Which measuring cups do I use?
Type the amount your recipe asks for and pick the cups your set has. The measuring cups calculator finds the fewest scoops of cups and spoons that add up to it, with the total in teaspoons and milliliters.
- Use
- ½ cup + ¼ cup
Use ½ cup + ¼ cup.
- Number of scoops
- 2
- Total (teaspoons)
- 36
- Total (mL)
- 177.4
- Short (−) or over (+), tsp
- 0
Use: ½ cup + ¼ cup. Use ½ cup + ¼ cup.
How to calculate
Finds the fewest measuring cups and spoons from a standard US set that add up to an amount, such as ¾ cup or ⅝ cup, with the total in milliliters.
Example with the default inputs (Amount 3/4, Unit Cups, Your cups 1, ½, ⅓, ¼ cup): Use ½ cup + ¼ cup.
Method: Turn the amount into quarter teaspoons (1 cup = 192, 1 tbsp = 12, 1 tsp = 4), rounded half up to a whole number. Find the fewest measures that add up to it; among equal counts, use the largest measure as often as possible, then the next largest, and so on.
- US customary measures: 1 cup = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp; 1 tsp = 4.92892159375 mL.
- The basic set is 1, ½, ⅓ and ¼ cup with 1 tbsp, 1 tsp, ½ tsp and ¼ tsp spoons. The extended set adds ⅔ and ¾ cup. You can fill a measure more than once.
- An amount that is not a whole number of quarter teaspoons is measured to the nearest quarter teaspoon.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Amount 3/4, Unit Cups, Your cups 1, ½, ⅓, ¼ cup gives Use ½ cup + ¼ cup, Number of scoops 2, Total (teaspoons) 36, Total (mL) 177.441177, Short (−) or over (+), tsp 0.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 cup = 8 fl oz; 1 tablespoon = 1/2 fl oz; 1 teaspoon = 1/6 fl oz; 1 gal = 128 fl oz = 3.785411784 L), https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c
- Amount 2/3, Unit Cups, Your cups 1, ½, ⅓, ¼ cup gives Use 2 × ⅓ cup, Number of scoops 2, Total (teaspoons) 32.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 cup = 8 fl oz; 1 tablespoon = 1/2 fl oz; 1 teaspoon = 1/6 fl oz; 1 gal = 128 fl oz = 3.785411784 L), https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c
- Amount 5/8, Unit Cups, Your cups 1, ½, ⅓, ¼ cup gives Use ½ cup + 2 × 1 tbsp, Number of scoops 3, Total (teaspoons) 30.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 cup = 8 fl oz; 1 tablespoon = 1/2 fl oz; 1 teaspoon = 1/6 fl oz; 1 gal = 128 fl oz = 3.785411784 L), https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c
- Amount 1 1/3, Unit Cups, Your cups Also ⅔ and ¾ cup gives Use 1 cup + ⅓ cup, Number of scoops 2.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 cup = 8 fl oz; 1 tablespoon = 1/2 fl oz; 1 teaspoon = 1/6 fl oz; 1 gal = 128 fl oz = 3.785411784 L), https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c
- Amount 0.3, Unit Cups, Your cups 1, ½, ⅓, ¼ cup gives Use ¼ cup + 2 × 1 tsp + ½ tsp, Number of scoops 4, Total (teaspoons) 14.5, Short (−) or over (+), tsp 0.1.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 cup = 8 fl oz; 1 tablespoon = 1/2 fl oz; 1 teaspoon = 1/6 fl oz; 1 gal = 128 fl oz = 3.785411784 L), https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c
How it works
Every measure in a US set is a whole number of quarter teaspoons (q), from NIST’s 1 cup = 8 fl oz, 1 tbsp = ½ fl oz and 1 tsp = ⅙ fl oz:
| Measure | q | Measure | q |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 192 | ¼ cup | 48 |
| ¾ cup (extended set) | 144 | 1 tbsp | 12 |
| ⅔ cup (extended set) | 128 | 1 tsp | 4 |
| ½ cup | 96 | ½ tsp | 2 |
| ⅓ cup | 64 | ¼ tsp | 1 |
- Amount in quarter teaspoons. t = amount × 192 for cups, × 12 for tablespoons, × 4 for teaspoons, as an exact fraction. Q = t rounded half up to a whole number.
- Fewest measures. Find the smallest number of measures (each can be used more than once) that add up to exactly Q.
- Ties. Among combinations with that fewest count, take the one that uses the largest measure as many times as possible; then, among those, the next largest; and so on.
Outputs: Use lists the measures largest first, as “2 × ⅓ cup” for a repeated one, joined by “ + ”. Number of scoops is the count. Total (teaspoons) = Q ÷ 4. Total (mL) = Q × 1.2322303984375 (1 tsp = 3,785.411784 mL ÷ 768 = 4.92892159375 mL). Short or over = (Q − t) ÷ 4 teaspoons.
Refusals. An amount of 0 or less, an amount under ⅛ tsp (Q = 0), or an amount of more than 20 cups (t above 3,840, before rounding, so 20.001 cups) gives no answer.
The basic set is 1, ½, ⅓ and ¼ cup; the extended set adds ⅔ and ¾ cup. Both have 1 tbsp, 1 tsp, ½ tsp and ¼ tsp spoons. The amount box reads whole numbers, fractions (5/8), mixed numbers (1 1/3) and decimals (0.3) exactly.
Worked examples by hand
¾ cup, basic set (the default). Q = ¾ × 192 = 144 = 96 + 48: ½ cup + ¼ cup, 2 scoops, 36 tsp, 144 × 1.2322303984375 = 177.441 mL.
⅔ cup, basic set. Q = 128 = 64 + 64: 2 × ⅓ cup, 32 tsp.
⅝ cup, basic set. Q = 120. One measure cannot make it, and no two do (96 + 12 = 108, 96 + 48 = 144). Three do: 96 + 12 + 12: ½ cup + 2 × 1 tbsp.
1⅓ cups, extended set. Q = 256. Two measures make it two ways, 192 + 64 and 128 + 128; the tie rule takes 1 cup first: 1 cup + ⅓ cup.
0.3 cup, basic set. t = 57.6, so Q = 58 = 48 + 4 + 4 + 2: ¼ cup + 2 × 1 tsp + ½ tsp, 4 scoops, 14.5 tsp, (58 − 57.6) ÷ 4 = 0.1 tsp over.
Other questions people ask
How do I make ¾ cup with measuring cups?
Fill the ½ cup once and the ¼ cup once: ½ + ¼ = ¾. Without a ½ cup, use the ¼ cup three times.
How do I measure ⅔ cup without a ⅔ cup?
Fill the ⅓ cup twice. ⅓ + ⅓ = ⅔ cup, which is 32 teaspoons.
What makes ⅝ cup?
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons. ⅝ cup is 10 tablespoons, and ½ cup is 8 of them.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
16. In US measures, 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces, 1 tablespoon = ½ fluid ounce and 1 teaspoon = ⅙ fluid ounce, so 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons.
What if the amount does not come out even?
The page measures it to the nearest ¼ teaspoon, the smallest spoon in the set, and shows how far over or short that is. 0.3 cup becomes 14.5 teaspoons, 0.1 teaspoon over.
How many mL is a US cup?
236.5882365 mL: 8 US fluid ounces of 29.5735295625 mL each. A metric cup is 250 mL, a little larger.