Convert Cup to Tablespoon (cup → tbsp)

Converting cups to tablespoons is straightforward: multiply by the conversion factor. Follow these three steps to do it by hand or in your head.

1. 1
   Take your value in cups

   Start with the number of cups (cup) you want to convert.
2. 2
   Multiply by 16.216216

   The conversion factor from cup to tbsp is 16.216216. Multiply your value by this number.
3. 3
   Read the result in tablespoons

   The result is your value in tablespoons (tbsp).

Multiply the value in cups by 16.216216. For the reverse direction, multiply by 0.061667.

• ✓US cup = 240 ml common; 236.6 ml legal; UK cup = 284 ml; metric cup (AU/NZ) = 250 ml.
• ✓Weights (grams) are more reliable than cups — a cup of flour can vary 30% depending on how packed.
• ✓For baking, always use the recipe author's country convention.

• ✗Using a UK 284 ml cup for a US recipe calling for 240 ml — 18% overshoot.
• ✗Treating all dry ingredients as 1 cup = 240 g — only true for water.
• ✗Using a coffee mug as a "cup" — mugs vary 200–400 ml.

What is the Cup?

The US cup equals exactly 240 milliliters (a definition standardized for nutrition labeling; the legal volume for cooking is 236.588 mL, derived from 8 US fluid ounces). The cup is the cornerstone of American baking and home cooking, with virtually every US recipe using volume measurements rather than the weight measurements common in European cooking. Standard measuring-cup sets include 1, ½, ⅓, and ¼ cup sizes. The metric cup (used in Australia, New Zealand, and increasingly in international recipes) is exactly 250 mL — slightly larger than the US cup. The cup relates to the gallon (16 cups = 1 gal), the pint (2 cups = 1 pt), the fluid ounce (8 fl oz = 1 cup), the tablespoon (16 tbsp = 1 cup), and the milliliter (1 cup ≈ 237–240 mL). American baking-by-volume is sometimes criticized internationally for its variability compared to gram-based measurements.

• US cooking and baking recipes
• Cereal and beverage serving sizes in US nutrition labels
• Volume estimation when no scale is available

What is the Tablespoon?

The tablespoon equals exactly 15 milliliters (international culinary standard) or about 14.787 mL (US strict definition based on ½ fluid ounce). The tablespoon is a near-universal cooking measure for ingredients larger than a teaspoon but smaller than a cup — typical uses include oils, sauces, and condiments. The Australian tablespoon is uniquely 20 mL (4 teaspoons rather than 3), an oddity in international recipe interpretation. Standard recipes assume 1 tbsp = 15 mL globally except in Australia and the United States (where it is sometimes 14.787 mL but commonly rounded to 15 mL). The tablespoon relates to the teaspoon (3 tsp = 1 tbsp), the cup (16 tbsp = 1 cup), the fluid ounce (2 tbsp = 1 US fl oz), and the milliliter (1 tbsp = 15 mL conventional). Measuring spoons are calibrated to the local convention.

• Cooking recipes worldwide (dominantly US 15 ml)
• Nutrition-label serving sizes
• Over-the-counter liquid-medication doses