Convert US Cups to Liters
US cups to liters is the conversion for turning an American recipe measurement into metric. One US cup is exactly 0.2365882365 liters, so the number gets smaller going from cups to liters because the liter is the bigger unit.
US Cups to Liters conversion table
| US Cups (cup) | Liters (L) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.236588 |
| 2 | 0.473176 |
| 3 | 0.709765 |
| 5 | 1.182941 |
| 10 | 2.365882 |
| 20 | 4.731765 |
| 50 | 11.829412 |
| 100 | 23.658824 |
| 500 | 118.294118 |
| 1,000 | 236.588237 |
The formula
To convert US cups to liters, multiply the number of US cups by 0.2365882365:
liters = US cups × 0.2365882365
A worked example
Say you're batch-brewing iced tea and the recipe calls for 6 US cups of water:
6 × 0.2365882365 = 1.42 L
So six cups is a little over 1.4 liters.
Why the exact figure matters
A US cup is pinned to exactly 236.5882365 mL, so cup-to-liter conversions are precise rather than approximate. In baking especially, where a recipe might scale from cups to a metric batch size, using the exact factor keeps ingredient ratios true instead of slowly drifting with each rounding.
When you'll use it
Converting American recipes to metric for scaling up a batch, working out how much a several-cup quantity really is in liters, buying metric-labeled containers to fit a cups-based recipe, and translating US cooking measurements for a metric kitchen.
Frequently asked questions
How many liters are in a US cup?
Exactly 0.2365882365 liters, which is 236.5882365 milliliters. That's the US customary cup, equal to 8 US fluid ounces. It's an exact definition, not a rounded one.
Is a US cup the same as a metric cup?
No. A US cup is about 236.6 mL, while a metric cup (used in Australia and elsewhere) is 250 mL. Using the wrong one throws recipe ratios off, so match the cup to the recipe's origin. This page uses the US cup.
How do I convert several cups to liters at once?
Multiply the number of cups by 0.2365882365. Four cups is about 0.95 L — just under a liter — which is a handy landmark, since 4 US cups make a US quart.