ml, the metric cup is 250 ml, and the imperial cup is 284 ml.
Why does 1 cup of butter equal 227 g?+
Butter has higher density than water (~0.96 g/ml) and one US cup matches the standard 8 oz (227 g) stick.