Convert ml to tbsp millilitres ↔ US tablespoons Free Online Secure

Calories per tablespoon: turning a bottle in millilitres into spoonfuls

Food tables list calories per tablespoon: about 119 for olive oil, 64 for honey, 52 for maple syrup. A bottle in your cupboard is labelled in millilitres. To know what is in it, you first convert ml to tbsp: divide by 14.787, since a US tablespoon is 14.79 millilitres. A 100 ml bottle of olive oil is 6.76 tablespoons and about 800 kilocalories, a 250 ml jar of honey 16.9 tablespoons and about 1,080. This page divides as you type, and the text below turns millilitres into spoonfuls and then into calories for common kitchen liquids.

The page covers the rule with examples, a note on each unit, a comparison, a tour of the pantry and the slips to avoid. All arithmetic happens in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere. Calorie figures are approximate averages, so check the label of the product you use.

How to convert ml to tbsp: divide by 14.787

The rule

One US tablespoon is exactly 14.78676478125 millilitres, half a fluid ounce. To convert ml to tbsp, divide the millilitres by 14.787, or multiply by 0.0676. So 15 ml is 1.01 tbsp, 30 ml is 2.03, 100 ml is 6.76, 250 ml is 16.9 and 500 ml is 33.8. In the other direction, multiply tablespoons by 14.787.

Worked examples

A 60 ml bottle of vanilla holds 4.06 tablespoons. A 150 ml bottle of soy sauce holds 10.1. A 237 ml cup holds 16 tablespoons, since 237 divided by 14.787 is 16.0. A 1 litre bottle of oil holds 67.6 tablespoons.

Why not 15

The metric tablespoon is 15 ml, 1.4 percent bigger than the US one, so dividing by 15 is a good approximation. It undercounts a little: 100 ml is 6.67 metric spoons against 6.76 American. In a recipe the difference vanishes, but it grows over a litre bottle to a whole spoonful.

A quick sanity check

The tablespoon is the larger unit, so the number shrinks by about fifteen times. If your “convert ml to tbsp” calculation result shrank by only three or five times, you used the teaspoon or fluid ounce factor.

The millilitre

A thousandth of a litre

The millilitre is the unit on bottles and jars. A 500 ml bottle of oil, a 250 ml jar of honey or a 60 ml bottle of extract tells you the total volume, but not how many spoonfuls it holds.

Where it appears

Bottle labels, measuring jugs, recipes and nutrition panels.

The tablespoon

Half a fluid ounce

The US tablespoon, written tbsp or T, is 14.79 millilitres, three teaspoons. Sixteen make a cup. Nutrition tables list calories per tablespoon, because it is the way people measure oil, syrup and butter.

Where it appears

Recipes, nutrition tables and measuring spoons.

Millilitre and tablespoon compared

A tablespoon holds nearly 15 millilitres. A bottle of 500 ml is thus 34 tablespoons, and a cup 16. The metric tablespoon is 15 ml and the Australian one 20 ml, a third more, so a recipe from Sydney with 3 tablespoons of oil has 60 ml, while the same recipe read with US spoons would give 44.

The factor is not round, so mental estimates are approximate: divide by 15 and add 1.5 percent. For exact work use 14.78676478125.

Where the conversion appears

Oils and fats

Olive oil has about 119 kilocalories per tablespoon. A bottle of 500 ml, 33.8 tablespoons, holds about 4,000, and you can convert ml to tbsp to check any bottle. Butter, 14 grams a tablespoon, has about 102, and a stick of 8 tablespoons, 118 ml, 810. If you convert ml to tbsp for an oil bottle, you can see how many tablespoons, and how many calories, are in it.

Syrups and sweeteners

Honey has about 64 kilocalories per tablespoon, 21 grams, maple syrup 52, 20 grams, and table sugar 49, 12.5 grams. A 250 ml jar of honey, 16.9 tablespoons, holds about 1,080. A 500 ml bottle of maple syrup, 33.8 tablespoons, about 1,760. Sweet liquids are dense, so a spoon weighs more than a spoon of water.

Sauces and condiments

Mayonnaise has about 94 kilocalories a tablespoon, peanut butter 94, ketchup 19, soy sauce 9 and heavy cream 51. A 300 ml bottle of ketchup, 20 tablespoons, has about 380. Condiments add up quickly when measured in spoonfuls, so when you convert ml to tbsp for the bottle you get a sense of the total.

Weight of a tablespoon

A tablespoon of water weighs 14.8 grams. A tablespoon of oil weighs 13.5, of honey 21, of maple syrup 20, of butter 14, of flour about 8, of sugar 12.5, of cocoa 5.4. The volume is always 14.79 millilitres, but the weight and calories depend on density. Nutrition tables usually list both the grams and the calories per tablespoon.

In a spreadsheet

Put millilitres in column A and use =A2/14.78676478 in column B. For the reverse, =B2*14.78676478. Add a column of calories per tablespoon and multiply by B for the total. Format with one decimal for tablespoons and no decimals for calories, and keep the source column for audit.

