Millilitres to UK tablespoons
Lost your measuring jug? This converts any millilitre amount into UK tablespoons and teaspoons using the British metric standard — a 15 ml tablespoon and a 5 ml teaspoon — so a recipe written in ml can be measured with a marked measuring-spoon set. Ordinary cutlery varies in size.
UK tablespoons
6.67 tbsp
British metric tablespoon = 15 ml
- UK teaspoons
- 20.00 tsp
- UK fluid ounces
- 3.52 fl oz
ml to UK tablespoons conversion table
15 ml = 1 UK tablespoon = 3 teaspoons. Divide millilitres by 15 for tablespoons, or by 5 for teaspoons. For example, 45 ml ÷ 15 = 3 tablespoons.
| Millilitres | UK tablespoons | UK teaspoons |
|---|---|---|
| 5 ml | 0.33 tbsp | 1.00 tsp |
| 10 ml | 0.67 tbsp | 2.00 tsp |
| 15 ml | 1.00 tbsp | 3.00 tsp |
| 20 ml | 1.33 tbsp | 4.00 tsp |
| 30 ml | 2.00 tbsp | 6.00 tsp |
| 45 ml | 3.00 tbsp | 9.00 tsp |
| 50 ml | 3.33 tbsp | 10.00 tsp |
| 60 ml | 4.00 tbsp | 12.00 tsp |
| 100 ml | 6.67 tbsp | 20.00 tsp |
| 150 ml | 10.00 tbsp | 30.00 tsp |
| 250 ml | 16.67 tbsp | 50.00 tsp |
Decimal spoon counts are rounded to two places. Use level, marked metric measuring spoons; a dining spoon is not a calibrated measure.
Sources, assumptions & calculation methodsHow to use this result
Spoon measures feel old-fashioned until the moment your measuring jug is in the dishwasher and a recipe asks for 45 ml of something. Knowing that a UK tablespoon holds 15 ml turns that into a clean three spoonfuls, no jug required. This converter does the division for you and adds teaspoons and fluid ounces so you can use whatever's nearest to hand.
The important detail is the standard. Britain settled on a neat metric spoon — 15 ml for a tablespoon, 5 ml for a teaspoon — so the numbers stay tidy: 30 ml is two tablespoons, 5 ml is a single teaspoon. American spoons run a fraction smaller and the Australian tablespoon is 20 ml, which is exactly the kind of mismatch that throws a recipe off when it's scaled up.
For liquids — milk, oil, vanilla, syrup — spoons are perfectly reliable, and this tool gets you there quickly. For dry baking staples like flour and sugar, reach for the scales instead: weight beats volume every time once you're past a spoonful or two.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a UK tablespoon really 15 ml?
- Yes. Since metrication, the British standard tablespoon is defined as exactly 15 ml and the teaspoon as 5 ml. That's what UK measuring-spoon sets are made to, so this converter matches the spoons in most British kitchens.
- How is that different from an American tablespoon?
- A US tablespoon is about 14.8 ml and a US teaspoon roughly 4.93 ml — close, but not identical. Over several spoonfuls the difference adds up, and for the Australian 20 ml tablespoon it's larger still, so it pays to know which standard a recipe assumes.
- Why are the fluid ounces 'UK'?
- Because an imperial (UK) fluid ounce is 28.413 ml, whereas a US fluid ounce is 29.574 ml. British recipes and glassware use the imperial figure, which is the one applied here.
- Can I trust spoons for baking?
- For liquids and small amounts of flavouring, yes. For flour, sugar and other dry bulk ingredients, weigh in grams instead — a level spoonful of flour can vary a lot depending on how it's filled.
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