1 Cup Lemon Juice in Millilitres
1 cup of lemon juice is 236.6 ml and weighs 244 g (poured, USDA). Freshly squeezed lemon juice, sharp and acidic. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the USDA value, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.
When a recipe calls for a cup of liquid, the millilitre figure is the one that never changes: 236.6 ml per US cup. The weight is close to 237 g for water-like liquids and a little different for denser or lighter ones. The table below gives you both, so you can measure in a jug or on a scale and land on the same amount.
Why millilitres and grams are two different answers
Millilitres measure space and grams measure mass, and for liquids the two are close cousins but not twins. One US cup is 236.6 ml, and water weighs 237 g in that space — the two numbers are almost identical only because a millilitre of water weighs almost exactly a gram. Other liquids are close to water but not equal: juices and milk are a little heavier, vinegar and coffee sit right on it. The difference is small, usually a few grams per cup, but in a large batch it adds up, and in baking a few grams of liquid change a batter. The table below gives you both figures, so you can use whichever your recipe asks for.
Lemon Juice cups to millilitres conversion table
| Cups | Millilitres | Grams | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 59.1 ml | 61 g | 4 tbsp |
| 1/3 cup | 78.9 ml | 81.3 g | 5.3 tbsp |
| 1/2 cup | 118.3 ml | 122 g | 8 tbsp |
| 2/3 cup | 157.7 ml | 162.7 g | 10.7 tbsp |
| 3/4 cup | 177.4 ml | 183 g | 12 tbsp |
| 1 cup | 236.6 ml | 244 g | 16 tbsp |
| 2 cups | 473.2 ml | 488 g | 32 tbsp |
| 3 cups | 709.8 ml | 732 g | 48 tbsp |
| 4 cups | 946.4 ml | 976 g | 64 tbsp |
The table covers the amounts recipes actually ask for, from a quarter cup up to four cups. One tablespoon of lemon juice is about 15.2 g and 14.8 ml, which is handy when a recipe calls for a spoonful rather than a cup: divide the cup weight by 16 and you have the tablespoon weight. Remember that the millilitre column never changes — 1 cup is always 236.6 ml — while the gram column depends on the USDA density of 244 g per cup, measured poured. If your recipe was written in grams, read the gram column; if it was written in cups or millilitres, read the millilitre column.
How much is 100 ml, 250 ml and 500 ml of lemon juice?
| Millilitres | Cups | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 ml | 0.4 cups | 103.1 g |
| 250 ml | 1.1 cups | 257.8 g |
| 500 ml | 2.1 cups | 515.6 g |
Recipes written in metric units often call for round millilitre amounts rather than cups, so this table bridges the two. 250 ml of lemon juice is just over a cup — 1.1 cups — and weighs 257.8 g, while 500 ml is 2.1 cups and 515.6 g. A standard measuring jug usually has both millilitre and cup markings, so you can pour to either scale, but the gram column is the one to use on a scale. Note that 100 ml is 0.4 of a cup, which is why metric recipes rarely line up neatly with cup measures.
Worked examples
Dressings calling for 2 cups of lemon juice
A dressings recipe that calls for 2 cups of lemon juice needs 473.2 ml, which weighs 488 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 473.2 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 488 g straight into the bowl. Because lemon juice is used for dressings, marinades, baking and drinks. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 488 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Marinades calling for half a cup of lemon juice
A marinades recipe that calls for half a cup of lemon juice needs 118.3 ml, which weighs 122 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 118.3 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 122 g straight into the bowl. Because lemon juice is used for dressings, marinades, baking and drinks. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 122 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Baking calling for 3 cups of lemon juice
A baking recipe that calls for 3 cups of lemon juice needs 709.8 ml, which weighs 732 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 709.8 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 732 g straight into the bowl. Because lemon juice is used for dressings, marinades, baking and drinks. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 732 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Scaling works the same way in both directions. Double the recipe and 3 cups becomes 1419.6 ml, or 1464 g. Halve it and you need 354.9 ml, or 366 g. When you scale, always scale by weight if the original recipe was written in grams, and by volume if it was written in cups — mixing the two mid-recipe is how scaling errors creep in. And remember that a US cup is 236.6 ml, while a metric cup is 250 ml: if you are following a recipe from Australia, New Zealand or South Africa, one cup means 250 ml, which is 257.8 g of lemon juice, not 244 g. Check which cup your recipe uses before you convert.
