A cup is a volume measurement used in cooking. 1 US cup = 240ml. 1 UK imperial cup = 284ml. Most modern recipes use US cups. In the UK, we typically measure in grams (weight) and millilitres (volume) instead.
If you've ever followed an American recipe, you've seen measurements like "1 cup of flour" or "½ cup of sugar." But what exactly is a cup, and how does it compare to UK measurements?
A cup is a standardised volume measurement used primarily in the United States, Canada, and Australia for cooking and baking. It measures how much space an ingredient takes up, not how much it weighs.
Key facts:
When you see "cup" in a recipe without specification, it usually means a US cup (240ml).
| Measurement | Volume (ml) | Where Used |
|---|---|---|
| US Cup | 240ml | United States, most online recipes |
| UK Imperial Cup | 284ml | Old British cookbooks (rarely used today) |
| Metric Cup | 250ml | Australia, New Zealand |
Important: The UK imperial cup (284ml) is outdated. Modern UK recipes use grams and millilitres instead. If you're following an American recipe, assume it's a US cup (240ml).
The UK adopted the metric system for cooking in the 1960s-70s. We now measure:
Why grams are better:
Liquids have a direct volume conversion:
You need to convert to grams, and the conversion depends on density:
| Ingredient | 1 Cup (g) |
|---|---|
| Flour | 125g |
| Sugar (granulated) | 200g |
| Butter | 227g |
| Rice (uncooked) | 185g |
| Oats | 90g |
See our complete guide: How Many Grams Is 1 Cup?
In the UK: No. Use digital kitchen scales instead (£10-15 on Amazon). They're more accurate and work for all ingredients.
If you cook from US recipes often: You can buy US measuring cup sets on Amazon UK for convenience, but it's still more accurate to convert to grams.
If you do use cups:
Recipes often use fractions of a cup. Here's what they mean in ml:
| Fraction | US Cup (ml) | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 240ml | 16 tbsp |
| ¾ cup | 180ml | 12 tbsp |
| ⅔ cup | 160ml | 11 tbsp |
| ½ cup | 120ml | 8 tbsp |
| ⅓ cup | 80ml | 5 tbsp |
| ¼ cup | 60ml | 4 tbsp |
| ⅛ cup | 30ml | 2 tbsp |
No. A standard mug holds 250-350ml, while a US cup is exactly 240ml. Don't use a mug for recipe measurements.
Yes! UK measuring jugs show millilitres. Just use the conversions above (1 cup = 240ml).
The US never adopted the metric system, so they measure volume (cups) for both liquids and solids. It's less accurate but more convenient for home cooks without scales.
In the US, they sell separate cups for dry (scoopable, level top) and liquid (transparent jug with spout) ingredients. In the UK, we just use one measuring jug for liquids and scales for solids.
If you're tracking nutrition with an app like NutraSafe, always measure in grams. UK food labels show nutrition per 100g, making it easy to calculate:
Example: If you eat 50g of oats:
Cup measurements make nutrition tracking less accurate because volume varies.
A cup is simply a volume measurement (240ml for US recipes). In the UK, we prefer grams for dry ingredients and millilitres for liquids because they're more accurate and consistent.
If you're following American recipes, use our cup-to-gram conversion guide or invest in digital kitchen scales for perfect results every time.
← Back to BlogLast updated: February 2026