Rounding

The factor is exact, so rounding is your choice. Calorie tables are averages, so 6.76 tablespoons of oil at about 119 each is about 800, not 804.4. Round to the nearest 5 or 10 kilocalories. Recipes round spoons to a half, so 6.76 becomes 7, a difference of 3.5 percent, which does not matter in a dressing.

A mental shortcut

Divide by 15 and add 1.5 percent: 60 ml is 4, plus 0.06, 4.06. 100 ml is 6.67 plus 0.1, 6.77. Or remember that 240 ml, a cup, is 16 tablespoons, so 120 ml is 8, 60 ml is 4, 30 ml is 2. Cooks learn the ladder by heart: 15, 30, 60, 120, 240 millilitres are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 tablespoons.

Reference values

15 ml is 1 tbsp, 30 ml is 2, 45 ml is 3, 60 ml is 4, 118 ml is 8, 237 ml is 16, 250 ml is 16.9, 500 ml is 33.8 and 1,000 ml is 67.6. If you convert ml to tbsp and land far from this ladder, repeat the division.

Checking by reversing

To make sure your “convert ml to tbsp” calculation result is right, multiply it by 14.787. If 60 ml gave 4.06 tbsp, then 4.06 times 14.787 returns 60.0. A second check is the size of the answer: it should be about fifteen times smaller. If it is only five times smaller, you used the teaspoon factor.

Syrups for coffee and cocktails

A coffee syrup bottle of 750 ml holds 50.7 tablespoons, and a standard pump of 7.4 ml is half a tablespoon, so 100 pumps. A cocktail syrup of 2 tablespoons, 30 ml, adds about 100 kilocalories. A bar that mixes 200 drinks a night with 1 tablespoon each uses 3 litres, 200 tablespoons, of syrup, and a manager works out the order by first converting the bottle.

Medicine spoons are not kitchen spoons

A kitchen spoon is not a dose. Doses of liquid medicine are given in millilitres on the label, and the dosing cup or syringe supplied must be used. A tablespoon of 15 ml is a measure of volume for cooking, not for treatment. If a label gives a dose in spoons, follow it with the device provided, and ask a pharmacist if the numbers do not match.

Vinegar and pickling liquids

A pickling brine is made from 250 ml of vinegar, 16.9 tablespoons, 250 ml of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. A jar of 500 ml takes about 400 ml of brine, 27 tablespoons. Pickling recipes give the liquids in cups or millilitres and the salt in spoons, so a cook who must convert ml to tbsp for the vinegar can scale the batch up to a dozen jars.

Soups, stocks and sauces

A sauce recipe may add 2 tablespoons, 30 ml, of stock to a pan, and a gravy 4, 59 ml. A stock of 1 litre, 67.6 tablespoons, can cover 16 such gravies. A cook who makes a litre of stock each week and uses 4 tablespoons a day will use 28 in a week, 414 ml, less than half. Measuring in spoons is common for small amounts.

Lemon juice and citrus

A lemon yields about 3 tablespoons of juice, 45 ml, and a lime 2, 30 ml. An orange gives 4, 59 ml. A bottle of lemon juice of 120 ml holds 8 tablespoons, the juice of nearly three lemons. A recipe asking for the juice of 2 lemons needs 6 tablespoons, 89 ml, so a small bottle of juice covers it and has some left.

A bottle's worth of calories

To find the calories in a bottle, divide the millilitres by 14.787 and multiply by calories per tablespoon. A 750 ml bottle of olive oil is 50.7 tablespoons, about 6,000 kilocalories. A 355 ml bottle of syrup is 24 tablespoons, 1,250. A 500 ml bottle of cooking oil lasts, at 2 tablespoons a day, 17 days, and supplies 240 kilocalories a day.

Milk, cream and yoghurt in small amounts

A splash of milk in a sauce is 2 tablespoons, 30 ml. A cream topping for pie is 4, 59 ml. A tub of yoghurt of 125 ml holds 8.5 tablespoons, a small carton of cream of 200 ml 13.5. Recipes written for a single person often call for a tablespoon or two, and a conversion helps use up a carton without waste.

Baby food and purées

A jar of baby food of 113 grams holds about 110 ml, 7.4 tablespoons. A portion for a young child is 2 to 4 tablespoons, 30 to 59 ml. Parents measuring home-made purées often use spoons, and a conversion from the jar size in millilitres to tablespoons tells them how many portions a jar contains. Feeding advice comes from health professionals.

Fertilisers and garden liquids

A liquid plant feed may call for 1 tablespoon per gallon of water, 15 ml in 3.785 litres, 4 ml per litre. A watering can of 10 litres needs 40 ml, 2.7 tablespoons. A bottle of 500 ml, 33.8 tablespoons, treats 33 gallons. Garden labels give rates in spoons per gallon, so gardeners outside the United States convert both.

