How Many Ounces Are in a Coffee Cup?
8 fl oz
A cup in US measurements is 8 fluid ounces, about 237 ml, as defined by NIST. That is the cup marked on US measuring cups.
Coffee maker cups are smaller: a Mr. Coffee five-cup maker brews up to 25 fl oz, about 5 fl oz per cup.
Coffee cup sizes in ounces and milliliters
| Cup | US fl oz | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|
| US measuring cup (NIST) | 8 | 237 |
| Coffee maker cup (Mr. Coffee, works out to) | 5 | 148 |
| Keurig K-Elite, smallest brew size | 4 | 118 |
| Keurig K-Elite, Small Mug | 8 | 237 |
| Keurig K-Elite, Large Mug | 10 | 296 |
| Keurig K-Elite, Travel Mug | 12 | 355 |
| Starbucks Short | 8 | 237 |
| Starbucks Tall | 12 | 355 |
| Starbucks Venti, hot | 20 | 591 |
Why is a coffee maker cup smaller than a measuring cup?
Coffee makers count cups their own way. Mr. Coffee's five-cup coffee maker makes up to 25 fl oz, which works out to about 5 fl oz for each of its five cups.
Poured into a kitchen measuring cup, that full pot comes to only about 3.1 cups. Mr. Coffee itself describes the pot as enough for two 12 fl oz cups, so the cups in the name are much smaller than the cups the pot is meant to fill.
Other brands may count a cup differently, so check the manual to see what your coffee maker calls a cup.
What brew sizes do Keurig machines offer?
Keurig pod brewers skip the carafe and let you pick a size in ounces. The Keurig K-Elite has five brew sizes, from 4 to 12 fl oz, and its buttons name three of them: Small Mug for 8 fl oz, Large Mug for 10 fl oz and Travel Mug for 12 fl oz.
The K-Supreme Plus offers the same five sizes, up to 12 fl oz. The Small Mug setting matches a measuring cup, and the 6 fl oz setting falls between a measuring cup and a coffee maker cup.
How big are coffee cups at a café?
At Starbucks, cups start at the size of a measuring cup and go up from there: a Short holds 8 fl oz and a Tall holds 12 fl oz.
A hot Venti holds 20 fl oz, which is 2.5 measuring cups. Our page on Starbucks cup sizes lists every size, including iced drinks.
How to measure your own mug
Fill the mug with water to where you normally stop pouring coffee. Pour the water into a measuring cup marked in ounces or milliliters and read the level.
If the water reaches the one-cup line exactly, your mug holds one measuring cup. A recipe from outside the US may use a metric cup of 250 ml, which is 8.45 fl oz; the cups to ounces converter handles both.
How many cups does a 5-cup coffee maker make?
| Cup | Size | Cups per full pot |
|---|---|---|
| US measuring cup | 8 fl oz | 3.1 |
| Keurig Large Mug setting | 10 fl oz | 2.5 |
| Cup Mr. Coffee suggests for this pot | 12 fl oz | 2.1 |
| Starbucks hot Venti | 20 fl oz | 1.3 |
Coffee cup: questions
How many ounces is a standard coffee cup?
In US measurements, a cup is 8 fl oz. Coffee makers and cafés use their own sizes, so a cup of coffee on this page ranges from 4 fl oz on a Keurig to 20 fl oz for a hot Venti at Starbucks.
Is a coffee cup 8 or 10 oz?
It can be either. Keurig's Small Mug setting is the size of a measuring cup, and its Large Mug setting is 10 fl oz.
Is a standard coffee cup 12 oz?
Not officially. A Starbucks Tall and the Travel Mug setting on a Keurig K-Elite both hold 12 fl oz, but a measuring cup holds only two thirds of that.
Is a cup of coffee 4, 6 or 8 oz?
It can be any of them. The Keurig K-Elite offers 4 fl oz and 6 fl oz settings as well as 8 fl oz, and a cup on a Mr. Coffee carafe works out to about 5 fl oz. Check which cup your recipe or coffee maker means.
Related
Sources
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, checked
- Mr. Coffee, 5-Cup Coffee Maker, 25 oz. Mini Brew, checked
- Keurig Dr Pepper, K-Elite Use & Care Guide, checked
- Keurig Dr Pepper, K-Supreme Plus Use & Care Guide, checked
- Starbucks Customer Service, cup sizes article KB0011498, checked
Sources: Unit definitions: NIST Handbook 44 · Last reviewed · Report an error
https://howmanyounces.com/how-many-ounces-in-a-coffee-cup/