Convert Cup to Teaspoon (cup → tsp)
The US cup equals 240 milliliters and is the cornerstone of American recipe measurements and home baking.
Cup to Teaspoon Conversion Table
10 common values| Cup | Teaspoon |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 48.692208 tsp |
| 2 cup | 97.384417 tsp |
| 5 cup | 243.46104 tsp |
| 10 cup | 486.92208 tsp |
| 20 cup | 973.84417 tsp |
| 50 cup | 2,434.6104 tsp |
| 100 cup | 4,869.2208 tsp |
| 200 cup | 9,738.4417 tsp |
| 500 cup | 24,346.104 tsp |
| 1,000 cup | 48,692.208 tsp |
How to Convert Cup to Teaspoon Manually
Step by StepConverting cups to teaspoons is straightforward: multiply by the conversion factor. Follow these three steps to do it by hand or in your head.
- 1Take your value in cupsStart with the number of cups (cup) you want to convert.
- 2Multiply by 48.692208The conversion factor from cup to tsp is 48.692208. Multiply your value by this number.
- 3Read the result in teaspoonsThe result is your value in teaspoons (tsp).
Formula
Multiply the value in cups by 48.692208. For the reverse direction, multiply by 0.020537.
tsp = cup × 48.692208cup = tsp × 0.020537Tips
Use these in everyday conversions- 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.
Common Mistakes
Avoid these- 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.
About Cup and Teaspoon
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
1 cup of water = 240 g = 240 ml. 1 cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 125 g. A Starbucks Tall is 12 fl oz = 1.5 cups.
What is the Teaspoon?
The teaspoon equals exactly 5 milliliters (international culinary standard) or about 4.929 mL (US strict definition based on 1/3 of a tablespoon). The teaspoon is the smallest standard cooking measure, used worldwide for spices, baking soda, vanilla extract, salt, and small ingredient quantities. A flat (level) teaspoon is the recipe convention; rounded or heaping teaspoons are inconsistent and avoided in serious cooking. The teaspoon is also a medical unit: many liquid medications are dosed in teaspoons (5 mL standard). The teaspoon relates to the tablespoon (1 tbsp = 3 tsp), the cup (48 tsp = 1 cup), the milliliter (1 tsp = 5 mL conventional), and the fluid ounce (6 tsp = 1 fl oz). Standardized 5-mL measuring spoons are available globally to avoid the variability of household teaspoons (which range from 2 to 7 mL).
- Baking powder, salt and spices in recipes
- Over-the-counter liquid-medicine dosing
- Coffee and tea sweetener measurements
1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 g = 16 calories. Salt in a recipe often ½ to 1 tsp per 500 g food.