How Many Potatoes Are In A Pound?

It is common for recipes not to specify the number of potatoes but rather the weight, or vice versa. That makes it difficult to know exactly the right amount to use, particularly if you don’t have a kitchen scale to measure them with.

That often leaves home cooks like us wondering how many potatoes are in a pound, so we know how many to use in the recipe.

I can say that for Russet or white potatoes, which are used most often in recipes, there are 2 average sized potatoes in a pound. But the number changes based on the type of potato you’re using.

Since this is something I’ve often wondered when cooking, I’ve created a guide to help you quickly choose how many potatoes to use in your recipe.

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Common Potatoes and Their Average Size

A lot of the mystery is dispelled by looking at the common types of potatoes and how much they each weigh on average.

You can categorize potatoes into seven types: Russet, Fingerling, Red, Blue/Purple, White, and Yellow. While there are many dozens of varieties of potatoes, they all fall into one of these similar types and mostly average out to the same size.

Depending on the type of potato you use, the number of potatoes varies in a pound. For example, you may only need two Russet potatoes, whereas you would need three or four Yukon Gold potatoes, and up to eight fingerlings.

How Many Potatoes Are in a Pound by Type

Given that not all potatoes grow to the same size, unless you weight your potatoes you can never know for sure how many potatoes are in a pound. However, you can start to eyeball it by knowing what the average potato looks like.

For instance, two medium sized potatoes each weighing 1/2 lb, will both just barely fit into an adult’s hand. Thus it’s a pretty good estimation that a pound of potatoes – no matter the type – will fill your hand full.

• Russet potatoes – 2
• Red potatoes – 7 to 9
• Baby potatoes – 12 to 15
• Fingerling potatoes – 10-12
• Blue/Purple potatoes – 15-18
• Yellow or Yukon Gold – 5
• White potatoes – 3 to 4

Approximately How Much Does A Potato Weigh?

Farmers and grocery store potatoes according to size and proportion and they display them this way to make it easier for shoppers. Potatoes are often available in three sizes: large, medium and small.

• A large potato would be a baking potato or sweet potato, which are usually sold individually. A large potato can weight .75 to about one pound on its own.
• A medium potato, like a Russet, Yukon Gold, or white potato, can be sold individually or in a bag, and often weight around .45-.55 lbs each. One regular-sized or average size russet potato will weigh about a pound. Two medium-sized potatoes also make a pound.
• Smaller potatoes, like a baby red, fingerling, yellow potatoes, or new purple potatoes are most often sold in a 1 pound or 5 pound bag. They each weigh and average of .2-.3 pounds each or 2-3 ounces.
• Sweet potatoes are usually quite a bit larger in size than regular potatoes, so you can expect them to weigh more and to serve more people per potato.

Recipes Using Potatoes

There are so many ways to serve potatoes of every type. You can make mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, dozens of different side dishes, and even main dishes using potatoes.

• Crispy Roast Potatoes
• Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes
• 10 Unique Ways to Make Scalloped Potatoes
• Easy Roasted Twice Baked Potatoes
• Oven-Baked Crispy Smashed Potatoes

FAQ

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