Kitchen Conversions
Milliliters-to-Cups Converter
Convert milliliters to US cups and metric cups, and back again.
Measurement System PreferenceAuto-saved
Currently active across all 60 calculators: US Customary (cups, tbsp, oz, °F, in)
mL
Result
2.11 US cups
About 2 1/8 US cups
500 mLMilliliters
2.11US cups (236.6 mL)
2Metric cups (250 mL)
16.9US fl oz
Recipes from Australia, New Zealand, and Canada usually mean a 250 mL metric cup. US recipes mean a 236.6 mL cup. For most cooking the 5% difference doesn't matter, but it can in baking.
How to use this calculator
- 1Enter the amount in milliliters.
- 2Read it in US cups. Metric cups and fluid ounces are shown too.
- 3Tap "Switch" to convert cups to milliliters.
Tip: Not sure which cup a recipe means? Check where it's from. US recipes use 236.6 mL; Australian and NZ recipes use 250 mL.
How it's calculated
US Cups = mL ÷ 236.588; Metric Cups = mL ÷ 250
We do the math at full precision and only round the final answer, so the numbers you see are as close as kitchen measurements allow. The assumptions and limits are listed alongside.
Worked example
Scenario: A French recipe calls for 500 mL of milk.
Inputs500 mL
Calculation500 ÷ 236.588 = 2.11 US cups; 500 ÷ 250 = 2.00 Metric cups
Result2.11 US cups (or 2.0 Metric cups)
Common questions
Why do European recipes use milliliters instead of cups?
Milliliters mean the same thing everywhere, while "1 cup" depends on which country the recipe comes from.