Cleaning concentrates

A concentrate for floors may ask for 2 tablespoons in a bucket of 4 litres, 30 ml. A bottle of 1 litre, 67.6 tablespoons, lasts 33 buckets. Always use the amount stated on the label, wear gloves if advised and never mix products. When you convert ml to tbsp for the bottle you can work out its lifetime at the dose recommended, and compare prices per bucket.

Cooking sprays and measured oil

Many people cut oil by measuring. A recipe asking for 3 tablespoons, 44 ml, 360 kilocalories, can often be made with 1 tablespoon, 15 ml, saving 240. A non-stick pan may need only a teaspoon, 5 ml, 40 kilocalories. Measuring in spoons from the bottle shows how little is needed, and the conversion from millilitres explains how many spoonfuls the bottle holds.

Dressings and salads

A vinaigrette made with 3 tablespoons of oil, 44 ml, and 1 of vinegar, 15 ml, has about 360 kilocalories in total, spread over 4 servings, 90 each. A creamy dressing of 2 tablespoons, 30 ml, has 120 to 170. A bottle of 355 ml, 24 tablespoons, holds 12 servings of 2 tablespoons. Labels use tablespoons for servings, so the bottle's volume converts easily.

Coffee and tea additions

Cream in coffee: a tablespoon of half-and-half has 20 kilocalories, heavy cream 51, whole milk 9. A tablespoon of sugar adds 49 and of honey 64. A cup of coffee with 2 tablespoons of cream and 1 of sugar adds 150 kilocalories. A 237 ml cup, 16 tablespoons, can be seen in spoonfuls to show how much each addition changes the drink.

Protein shakes and smoothies

A tablespoon of peanut butter, 16 grams, adds 94 kilocalories and 4 grams of protein. A shake with 2 tablespoons, 30 ml of liquid equivalent, 188 kilocalories, in 300 ml of milk, 20 tablespoons, becomes a snack. Recipes list spoonfuls of additions, and the milk in millilitres. Converting the milk to tablespoons shows the proportion of additions at a glance.

Baking liquids

A cake recipe with 120 ml of milk, 8.1 tablespoons, and 60 ml of oil, 4.1 tablespoons, uses 12.2 tablespoons of liquid in all, about three quarters of a cup. Muffins use 3 tablespoons of oil, 44 ml. Bakers count in tablespoons for small amounts, cups for large ones, and the conversion from millilitres lets you use a recipe from a European book.

Extracts, flavours and spirits

Vanilla extract is added by the teaspoon, 5 ml, a third of a tablespoon, 7 kilocalories as it contains alcohol. A bottle of 60 ml, 4.06 tablespoons, has about 12 teaspoons. Rum or brandy in a cake, 2 tablespoons, 30 ml, adds 65 kilocalories. Small quantities do not matter much in calories but matter a lot in flavour.

Measuring thick liquids accurately

Honey and syrup cling to the spoon, so spray the spoon with oil or measure oil first. A level tablespoon is filled to the rim and levelled with a knife for dry things, while liquids are poured to the brim. A graduated jug, in millilitres, is more accurate for amounts above 30 ml, 2 tablespoons, and the conversion tells you how many to count.

More values for convert ml to tbsp

A longer list of conversions

If the value you need is not in the first list, these further conversions may be close enough to read off directly:

• 0.1 ml = 0.0067628 tbsp
• 0.5 ml = 0.033814 tbsp
• 3 ml = 0.202884 tbsp
• 4 ml = 0.270512 tbsp
• 7 ml = 0.473396 tbsp
• 15 ml = 1.01442 tbsp
• 20 ml = 1.35256 tbsp
• 75 ml = 5.0721 tbsp
• 200 ml = 13.5256 tbsp
• 500 ml = 33.814 tbsp
• 2,000 ml = 135.256 tbsp
• 10,000 ml = 676.28 tbsp

Mistakes when you convert ml to tbsp

Using a table spoon from the cutlery drawer

A dinner spoon may hold 10 to 15 millilitres. A measuring spoon is marked 15 ml.

Mixing national spoons

An Australian tablespoon is 20 ml, a US one 14.8. Check where the recipe comes from.

Multiplying instead of dividing

The tablespoon is the larger unit, so the number shrinks. If 60 ml became 887, you multiplied.

Quick answers

How many tablespoons are in a millilitre?

0.0676.

How do I convert ml to tbsp?

Divide by 14.787.

How many millilitres are in a tablespoon?

14.79.

What is 60 ml in tablespoons?

4.06 tbsp.

Is the number I type stored anywhere?

No, it stays in your browser.

More pages and a closing note

For other volume conversions, see Convert ml to tsp, Convert ml to fl oz, Convert tsp to tbsp, Convert tbsp to tsp, Convert km to mi, Convert mi to km, Convert °C to °F, Convert °F to °C, Convert m to cm. The opposite direction is Convert tbsp to ml.

In short, you convert ml to tbsp by dividing by 14.787 and writing the unit beside the answer. Your figure is calculated on your own device, with no account and no upload.