Why density matters

Grams measure mass; milliliters measure volume. The density of each ingredient bridges the two. This tool uses common kitchen references (grams per cup) to convert between g and ml accurately.

Step‑by‑step method

1. Select the ingredient to set its reference density (grams per US cup).
2. Convert to ml per gram: ml/g = 236.588 ÷ (grams per cup).
3. Multiply: ml = grams × (ml per gram). For reverse, grams = ml ÷ (ml per gram).
4. Round to 1 decimal place for kitchen use, or leave exact for precision.

US vs Metric cups

US cup = 236.588 ml. A metric cup = 250 ml. Our converter uses the US cup for density references. If your recipe is metric, expect small differences (about 5.7%).

Conversion formulas

• ml per gram (ml/g) = 236.588 ÷ (grams per cup)
• grams per ml (g/ml) = (grams per cup) ÷ 236.588
• grams → ml: ml = grams × (ml/g)
• ml → grams: grams = ml ÷ (ml/g)

Handy density cheats (approx.)

• Water: 1 g ≈ 1 ml (g/ml ≈ 1.0)
• Whole milk: g/ml ≈ 1.03 (slightly heavier than water)
• Vegetable oil: g/ml ≈ 0.92 (lighter than water)

Worked examples

• 200 g flour → ml: flour 120 g/cup → ml/g = 236.588/120 ≈ 1.972. 200 × 1.972 ≈ 394 ml.
• 100 g sugar → ml: sugar 200 g/cup → ml/g = 236.588/200 ≈ 1.183. 100 × 1.183 ≈ 118 ml.
• 113 g butter → ml: butter 227 g/cup → ml/g ≈ 1.043. 113 × 1.043 ≈ 118 ml.

Tips for accuracy

• Ingredient brands vary—use a kitchen scale for strict diets or baking.
• Use the spoon‑and‑level method for flour reference values.
• For liquids like water, 1 ml ≈ 1 g (near room temperature).

Common pitfalls

• Assuming all ingredients have water‑like density (they do not).
• Mixing volume cups and weight ounces (oz) without density.
• Ignoring metric vs US cup differences in older recipes.

Reverse conversion (ml → g)

Find ml/g as above, then compute grams = ml ÷ (ml/g). Example (sugar): ml/g ≈ 1.183 → 300 ml ÷ 1.183 ≈ 254 g.