Volume Converter
Convert mL, L, US cups, metric cups, US/Imperial gallons, pints, and quarts. Keeps US and Imperial separate.
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About this tool
Converts between metric, US customary, and Imperial volume units. Volume is the trickiest unit category for Canadians because US and Imperial use the same names (cup, pint, gallon) for different sizes. This tool keeps them separate.
Cups: which one?
There are three different "cups" you might encounter:
- US cup: 236.588 mL. The standard for almost all online recipes, US cookbooks, and American measuring cups sold in Canada.
- Metric cup: 250 mL exactly. Canada's official metric cup, used in some Canadian cookbooks and bilingual labels.
- Imperial cup: 284 mL. Now rare; basically deprecated even in the UK.
If a recipe uses cups without specifying, assume US cup (236.588 mL) unless the recipe is explicitly Canadian or Australian (250 mL).
Gallons: don't mix them up
A US gallon is 3.785 L; an Imperial gallon is 4.546 L — that's 20% more. Important for cross-border fuel comparisons, tank capacities, and any British/Canadian recipe predating metrification. Tank-size specs on Canadian products are usually metric (litres) but boat and RV specs often quote both US and Imperial gallons.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I tell which cup a recipe is using?
- If the recipe is from a major US source (Food Network, Bon Appétit, etc.) or any of the big cookbooks, it's a US cup. Canadian cookbooks vary — older ones use the Imperial cup, newer ones use the 250 mL metric cup. If unsure, US cup (236.588 mL) is the safest guess.
- Are US and Imperial fluid ounces the same?
- Close but not identical: US fl oz = 29.574 mL, Imperial fl oz = 28.413 mL. The difference is small (~4%) but adds up for larger volumes. Imperial pint = 20 Imperial fl oz; US pint = 16 US fl oz, which is why the Imperial pint of beer is bigger than the US pint.
- Why is the British pint bigger than the American pint?
- They're different units that happen to share a name. UK pint = 568 mL; US pint = 473 mL. The UK pint is about 20% larger. When you order a "pint" in a Canadian pub, you might be getting either — depends on the bar.
- Does Canada use US or Imperial gallons?
- Officially Canada is metric (litres). When gallons are mentioned in a Canadian context — usually older — it's Imperial. But fuel-economy comparisons on US websites use US gallons, so always check the source.
Last updated: May 17, 2026