Convert Milliliter (mL) to Tablespoon (US) (tbsp) instantly.
About these units
Milliliter (mL)
A milliliter, defined as 1/1,000 of a liter or precisely 1 cubic centimeter, is a small but enormously significant volume unit in cooking, medicine, pharmacy, and laboratory science. Medical syringes, dosing spoons, and IV solutions rely heavily on milliliter accuracy. In laboratories, mL measurements are routine for preparing reagents, dilutions, and biological media. Because 1 mL = 1 cm³, many devices use either notation interchangeably depending on context. Despite its small size, the milliliter is commonly used in daily life as well—perfume bottles, beverage labels, and household cleaners often list contents in milliliters. Its precision and simplicity make the milliliter one of the world's most practical measurement units.
Tablespoon (US) (tbsp)
The US tablespoon is defined as 14.7868 mL, though commonly rounded to 15 mL in nutritional labeling and informal cooking contexts. In American cooking, the tablespoon is indispensable for measuring oils, spices, and small liquid quantities. It is also widely used in medicine for dosing liquid medications at home, though modern practice increasingly recommends milliliters for clarity. Its relationship—3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon and 16 tablespoons = 1 cup—allows American cooks to scale recipes easily, making it a cornerstone unit of the US culinary measurement system.