How many cups are there in a liter?
by Karine Lemoine
A foreign recipe calls for cups of flour, milk, or water, and you're wondering how much that's once your liter of liquid measured?
The difficulty comes from the fact that the “cup” does not have a unique definition in the world, which changes the result slightly.
Table of Contents
Here is the conversion according to the American cup, the one used informally in France, and why a graduated measuring glass remains the most reliable solution.
The standard American cup
In the United States, a cup officially measures 236.6 ml.So one liter is equivalent to about 4.23 American cups. This is the reference to use for any English-speaking recipe that indicates “cups”.
The “cup” in France: an approximate unit
France does not have an official “cup” unit in cooking. In practice, a simplified equivalent of 250 ml per cup is often used, especially in translated recipes or in some countries using the metric system. With this base,1 liter corresponds exactly to 4 cups of 250 ml. The result is therefore slightly different from the American cup, without the discrepancy being annoying for most recipes.
Why prefer a graduated measuring glass
Since two definitions of a cup coexist, the most reliable is to convert directly into milliliters with a measuring cup, rather than guessing which cup is used in the recipe. This prevents discrepancies that can affect the texture of a paste or sauce.
Our tips
►Locate the origin of the recipe
An American recipe (US cup, 236.6 ml) and an Australian or British recipe (often 250 ml) give slightly different results. Check to see if the exact unit is specified.
►Use a measuring glass graduated in ml and cups
Most measuring glasses display both graduations, which makes it easy to switch between units depending on the recipe followed.
►Avoid the coffee cup to measure
A coffee or tea cup does not have a standardized volume and varies from model to model. To stick to a recipe, it is always best to use a glass or a measuring cup.
In summary, one liter represents approximately 4.2 American cups, or 4 250 ml round cups, depending on the definition used in the recipe.
You can also read:How much water does it take to cook basmati riceandHow many tablespoons are there in an ounce.
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