THE HANDY LITTLE TOOL
Milliliters to cups.
The right amount starts with the right cup.
Volume only. For grams, use an ingredient-specific measurement.
Choose the cup first
A US customary cup is approximately 236.588 ml, so 500 ÷ 236.588 is about 2.11 cups. A 250 ml metric cup gives exactly 2 cups. A recipe using a rounded 240 ml cup gives about 2.08 cups.
Measure directly when you can
For a recipe that specifies 500 ml of liquid, use the 500 ml mark on a graduated jug. Place it on a level surface and read the scale at eye level. This avoids rounding the amount to a convenient fraction of a cup.
Volume is not weight
Milliliters and cups measure volume. Grams measure mass. You cannot turn 500 ml of flour, oil and water into the same number of grams without knowing each ingredient’s density. Use a scale when the recipe specifies grams.