Volume Converter
Convert metric and imperial volume / liquid measures.
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US vs UK Gallons (And Why Recipes Confuse You)
One of the most common volume gotchas in cooking and engineering: 1 US gallon = 3.785 L; 1 UK (imperial) gallon = 4.546 L. The difference is significant — about 20%. The UK pint, quart and fluid ounce all differ from US versions too. Always check which system a recipe or specification uses, especially for:
- Fuel economy comparisons — UK mpg ≈ US mpg × 0.83 because UK gallons are bigger
- Cooking recipes — a UK pint of milk is 568 ml; a US pint is 473 ml
- Beer pints — UK 568 ml, US 473 ml, Australia 570 ml
Useful References
| Volume | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 liter | 1,000 ml = 1 dm³ = 0.001 m³ |
| 1 US cup | 236.6 ml = 8 US fluid oz |
| 1 US tablespoon | 14.79 ml = 3 teaspoons |
| 1 US teaspoon | 4.93 ml |
| 1 US fluid ounce | 29.57 ml |
| 1 US pint | 473 ml = 2 cups |
| 1 US quart | 946 ml = 2 pints |
| 1 US gallon | 3.785 L = 4 quarts |
| 1 UK / Imperial gallon | 4.546 L |
| 1 Olympic swimming pool | ~2,500,000 L |
Why "Metric Cups" Are Different
To make things worse, several countries use slightly different "cup" measurements:
- US legal cup (FDA nutrition labels) = 240 ml
- US customary cup (most recipes) = 236.6 ml
- Metric cup (Australia, NZ, Canada) = 250 ml
- UK cup = 284 ml (rarely used in modern UK recipes — they use grams)
For precision in baking, measure by weight (grams) not volume. The NIST metric guide covers official US standards.