Cooking often involves switching between different units of measurement. If you’ve ever used an American recipe, you’ve likely seen cups instead of grams or millilitres. But what if your measuring jug only shows quarts? Converting between cups and quarts is simple once you know the basic rule. Here’s a clear guide on how to do it quickly and accurately.
What Are Cups and Quarts?
Before converting, it helps to understand what each unit means.
A cup is a common unit of volume used in cooking, especially in the United States. It’s smaller than a pint and used to measure both liquids and dry ingredients.
A quart comes from the word quarter. It’s one-quarter of a gallon. One quart is equal to two pints. Quarts are often used to measure larger volumes of liquids such as milk, stock, or soup.
Both cups and quarts are part of the Imperial or US Customary systems. In British cooking, you’ll more often see millilitres and litres, but knowing how to convert cups and quarts is still useful—especially if you cook from American recipes.
The Basic Conversion
Here’s the key fact to remember:
👉 1 quart = 4 cups
That’s it. Once you know this, you can convert either way.
If you have the number of cups and want to find out how many quarts that equals, divide by 4.
If you have the number of quarts and want to know how many cups, multiply by 4.
Simple.
Conversion Examples
Let’s see how it works in practice.
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Example 1: You have 8 cups of water.
Divide 8 by 4.
8÷4=28 ÷ 4 = 2.
You have 2 quarts. -
Example 2: You need 3 quarts of milk for a recipe, but you only have a cup measure.
Multiply 3 by 4.
3×4=123 × 4 = 12.
You need 12 cups of milk.
That’s all there is to it.
Quick Reference Table
| Cups | Quarts |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 0.25 quart |
| 2 cups | 0.5 quart |
| 4 cups | 1 quart |
| 8 cups | 2 quarts |
| 12 cups | 3 quarts |
| 16 cups | 4 quarts |
You can use this simple table when cooking or scaling recipes.
Metric Conversion (For UK Readers)
Since many British cooks prefer metric measurements, it’s handy to know how these translate.
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1 US cup = about 240 millilitres.
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1 US quart = about 950 millilitres, or just under 1 litre.
So, if a recipe asks for 2 quarts of water, that’s roughly 1.9 litres.
When accuracy matters—such as in baking—use a proper measuring jug or a kitchen scale. But for soups, stews, or sauces, these round figures work well enough.
Related: How Many Cups In A Quart
Why Conversion Matters
Cooking is a balance between precision and instinct. If you use the wrong conversion, your recipe can turn out too thick, too thin, or just off. By learning a few simple conversions, you save time, reduce mistakes, and gain confidence in the kitchen.
Whether you’re making a big batch of soup or halving an American dessert recipe, knowing how to move between cups and quarts keeps everything accurate.
Final Thought
To convert cups into quarts, just divide by four. To go the other way, multiply by four. That’s all you need to remember.