How this calculator works
A gram is a mass and a millilitre is a volume, so a conversion needs the bulk density of the ingredient. Bulk density is how much mass fills a given volume when the material is poured or packed the way a cook would use it. For water and milk the figure is close to 1 g per millilitre, so the numbers are nearly equal. Flour, sugar and oats are much lighter for their volume, so a gram of flour takes up about twice the space of a gram of water. The presets are typical values and real results vary with the brand, the grind and how the ingredient is scooped.
Formula
millilitres = grams / (density in kg/m3) x 1,000. Equivalently, millilitres = grams / (density in g/mL), because 1 g/mL is 1,000 kg/m3. US cups are the millilitre value divided by 236.5882365, and US tablespoons divide by 14.78676478125.
Worked example
500 g of water is 500 mL. 500 g of milk at 1,030 kg/m3 is 485.437 mL. 500 g of all-purpose flour at 529 kg/m3 is 945.18 mL. 500 g of granulated sugar at 845 kg/m3 is 591.716 mL. 500 g of honey at 1,420 kg/m3 is 352.113 mL. 250 g of rolled oats at 410 kg/m3 is 609.76 mL.
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Frequently asked questions
Is 1 g of flour the same as 1 mL?
No. Flour bulks up with air, so its typical bulk density is about 0.53 g/mL. One gram of flour occupies nearly 1.9 mL, and one millilitre of flour weighs only about 0.53 g. Water is the exception where 1 g and 1 mL nearly coincide.
Why does the same cup of flour give different weights?
Scooping compacts the flour and adding more air lightens it. A cup can range from about 100 g to 150 g depending on how it is filled. Weighing on a kitchen scale avoids this variation entirely.
Is a US cup 250 mL?
No. A US customary cup is 236.5882365 mL. A metric cup is 250 mL, which is a different measure and can shift a recipe by about 5.6 percent. The cup row here uses the US customary cup.
Can I use these densities for a commercial kitchen?
Use them as guides, not as a specification. Commercial formulations usually state ingredient weights in grams so the result does not depend on packing. For a product with its own data sheet, choose Custom density and enter the measured value.