Tablespoon to Milliliters Converter

How to Convert Tablespoons to Milliliters?

One US tablespoon equals exactly 14.787 milliliters, commonly rounded to 15 ml for cooking. Multiply tablespoons by 15 to get milliliters. Conversely, divide milliliters by 15 to get tablespoons. Two tablespoons equal 30 ml. Three tablespoons equal 45 ml. Important: tablespoon sizes vary by country. A US tablespoon is 14.79 ml, an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml, and a UK tablespoon is 17.76 ml. Enter any value in the converter above for instant conversion.

Tablespoon Conversion Table

1/4 tbsp = 3.75 ml. 1/2 tbsp = 7.5 ml. 1 tbsp = 15 ml. 1.5 tbsp = 22.5 ml. 2 tbsp = 30 ml (1 fl oz). 3 tbsp = 45 ml. 4 tbsp = 60 ml (1/4 cup). 5 tbsp = 75 ml. 6 tbsp = 90 ml. 8 tbsp = 120 ml (1/2 cup). 10 tbsp = 150 ml. 12 tbsp = 180 ml (3/4 cup). 16 tbsp = 240 ml (1 cup). These values use the standard 15 ml US tablespoon. For Australian recipes, multiply the tablespoon count by 20 ml instead.

Tablespoons, Teaspoons, and Cups

The three standard US volume measures for cooking relate as follows: 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 15 ml. 1 teaspoon = 5 ml. 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons = 240 ml. 1 fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons = 30 ml. Memorizing these relationships lets you substitute between measuring tools. If you need 1/4 cup and only have a tablespoon, use 4 tablespoons. If your tablespoon is in the dishwasher, 3 teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon. These substitutions are especially handy when cooking and your preferred measuring tool is not clean or available.

Why Do Australian Tablespoons Differ?

The Australian tablespoon is 20 ml, one-third larger than the US tablespoon (15 ml). This difference dates back to the metric conversion of Australian cooking measures, where the tablespoon was rounded to 20 ml for convenience (4 teaspoons of 5 ml each). A recipe from an Australian cookbook calling for "2 tablespoons" means 40 ml, not 30 ml. Using US tablespoons for Australian recipes under-measures by 25%, which is significant for ingredients like baking powder, vanilla extract, or salt where precision affects the result. Always check the recipe origin and use the correct tablespoon size.

Tablespoon Measurements in Medicine

Liquid medications are often prescribed in teaspoons or tablespoons, though medical professionals now prefer milliliters for accuracy. A "tablespoon" of medicine means 15 ml. A "teaspoon" means 5 ml. Using actual kitchen tablespoons for medicine is inaccurate because spoon sizes vary: a typical kitchen tablespoon can hold anywhere from 12 to 20 ml depending on its shape and depth. The FDA recommends using the dosing cup or syringe provided with the medication rather than kitchen spoons. This is especially critical for children's medication where small dosing errors represent a larger percentage of the intended dose.

Tablespoons for Common Ingredients

A tablespoon of different ingredients weighs different amounts due to varying densities. 1 tbsp butter = 14 g. 1 tbsp sugar = 12.5 g. 1 tbsp flour = 8 g. 1 tbsp honey = 21 g. 1 tbsp olive oil = 13.5 g. 1 tbsp salt (table) = 18 g. 1 tbsp cocoa powder = 7 g. 1 tbsp baking powder = 14 g. 1 tbsp vanilla extract = 13 g. 1 tbsp soy sauce = 18 g. These weight equivalents help when converting between volume-based and weight-based recipes, and they explain why "a tablespoon" of one ingredient cannot simply be swapped with the same volume of another ingredient by weight.

Measuring Tablespoons Accurately

For dry ingredients, fill the tablespoon and level it off with a straight edge (knife, spatula). A heaping tablespoon contains roughly twice the volume of a level tablespoon, so "1 tablespoon" always means level unless explicitly stated otherwise. For liquids, fill to the rim without overflowing. For sticky ingredients like honey or peanut butter, spray the spoon with cooking oil first so the ingredient slides out completely. For very precise work (like espresso dosing or supplement measurement), a digital scale accurate to 0.1 g is far more reliable than any volume measure, including calibrated measuring spoons. For truly precise work, invest in a small digital scale that reads to 0.1 grams and use weight-based recipes exclusively.

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