🧪 Converter cl to ml and ml to cl

🧪 cl ↔ ml converter
Ultra simple, quick and designed for the kitchen 🇫🇷 (Lorraine ❤️)

Instantly convert centiliters (cl) ↔ milliliters (ml)

centiliters (cl)
milliliters (ml)

Tip ✨: in France, we often use centiliters for drinks (e.g. 25 cl of beer) and milliliters for pastries (e.g. 100 ml of milk).

Important reminder: 1 cl = 10 ml • 1 ml = 0.1 cl

Quick conversion table cl ⇆ ml

cl ml ml cl
1 10 50 5
2 20 100 10
2.5 25 150 15
5 50 200 20
10 100 250 25
20 200 500 50

Values ​​rounded to the nearest whole number. For more precision, use the calculator above.

How to convert cl to ml (and ml to cl) in cooking 🍳

In French cuisine, we come across two units of volume every day: the centiliter (cl) and the milliliter (ml) . Juice packs say 25 cl, chocolate mousse calls for 100 ml of cream, and cocktail recipes often say 2 cl or 5 cl per shot. To avoid confusion — and get your recipes right the first time — keep this golden rule in mind: 1 cl = 10 ml . In other words, to go from cl to ml, we multiply by 10; to go from ml to cl, we divide by 10. Simple, clean, effective 💡.

Conversion formula

  • 👉 ml = cl × 10
  • 👉 cl = ml ÷ 10

Express examples: 2 cl = 20 ml • 25 cl = 250 ml • 100 ml = 10 cl • 150 ml = 15 cl.

Why two different units?

Historically, the centiliter was widely used in France for drinks (25 cl beer, 12 cl coffee, 50 cl pitcher), while the milliliter became established in detailed recipes and the food industry for its precision. Both belong to the international system around the liter (L): 1 L = 10 dl = 100 cl = 1000 ml. For those who are curious, you can consult the reference institution, the BIPM 🧭.

Practical cases: your most common conversions 🥛🍹

Cooking & Baking

Are you making a pancake batter and the recipe says 25 cl of milk? In ml, that's 250 ml . Does your flan require 100 ml of cream? That's 10 cl . For accuracy, use a measuring cup graduated in ml/cl. Alternatively, a standard glass of water (20–25 cl) can be used: 3/4 full, you get close to 150–180 ml; half full, ~100–125 ml. Be careful, however, of variations in volume depending on the glasses and mugs!

Cocktails, syrups & coffees

Bartenders often speak in centiliters: 2 cl of syrup, 4 cl of rum, 1 cl of lemon juice. To reproduce a bar menu at home, remember that 1 dash ≈ 1 ml with a fine jigger, and that a "short" shot of spirit is often around 2–3 cl (20–30 ml). A “French” espresso is between 6 and 10 cl depending on the coffee (60–100 ml), whereas the Italian rarely exceeds 3–4 cl.

Highly sought-after quick examples

  • 🧮 10 cl in ml = 100 ml
  • 🧮 20 cl in ml = 200 ml
  • 🧮 25 cl in ml = 250 ml
  • 🧮 50 cl in ml = 500 ml
  • 🧮 100 ml in cl = 10 cl
  • 🧮 200 ml in cl = 20 cl
  • 🧮 250 ml in cl = 25 cl

Best practices for converting without making mistakes ✅

Use the "French" comma

In France, we use the comma for decimals: 2.5 cl = 25 ml. Our calculator accepts periods or comma and converts correctly, whether you are on mobile or desktop.

Do not confuse volume and mass

Milliliters and centiliters measure volume , not weight . For water, 100 ml ≈ 100 g, but this is not true for all materials: 100 ml of oil weighs ~92 g, 100 ml of honey ~140 g. If your recipe calls for grams and you only have a measuring cup, look for an ingredient-specific conversion table.

Adapt to seasonal recipes 🇫🇷

At Neary (Seichamps, Lorraine), we cook with local and seasonal products. For example, for a pumpkin soup , we often add 20 cl of cream (200 ml). For a vinaigrette , 2 cl of oil (20 ml) is enough for a salad for 4 people. The important thing is to stay consistent: if you double the portions, double the volumes.

Useful shortcuts to save time ⏱️

Memos cl → ml

1 → 10 • 2 → 20 • 2.5 → 25 • 5 → 50 • 10 → 100 • 20 → 200 • 25 → 250 • 50 → 500. Train yourself: mentally multiply by 10 and you will be unbeatable!

Memos ml → cl

50 → 5 • 100 → 10 • 120 → 12 • 150 → 15 • 200 → 20 • 250 → 25 • 500 → 50. Here, simply divide by 10 — or move the decimal point one place to the left.

Resources and recipes to test with your conversions 🍽️

Now that the cl/ml conversion is no longer a secret, put it into practice: try cooking green beans , our homemade green bean salad , or a homemade tart where you have to measure the cream and milk precisely. On the office side, also discover fruit delivery to the office to stock up on vitamins at work 🍊.

To plan your purchases according to season and origin, consult our French IGP & AOP calendar 📅.

FAQ — cl to ml & ml to cl 🙋

How to convert 10 cl to ml?

10 cl × 10 = 100 ml .

How to convert 100 ml to cl?

100 ml ÷ 10 = 10 cl .

25 cl, how many ml is that?

25 cl = 250 ml .

200 ml, how much is that in cl?

200 ml = 20 cl .

What is the difference between ml and g?

The ml measures a volume, the g a mass. The equality 100 ml = 100 g is only approximately true for water.

What is the origin of these units?

cl and ml are derived from the liter (international system). Reference: BIPM .