Measurements & Units
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Quart

A unit of volume measurement equal to 4 cups, 2 pints, 32 fluid ounces, or approximately 946 milliliters.

Quick conversion

1 US Quart = 4 Cups • 1 US Quart = 2 Pints • 1 US Quart = 946 mL • 1 UK Quart = 1.13 L

The quart (abbreviated as qt) is a standard unit of volume measurement used in both the US customary and British Imperial measurement systems. The word is derived from the Latin 'quartus', meaning one-quarter, because a quart represents exactly one-quarter of a gallon. In the United States, a liquid quart is equivalent to 2 pints, 4 cups, 32 fluid ounces, or approximately 946.35 milliliters. Similar to other units of volume, the British Imperial quart is larger than the US customary quart, measuring approximately 1,136.52 milliliters (1.13 liters) due to the larger size of the Imperial gallon.

Quarts are commonly used for scaling large batches of stocks, soups, broths, and dairy products. In baking, a quart of liquid is a standard volume when preparing large batches of custard, ice cream base, or bread dough. When converting quarts to metric units, rounding a US quart to 950 milliliters or a full liter is common in casual cooking, but for precise pastry work, the exact conversion of 946 milliliters should be maintained to prevent structural failures.

Common mistake

Interchanging a US quart with a liter in high-precision baking. While 946 mL is close to 1,000 mL, the missing 54 mL of liquid can make bread doughs too dry or custards too firm.

US vs UK / Metric

A US liquid quart is 946.35 mL, whereas a UK Imperial quart is 1136.52 mL. The US also has a dry quart, which equals 1101.22 mL.

When to use it

Use when measuring bulk liquids for stocks, soups, canning, pickling brines, or making large-scale batters and doughs.

Substitution

1 US quart = 4 cups = 2 pints = 32 fluid ounces = 946.35 milliliters.

Try the quart converter

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