Cups to Tablespoons
An instant cups-to-tablespoons converter, with the formula and a reference table below.
| Cups | Tablespoons |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp |
| 2 cup | 32 tbsp |
| 3 cup | 48 tbsp |
| 5 cup | 80 tbsp |
| 10 cup | 160 tbsp |
| 25 cup | 400 tbsp |
| 50 cup | 800 tbsp |
| 100 cup | 1600 tbsp |
How to use
- Enter a value in the Cups field.
- The Tablespoons figure appears immediately — no button to press.
- Typing in the Tablespoons field converts back to Cups the same way.
- Use the reference table for the values that come up most often.
Cups to Tablespoons formula
The factor from cups to tablespoons is 16.
tbsp = cup × 16
Put another way, one cup is exactly 16 tablespoons.
Why this factor: the cup and the tablespoon are both defined against the liter, so dividing one definition by the other gives 16 directly. Both definitions are set out in full below.
To go the other way, divide by 16 — or use the Tablespoons to Cups converter, which is the same calculation reversed.
Worked example
Take 50 cup and multiply by the factor 16: the result is 800 tbsp.
50 cup × 16 = 800 tbsp
The converter above does this for any value you type, in either direction.
What is a cup?
A US customary cup is the standard cooking volume measure in American recipes.
Definition: Exactly one sixteenth of a US liquid gallon, so exactly 236.5882365 milliliters.
Where it is used: American recipes and baking, where dry and liquid ingredients alike are measured by cup.
Worth knowing: Nutrition labels use the US *legal* cup of exactly 240 mL, and a metric cup is 250 mL — three slightly different cups are in circulation.
What is a tablespoon?
A US tablespoon is a standard cooking measure equal to three teaspoons.
Definition: Exactly half a US fluid ounce, so about 14.7868 milliliters.
Where it is used: American recipes, medication dosing instructions, and nutrition labeling.
Worth knowing: Australian tablespoons are 20 mL, not 15 — a real difference when scaling a recipe.
Cups vs Tablespoons
The cup and the tablespoon belong to the same family of units, so converting between them is usually a matter of shifting a decimal point or applying a small whole-number factor.
Frequently asked questions
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
One cup equals 16 tablespoons.
What is the formula to convert cups to tablespoons?
Multiply the number of cups by 16. To reverse it, divide by 16 instead.
How do I convert tablespoons back to cups?
Divide by 16, which is the same as multiplying by 0.0625.
How many tablespoons are in 10 cups?
10 cup works out to 160 tbsp.
Is there anything to watch out for with cups?
Nutrition labels use the US *legal* cup of exactly 240 mL, and a metric cup is 250 mL — three slightly different cups are in circulation.
How is the cup defined?
Exactly one sixteenth of a US liquid gallon, so exactly 236.5882365 milliliters.