How to Convert US cups to Tablespoons (cup to tbsp)
Volume conversions help with baking from American recipes, comparing petrol prices quoted per gallon abroad with pump prices per litre here, and reading PUB water bills in cubic metres. This guide shows how to convert us cups into tablespoons by hand, with examples and a quick-reference table.
The conversion
To convert us cups to tablespoons, multiply the value by 15.9999458977. To go the other way, divide by the same number (or multiply by 0.0625002113). For a quick estimate, multiply by about 16.
Tablespoons = us cups × 15.9999458977
Worked examples
- 3 cup = 47.9998 tbsp
- 12.5 cup = 199.9993 tbsp
- 75 cup = 1,200 tbsp
US cups to Tablespoons table
| US cups | Tablespoons |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 15.9999 tbsp |
| 2 cup | 31.9999 tbsp |
| 5 cup | 79.9997 tbsp |
| 10 cup | 159.9995 tbsp |
| 20 cup | 319.9989 tbsp |
| 25 cup | 399.9986 tbsp |
| 50 cup | 799.9973 tbsp |
| 100 cup | 1,599.99 tbsp |
| 250 cup | 3,999.99 tbsp |
| 500 cup | 7,999.97 tbsp |
| 1,000 cup | 15,999.95 tbsp |
Common questions
Is cup to tbsp exact?
The factors used here are the internationally defined values where they exist; results are rounded for display only.
How do I convert back?
Use the Tablespoons to US cups converter.
Mistakes to avoid
Forgetting squared and cubed units
Area and volume factors are the length factor squared or cubed, so 1 m² is about 10.76 sq ft, not 3.28.
Mixing similar-sounding units
US and imperial gallons, pints and tons are different sizes, and decimal kilobytes differ from binary kibibytes.
Rounding the factor too early
Using 3 instead of 3.28 for feet per metre introduces an error of almost 9% before you have started.
Background
Singapore adopted the metric system in the 1970s, replacing imperial units and traditional Chinese measures in most official uses. Metric units are now standard in schools, trade and government, but older units survive in property, markets and imported goods.
Unit conversion is simply multiplication by a fixed ratio. The ratio between two units of the same quantity never changes, so once you know it you can convert any value in either direction.
A conversion table is handy for common values, but a calculator is faster and avoids interpolation errors for anything in between.
For any value, use the US cups to Tablespoons Converter or browse all volume converters.
Run your own numbers: US cups to Tablespoons Converter