Cups to Tablespoons Converter (cup to tbsp)
1 cup = 16 tbsp exactly in US measures. Convert cups to tablespoons for small batches and odd fractions such as ⅓ cup, with cup and tbsp charts.
Tablespoon (tbsp) = Cup (cup) × 16
US customary volumes; ingredient estimates use 125 g flour, 200 g granulated sugar and 226.796185 g butter per cup. Ingredient-to-ingredient results compare equal volumes, not recipe substitutions.
Cup (cup): The US customary cup used in American recipes holds 8 US fluid ounces or 16 tablespoons, exactly 236.5882365 mL. US nutrition labels round it to 240 mL, and the metric cup used in Australia and many other countries is 250 mL.
Tablespoon (tbsp): The US tablespoon is half a US fluid ounce, exactly 14.78676478125 mL, and holds 3 teaspoons; 16 tablespoons make a cup. An Australian tablespoon is larger at 20 mL, so check which one a recipe uses.
| Cup (cup) | Tablespoon (tbsp) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 16 |
| 5 | 80 |
| 10 | 160 |
| 25 | 400 |
| 50 | 800 |
| 100 | 1600 |
A US cup is 16 tablespoons, which makes this the conversion for awkward fractions and missing measures: ⅓ cup comes out as 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon, while ⅛ cup is a neat 2 tablespoons. It also helps when shrinking a recipe until the cup amounts are too small to read on a measuring jug, or when a recipe gives butter in cups and the wrapper is marked only in tablespoons.
Cups differ more between countries than spoons do. The US customary cup is about 236.6 mL, US nutrition labels round it to 240 mL, Australia and Canada use 250 mL, and Japanese recipes use 200 mL. A 250 mL cup holds almost 17 US tablespoons, so in recipes with several cups of an ingredient the difference adds up.
How to use this tool
- Type a value in the Cup box to see it in tablespoons, or type in the Tablespoon box to convert the other way.
- Press ⇄ to swap the two units, or Load example for a typical value.
- Check the charts below for common values; for other units, open the Cooking Measure converter.
Formula
Tablespoon (tbsp) = Cup (cup) × 16
Cup (cup) = Tablespoon (tbsp) × 0.0625
Both factors come from the converter's own definitions: 1 tablespoon = 0.0625 cups and 1 cup = 16 tablespoons (shown to 12 significant digits).
Example
Two conversions worked with the same factors the converter uses:
0.75 cup = 12 tbsp
10 tbsp = 0.625 cup
Cup to Tablespoon chart
Common values from cups to tablespoons, rounded to four decimal places.
| Cup (cup) | Tablespoon (tbsp) |
|---|---|
| 0.0625 | 1 |
| 0.125 | 2 |
| 0.1667 | 2.6667 |
| 0.25 | 4 |
| 0.3333 | 5.3333 |
| 0.375 | 6 |
| 0.5 | 8 |
| 0.625 | 10 |
| 0.6667 | 10.6667 |
| 0.75 | 12 |
| 0.875 | 14 |
| 1 | 16 |
| 1.25 | 20 |
| 1.5 | 24 |
| 2 | 32 |
| 3 | 48 |
| 4 | 64 |
Tablespoon to Cup chart
The reverse direction for values people often look up.
| Tablespoon (tbsp) | Cup (cup) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.0625 |
| 2 | 0.125 |
| 3 | 0.1875 |
| 4 | 0.25 |
| 5 | 0.3125 |
| 6 | 0.375 |
| 8 | 0.5 |
| 10 | 0.625 |
| 12 | 0.75 |
| 16 | 1 |
| 20 | 1.25 |
| 24 | 1.5 |
| 32 | 2 |
Cups from different kitchens, in US tablespoons
| Cup or measure | Cup (cup) | Tablespoon (tbsp) |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee scoop of the standard 2-tablespoon size | 0.125 | 2 |
| Third-cup measure | 0.3333 | 5.3333 |
| US stick of butter | 0.5 | 8 |
| Japanese rice-cooker cup, 180 mL | 0.7608 | 12.173 |
| Japanese measuring cup, 200 mL | 0.8454 | 13.5256 |
| US nutrition-label cup, 240 mL | 1.0144 | 16.2307 |
| Metric cup used in Australia and Canada, 250 mL | 1.0567 | 16.907 |
Quick mental estimate
Each quarter cup is 4 tablespoons, so count quarters: ¾ cup → 3 × 4 = 12 tbsp, and 1¼ cups → 5 × 4 = 20 tbsp. For thirds, use 5 tbsp plus 1 tsp per ⅓ cup. The method is exact.
Use the converter or the charts when the exact figure matters.
The two units
Cup (cup): The US customary cup used in American recipes holds 8 US fluid ounces or 16 tablespoons, exactly 236.5882365 mL. US nutrition labels round it to 240 mL, and the metric cup used in Australia and many other countries is 250 mL.
Tablespoon (tbsp): The US tablespoon is half a US fluid ounce, exactly 14.78676478125 mL, and holds 3 teaspoons; 16 tablespoons make a cup. An Australian tablespoon is larger at 20 mL, so check which one a recipe uses.
Frequently asked questions
How many tablespoons are in ¼ cup?
Four tablespoons, which is also 12 teaspoons or 2 US fluid ounces. Half a cup is 8 tablespoons, the amount in one US stick of butter, and a full cup is 16.
How do I measure ⅔ cup with tablespoons?
Use 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. Two thirds of 16 is 10⅔, and ⅔ of a tablespoon is 2 teaspoons.
Is it accurate to measure a whole cup by tablespoons?
It works, but sixteen level spoonfuls add up sixteen small errors, so a cup measure is quicker and usually closer. Tablespoons are best for amounts under about ¼ cup.
How precise is the result?
The converter uses the exact definitions above with browser floating-point arithmetic and shows up to 12 significant digits. The charts round to four decimal places for reading.
Sources
Last updated:
Page address with these inputs: https://kakao.mobile/tools/cup-to-tablespoon-cooking-converter/
Cite or embed this tool
kakaoCalc. (2026, November 8). Cups to Tablespoons Converter (cup to tbsp). https://kakao.mobile/tools/cup-to-tablespoon-cooking-converter/
“Cups to Tablespoons Converter (cup to tbsp).” kakaoCalc, 8 Nov. 2026, kakao.mobile/tools/cup-to-tablespoon-cooking-converter/.
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