Volume Unit Converter: Liters, Gallons, Barrels Online Free
Whether you’re a chef trying an American muffin recipe, a driver calculating the fuel consumption of an imported car from the USA, an investor tracking oil prices, or a gardener filling a pool, our calculator will give you the answer instantly.
We support lightning-fast conversions between all global units (liters, milliliters, cubic meters) and Anglo-American specialties (gallons, pints, ounces, cups). Our tool unifies kitchen measurements, gas stations, and industrial standards. Everything works online, for free, and without installation.
Smart Calculations: Why convert volume here?
Volume is one of the trickiest quantities because the same unit name often means a different amount (e.g., US vs. UK gallon). Our tool understands these differences and handles them for you.
- End of confusion in the kitchen and garage: Our algorithm accurately distinguishes between American (US) and British (UK) units. You’ll no longer accidentally put the wrong amount of liquid into a recipe.
- Instant “Quick Overview”: While you convert liters to milliliters, the table below the widget immediately shows you how many barrels or kitchen cups that is. You see the entire context at once.
- Precision to many decimal places: Whether you’re dosing medication in milliliters or calculating oil in barrels, our converter handles even long decimal numbers with maximum precision.
Comprehensive Overview: Understanding Volume Units
While in Europe we mostly use liters, the rest of the world (especially the USA and Great Britain) uses a system that can be confusing. Here is a table of units that our converter works with:
| Unit | Abbreviation | Approximate value (in liters) | Practical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milliliter | ml | 0.001 l | Medicines, cosmetics, shots of alcohol, chemistry. |
| Liter | l | 1 l (base unit) | Beverages, gasoline (EU), milk. |
| Cubic Meter | m³ | 1,000 l | Water and sewage fees, pool volume, concrete, natural gas. |
| US Gallon | gal (US) | approx. 3.785 l | Gasoline and milk in the USA. |
| UK Gallon | gal (UK) | approx. 4.546 l | Older British measures, fuel consumption in the UK (MPG). |
| Fluid Ounce | fl oz | approx. 0.03 l (30 ml) | Perfumes, beverage cans in the USA, expensive alcohol. |
| Cup | cup | approx. 0.24 l (240 ml) | American recipes (flour, sugar, milk). |
| Pint | pt | approx. 0.47 l (US) / 0.56 l (UK) | Beer in Anglo-Saxon countries, milk. |
| Barrel (oil) | bbl | approx. 159 l | World trade in oil and commodities. |
Guide: How to use the converter effectively
The operation is simple, whether you need to convert a single value or get a complete overview.
1. Enter the value
Type a number into the left field.
- Tip: The calculator can handle large numbers (e.g., for water utility calculations) or decimal places.
2. Select units (Pay attention to the flags!)
- In the left menu, select the unit you have (e.g., “US gallon”).
- In the right menu, select what you need (e.g., “liter”).
- Important: For gallons, pints, and ounces, pay attention to whether you are choosing the American (US) or British (UK) variant. They are different!
3. Watch the “Quick Overview”
The table below the calculator updates automatically.
- If you enter 100 liters, you immediately see that it’s just under 1 oil barrel (0.62 bbl), about 26 US gallons, or over 422 kitchen cups.
Common Mistakes: A Gallon Is Not Always a Gallon
The most common mistake when shopping from abroad or cooking is confusing measurement systems.
US Gallon vs. UK Gallon (Imperial) This is the biggest trick.
- US Gallon (3.78 l): Used in the USA. If you see the fuel consumption of an American car or the price of gasoline in the USA, it’s this smaller gallon.
- UK Gallon (4.54 l): The imperial gallon historically used in Britain and Canada. It is about 20% larger than the American one!
- Example: 10 UK gallons is not 10 US gallons. Our converter will show you the exact difference.
Ounce (oz) vs. Fluid Ounce (fl oz) Do not confuse weight and volume.
- A regular “oz” (ounce) is a unit of mass (approx. 28 g).
- “fl oz” (fluid ounce) is a unit of volume (approx. 30 ml).
- Our volume converter works with fl oz.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many ml are in one American "Cup"?
In American recipes, a "cup" is used as a standardized measurement. One US Cup is approximately 236.5 ml (often rounded to 240 ml for simplicity). Note that there is also a "metric cup" (250 ml) used in Australia or Canada. Our converter typically calculates with the American cup, which is most common in recipes.How many liters are in an oil barrel?
In the global oil trade, a standard oil barrel (bbl) is used. It contains exactly 158.987 liters (often rounded to 159 liters). Interestingly, a beer barrel in the UK has a different volume (approx. 163 liters). Our widget in the "barrel [bbl]" section calculates with the standard oil barrel.How do I convert cubic meters of water to liters?
"Cubic meter" (m³) is the official term for what is sometimes colloquially called a "cubic." The conversion is very simple: 1 m³ = 1,000 liters. If you received a water bill for 5 cubic meters, you consumed 5,000 liters of water. Just enter the number 5, select "cubic meter," and in the quick overview, you will see the value in milliliters or liters.How many beers are in one pint?
If you order a "pint" at a British pub, you get 568 ml of beer (which is more than a typical European half-liter). However, if you order a pint in the USA, you only get approximately 473 ml (which is less than a large beer in many countries). Our converter allows you to distinguish betweenpint [pt] depending on the chosen system.