What is tablespoon (metric)?
A metric tablespoon is a volume unit equal to exactly 15 millilitres. It is widely used in cooking recipes in metric countries as a convenient measure for sauces, oils, and seasonings.
Real-world uses
The metric tablespoon (15 mL) is used in cooking recipes worldwide, particularly for oil, vinegar, sauces, and spices. It is also a common dosing measure for adult liquid medicines. Nutritional databases often list serving sizes in tablespoons.
History
The tablespoon evolved from the table or serving spoon and was adopted as a cooking measure. The metric tablespoon was standardized at 15 mL (3 metric teaspoons). In Australia, the tablespoon was standardized at 20 mL, creating a regional exception.
Common mistakes
Assuming a tablespoon is always 15 mL—the Australian tablespoon is 20 mL, and the US customary tablespoon is 14.79 mL. Failing to check which standard a recipe uses can alter the outcome of precise baking recipes.
What is millilitre?
A millilitre is a metric unit of volume equal to one thousandth of a litre. It is commonly used in medicine, cooking, laboratory measurements, and the labelling of food and beverage products.
Real-world uses
Millilitres are used for medication dosages (cough syrup, injectable solutions), cooking measurements, cosmetic product volumes, and laboratory reagent quantities. A standard medical syringe is graduated in mL, and espresso shots are typically 25–30 mL.
History
The millilitre emerged naturally from the litre with metric prefix conventions. It became essential in medicine and laboratory science where precise small-volume measurements are critical. In medical contexts, "cc" (cubic centimetre) was long used interchangeably with mL.
Common mistakes
Confusing millilitres with cubic centimetres—they are numerically equal (1 mL = 1 cm³) but conceptually different units. Also, mixing up mL with mg; one is volume, the other is mass.
When is this conversion used?
Converting tablespoon (metric) to millilitre is useful in the volume domain when comparing values across different measurement standards or applying formulas that require a specific unit.
Worked examples
1 tablespoon (metric) = 15 millilitre
1 millilitre = 0.001 litre
How to convert tablespoon (metric) to millilitre
To convert tablespoon (metric) to millilitre, multiply the value by 15.
To convert millilitre back to tablespoon (metric), multiply by 0.06666667.
Measurement standards
The cubic metre is the SI derived unit of volume. The litre, equal to exactly one cubic decimetre (0.001 m³), is accepted by the BIPM for use alongside SI units. Both the lowercase "l" and uppercase "L" are approved symbols for the litre.
Did you know?
An Olympic swimming pool holds 2,500 cubic metres of water — about 2.5 million litres. The Amazon River discharges roughly 209,000 cubic metres per second, enough to fill 84 Olympic pools every single second.
Quick reference: tablespoon (metric) to millilitre
| tablespoon (metric) | millilitre |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 1.5 |
| 0.5 | 7.5 |
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 5 | 75 |
| 10 | 150 |
| 25 | 375 |
| 50 | 750 |
| 100 | 1,500 |
| 250 | 3,750 |
| 500 | 7,500 |
| 1,000 | 15,000 |
Common values
| tablespoon (metric) | millilitre | |
|---|---|---|
| A teaspoon | 0.33333333 tablespoon (metric) | 5 millilitre |
| A cup of coffee | 16.66666667 tablespoon (metric) | 250 millilitre |
| A water bottle | 33.33333333 tablespoon (metric) | 500 millilitre |
| A bathtub | 20,000 tablespoon (metric) | 300,000 millilitre |
| A swimming pool (Olympic) | 166,666,666.66666669 tablespoon (metric) | 2.500000e+09 millilitre |
Available Volume units
More tablespoon (metric) conversions
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to litre
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to millilitre
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to US gallon
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to cubic metre
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to Imperial gallon
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to US fluid ounce
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to Imperial fluid ounce
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to teaspoon (metric)
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to cubic centimetre