Liters to Cups (L to cups)

How to convert liters to cups

Multiply the liters by 4.2268:

cups = L × 4.2268

2 L × 4.2268 = 8.45 cups. A U.S. cup is exactly 236.5882365 mL, so a liter holds 1,000 ÷ 236.588 = 4.22675 cups. Because measuring cups come in 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 3/4 sizes, the result also shows the closest measuring-cup amount — 0.5 L is about 2 1/8 cups — along with metric cups and quarts. To go the other way, use cups to liters.

Liters to cups chart

Bottles and cartons in cups

A recipe that calls for 3 cups of broth needs 0.71 L — most of a 1-liter carton. A 2-liter bottle fills eight 8-ounce glasses with a little left over.

Metric cups

Recipes from Australia, New Zealand and Canada use a 250 mL metric cup, so a liter is exactly 4 of them. A U.S. measuring cup holds 236.6 mL, about 5% less; a recipe written for metric cups and measured with U.S. cups comes out about 5% short. For a few cups of liquid this is a tablespoon or two and rarely matters; in a cake it can. For quarts, see liters to quarts; for fluid ounces, liters to ounces.

Measuring cups and jugs

Measuring jugs sold in the U.S. are usually marked in both cups and milliliters, so you can read either scale. If yours shows only cups, use the measuring-cup line in the result: 0.5 L is about 2 1/8 cups, which is 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons. For half a liter of stock, fill the 2-cup line and add 2 tablespoons; for a full liter, 4 cups plus a scant 1/4 cup.

Cooking with metric recipes

Metric recipes give liquids in milliliters and liters and solids in grams. Convert the liquids with this page and weigh the solids, or convert grams with a chart for each ingredient — a cup of flour is not the same weight as a cup of sugar. To scale a whole recipe, convert every liquid at once with Convert a list of values below the converter. For milliliters, see mL to liters.