In U.S. measures, 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons = 8 fluid ounces, and 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons. In metric, a U.S. cup is exactly 236.59 mL, a tablespoon 14.79 mL and a teaspoon 4.93 mL. NIST's metric kitchen chart rounds these to 240 mL per cup, 15 mL per tablespoon and 5 mL per teaspoon, which is what most recipes use.
This converter gives both: the exact value, and the recipe-rounded value from the NIST chart whenever you convert between U.S. and metric. For ¾ cup that is 177.4 mL exactly, or about 180 mL in a recipe.
How to use the cooking measurement converter
- Enter the amount as a decimal (¾ = 0.75, ⅓ = 0.333).
- Choose the measure you have and the one you want.
- Use the exact value for scaling or baking precision and the rounded value when measuring with metric cups and spoons.
- Check "In spoons" for small amounts.
Formula
Volume measures are not weights. A cup of flour and a cup of water weigh very different amounts, so convert to grams only with an ingredient-specific density.
Worked example
A recipe calls for ¾ cup of milk. How much is that in mL and in tablespoons?
- Exact: 0.75 × 236.5882 mL = 177.4 mL.
- Recipe-rounded: 0.75 × 240 mL = 180 mL.
- In spoons: 0.75 × 16 = 12 tbsp = 36 tsp.
Cups, spoons and ounces
| Cups | Tbsp | Tsp | Fl oz | mL (exact) | mL (rounded, 240 mL cup) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 59.1 | 60 |
| 1/3 | 5 1/3 | 16 | 2 2/3 | 78.9 | 80 |
| 1/2 | 8 | 24 | 4 | 118.3 | 120 |
| 2/3 | 10 2/3 | 32 | 5 1/3 | 157.7 | 160 |
| 3/4 | 12 | 36 | 6 | 177.4 | 180 |
| 1 | 16 | 48 | 8 | 236.6 | 240 |
Recipes from other countries may use different cup and spoon sizes; check the recipe's own conventions. For oven temperatures, use the temperature converter; for larger volumes like gallons and cubic feet, the volume converter; for ounces and grams by weight, the weight converter.
Scaling a recipe
To halve or double a recipe, multiply each amount by the scale factor and then convert to convenient measures. Small amounts are easiest in spoons: ⅓ cup halved is 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (16 tsp ÷ 2 = 8 tsp). Use 1 cup = 16 tbsp and 1 tbsp = 3 tsp to break amounts down.
| Amount | Half | Double |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | ½ cup (8 tbsp) | 2 cups |
| ¾ cup | 6 tbsp | 1½ cups |
| ⅓ cup | 2 tbsp + 2 tsp | ⅔ cup |
| ¼ cup | 2 tbsp | ½ cup |
| 1 tbsp | 1½ tsp | 2 tbsp |
Caveats and assumptions
- U.S. customary measures; other countries' cups and spoons may differ.
- Converts volume only, not volume to weight.
- The rounded column follows NIST's published chart, so the rounded pint and quart are not exact multiples of the rounded cup.
Frequently asked questions
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
16 tablespoons (48 teaspoons).
How many mL are in a cup?
A U.S. cup is 236.59 mL exactly; recipes and NIST's kitchen chart round it to 240 mL.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
3 teaspoons.
How many fluid ounces are in a cup?
8 U.S. fluid ounces.
How many tablespoons are in 1/4 cup?
4 tablespoons.
Is a fluid ounce the same as an ounce by weight?
No. Fluid ounces measure volume; ounces measure weight. They only roughly match for water-like liquids.
How many cups are in a quart?
4 U.S. cups (2 pints).
How many mL is a tablespoon?
14.79 mL exactly for a U.S. tablespoon; recipes round it to 15 mL.
How many cups is 500 mL?
2.11 U.S. cups exactly, or about 2.08 cups using the rounded 240 mL cup.
Sources
- NIST Metric Kitchen — Cooking Measurement Equivalencies — rounded metric equivalents (5 mL, 15 mL, 240 mL, 950 mL, 3.84 L)
- NIST SP 811 Appendix B.9 — Conversion factors — exact cup, tablespoon, teaspoon and fluid ounce factors
This calculator gives estimates for planning and education. Check measurements, local codes, supplier specs and your school's official policy before relying on a result. See our disclaimer and how we build and check calculators.