How the weight was measured
Poured means the ingredient is poured into a liquid measuring jug and read at eye level at the meniscus, or weighed straight into the bowl on a scale. Liquids settle flat, so a poured cup is far more repeatable than a cup of any dry ingredient.
The source for the 244 g figure is USDA, and the confidence in the value is medium. USDA publishes a standard ingredient weight chart that recipe developers use as a reference, and this page follows it exactly rather than averaging across sources, because an average of two different measuring methods is a number that matches nobody's cup.
The figure is not disputed in the same way as the flour and sugar conversions: USDA lists 244 g per cup, and other reliable sources cluster close to it. Small differences of a gram or two between sources are rounding, not disagreement.
Common mistakes with lemon juice
- Reading the jug from above. A liquid jug read from above looks fuller than it is. Set it on a flat surface and read the meniscus at eye level.
- Using a dry cup for a liquid. Dry cups are meant to be filled to the brim and levelled, which is wrong for liquids. Use a jug with a spout and clear markings.
- Measuring a hot liquid at the boil. Hot liquids expand slightly and steam fogs the jug. Let the liquid cool a little, or weigh it instead.
- Assuming every liquid weighs what water weighs. Most kitchen liquids are close to water, but not equal. Milk and juice are heavier, oil is lighter. Use the gram column when the recipe is precise.
Storage and handling
Refrigerate fresh juice; use within 1 week. Freshly squeezed lemon juice, sharp and acidic. Keeping lemon juice stored properly also keeps its weight per cup stable: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture from the air weighs more per cup than a dry one, so a sealed container is not just about freshness, it is about measurement accuracy too. If a container has been open for months in a humid kitchen, the first thing to do before a precise bake is to weigh the ingredient rather than trusting the cup. lemon juice is used for dressings, marinades, baking and drinks. and it is worth keeping a note of the 244 g per cup figure on the container, so the conversion is always to hand.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1 cup of lemon juice always 236.6 ml?
Yes, as long as the recipe means a US customary cup. One US cup is 236.6 ml by definition, whatever is in it. The confusion comes from the metric cup, which is 250 ml, and from the old imperial cup. If a recipe does not say which cup it uses, a US recipe almost always means the 236.6 ml cup, while a recipe from Australia or New Zealand usually means the 250 ml metric cup.
How do I measure lemon juice without a scale?
Poured means the ingredient is poured into a liquid measuring jug and read at eye level at the meniscus, or weighed straight into the bowl on a scale. Liquids settle flat, so a poured cup is far more repeatable than a cup of any dry ingredient. That gives the closest result to 244 g per cup, but it is still an estimate: the honest answer is that a scale is the only way to know the exact weight, and a basic digital kitchen scale costs less than a bag of good flour.
Does lemon juice weigh the same as water?
No. One cup of lemon juice weighs 244 g, which is heavier than water, which weighs 237 g per cup — 7 g heavier, to be exact. That is why you cannot convert lemon juice by assuming a millilitre weighs a gram: for water the shortcut works, but for lemon juice it would be off by 7 g per cup, and the error grows with the size of the recipe.
How many cups is 250 ml of lemon juice?
250 ml of lemon juice is 1.1 cups, and it weighs 257.8 g. The table above lists 100 ml, 250 ml and 500 ml alongside their cup equivalents, so a recipe written in millilitres converts in one step. For anything more precise, weigh the lemon juice on a kitchen scale.
How many millilitres is 1 cup of lemon juice?
1 cup of lemon juice is 236.6 ml. That is the fixed volume of one US customary cup, and it is the same for every ingredient on this site: the cup does not change, only the weight inside it does. If your recipe is from a metric country, note that a metric cup is 250 ml, which is a different measure — check which cup the recipe means before converting.
Related conversions
Use the cups to millilitres converter or the millilitres to cups converter for instant answers, or the liquid volume converter for other units. For the weight of the same ingredient, see Lemon Juice in grams, 244 g of lemon juice in cups, and lemon juice by the tablespoon. Browse the units hub or the cups to grams hub for the full ingredient list. Other pages in this series: Water in millilitres, Vanilla Extract in millilitres. More tools: cups to grams converter and weight converter. See also our disclaimer about approximate conversions.