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Volume Converter

Convert between metric volumes, US/UK gallons, cubic feet and cooking measures (cup, tablespoon, teaspoon) with exact factors.

An English recipe asks for cups, a fuel station sells gallons, waterproofing is bought by the litre — volume spans metric, imperial and the kitchen spoon, and mixing them is where mistakes happen. One input covers all of it here, with the gallon split into US and UK: the two differ by a fifth, and in baking a difference that size decides the outcome.

On conventions: the UK and US gallons differ, roughly 4.546 L against 3.785 L, a gap of 20%; in cooking a cup is taken as 240 mL (US), a tablespoon as 15 mL and a teaspoon as 5 mL. When reading an American or British recipe, establish which system it uses — baking is sensitive to volume, and a scale measuring in grams is the safer instrument.

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How to use

  1. Enter the volume and choose its unit.
  2. Read the value in all the other units.
  3. Check whether a recipe means US or UK measures.
  4. Weigh in grams for anything where precision matters.

How it works

Metric volume units

Metric basis: 1 liter = 1000 milliliters, 1 cubic meter = 1000 liters.

Converting gallons

Gallons differ by system: 1 US gallon = 3.7854 liters, 1 imperial gallon = 4.5461 liters — about 20% apart. Watch for this with imported-car fuel tanks and overseas recipes.

Cooking measures

Cooking measures (US): 1 cup is about 236.6 ml, 1 tablespoon = 14.79 ml, 1 teaspoon = 4.93 ml, and 1 cup = 16 tablespoons.

Code example

JavaScript Millilitres as the hub 

const ML = { ml: 1, l: 1000, m3: 1e6,
             galUS: 3785.411784, galUK: 4546.09,
             cup: 240, tbsp: 15, tsp: 5, ft3: 28316.846592 };

const convert = (v, from, to) => v * ML[from] / ML[to];

convert(2, "cup", "ml");      // 480
convert(1, "galUS", "l");     // 3.785

Python The same coefficients in Python 

ML = {"ml": 1, "l": 1000, "cup": 240, "tbsp": 15, "tsp": 5,
      "galUS": 3785.411784}

convert = lambda v, f, t: v * ML[f] / ML[t]

convert(3, "tsp", "tbsp")    # 1.0 (3 tsp = 1 tbsp)
convert(55, "galUS", "l")    # 208.2 (an oil barrel)

FAQ

Which is bigger, the US or imperial gallon?

The imperial gallon is larger: 4.546 L versus 3.785 L. US gas stations and car tanks use US gallons; the UK and some Commonwealth countries use imperial gallons.

How many liters in a cubic meter?

1 cubic meter = 1000 liters. The "ton" on a water bill is cubic meters: 1 cubic meter of water weighs exactly 1 tonne.

What measure is a cup in a recipe?

A US cup is about 236.6 ml (roughly 240 ml). For flour and sugar, weighing is more accurate — volume measures are heavily affected by how tightly the ingredient is packed.

How do liters and cubic meters convert?

1 cubic meter = 1000 L = 1,000,000 ml; 1 liter = 1 cubic decimeter = 1000 cubic centimeters. So water's volume and weight are nearly equivalent: 1 liter of water is about 1 kg — the origin of "1 tonne of water = 1 cubic meter."

How do US gallon, quart and pint convert?

All based on the US gallon: 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 16 cups, about 3.785 L. The imperial gallon is about 4.546 L, roughly 20% bigger. With imported goods or US recipes, confirm which system is used.

How many milliliters in a tablespoon or teaspoon?

Standard measures: 1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 15 ml, 1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5 ml, 1/2 teaspoon is about 2.5 ml. Australia's tablespoon is 20 ml, an exception. For baking, volume conversion carries significant error — weighing is more accurate.

Are fluid ounces and ounces the same?

No. A fluid ounce (fl oz) is a volume unit, about 29.57 ml in the US; an ounce (oz) is a weight unit, about 28.35 g. One is volume, one is weight — distinguish them when reading recipes, especially American ones.