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Jars, cans & cups calculator

Everyday round containers — jars, cans, cups and moulds. Enter the inside dimensions for a capacity in millilitres or cups.

This jars, cans & cups calculator turns a round container's inside diameter and height into a capacity you can use in the kitchen or pantry, in millilitres and cups.

Using the calculator

  1. Measure across the circular end — the diameter or radius.
  2. If you measured the diameter, halve it to get the radius r.
  3. Square the radius and multiply by π to get the base area.
  4. Multiply the base area by the height h: V = π r² h.
  5. Convert the result into your preferred unit above.

Worked example. Take a cylinder with a diameter of 15 cm (so a radius of 7.5 cm) and a height of 30 cm. The base area is π × 7.5² = 176.71 cm², and multiplying by the height gives a volume of about 5.30 litres (5,301 cm³ · 1.40 US gallons).

Measure the inside of the container, not the outside — and remember most jars and cans are filled to just below the rim, so usable capacity is a touch less.

Every jars, cans & cups page

Each page below targets a specific question and opens with the calculator ready to go:

Questions people ask

How do I find the volume of a jar or can?
Measure the inside diameter and the inside height, then use V = π r² h. The tool shows the result in millilitres, cups and fluid ounces.
How do I swap between two round baking tins?
Work out the volume of each tin and keep the batter depth similar. If the new tin holds less, reduce the batter or expect a taller bake; the calculator makes the comparison quick.

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