In 2019, the United States produced around 400 million hundredweights (44,800,000,000 pounds) of potatoes, which was actually a decrease from the previous year’s yield. To feed a family of six, you would need around 3 pounds of potatoes. But how many potatoes is that?
Potatoes are split into 3 size categories—small, medium, and large. To get a total of 3 pounds, you would need about 10 small potatoes, 7 medium potatoes, and 5 large potatoes.
In this guide, I’ll provide a chart that describes how many potatoes it will take to reach various weights. I will also speak about the various potato types and their average weights.
Read also: How Many Pounds of Potatoes is 4 Cups?
How Many Potatoes to Get 3 Pounds?
In the United States, you can typically purchase potatoes by the pound. At the grocery store, you will have to fill a tray before weighing it on a scale. However, some grocery stores and market stalls sell potatoes in 5-pound bags, which can cost considerably less than buying them by the pound.
If you plan on feeding 3 to 6 mouths in one sitting, you will need roughly 3 pounds of potatoes, depending on the dish. So, how many potatoes do you have to budget for?
The weight of a single potato varies between types. But among the 4,000-plus potato varieties available, the russet potato is, by far, the most sought-after.
Potatoes fall into one of 3 size categories—small, medium, and large. As such, the weight per potato based on size class may vary drastically.
Here’s a quick rundown of potato weights by size:
| Size | Diameter | Average Weight (oz.) | Average Weight (g) |
| Small | 1.75 to 2.25 in. | 5 | 140 |
| Medium | 2.25 o 3.25 in. | 6.8 | 190 |
| Large | At least 3.25 in. | At least 10 | At least 280 |
Knowing these figures, we can estimate how many small, medium, or large potatoes it would take to get 3 pounds.
| Size | Average Weight (oz.) | Potatoes per 3 Pounds |
| Small | 5 | 10 potatoes* |
| Medium | 5 to 10 | 7 potatoes* |
| Large | At least 10 | 5 potatoes* |
*Rounded up to the highest whole potato count
Potato Count by Weight Chart
| Weight | Small Potatoes (5 oz.) | Medium Potatoes (6.8 oz) | Large Potatoes (10 oz.) |
| ¼ lbs. | 0.80 | 0.59 | 0.40 |
| 1/3 lbs. | 1.07 | 0.78 | 0.53 |
| ½ lbs. | 1.60 | 1.18 | 0.80 |
| 2/3 lbs. | 2.13 | 1.57 | 1.07 |
| ¾ lbs. | 3.20 | 2.35 | 1.60 |
| 1 lb. | 6.40 | 4.71 | 3.20 |
| 2 lbs. | 9.60 | 7.06 | 4.80 |
| 3 lbs. | 12.80 | 9.41 | 6.40 |
| 4 lbs. | 16.00 | 11.76 | 8.00 |
| 5 lbs. | 19.20 | 14.12 | 9.60 |
| 6 lbs. | 22.40 | 16.47 | 11.20 |
| 7 lbs. | 25.60 | 18.82 | 12.80 |
| 8 lbs. | 28.80 | 21.18 | 14.40 |
| 9 lbs. | 32.00 | 23.53 | 16.00 |
| 10 lbs. | 0.80 | 0.59 | 0.40 |
Types and Weights of Different Potatoes
In this section, I’ll focus on the various types of potatoes you can usually pick up at your local grocery store, as well as how many of each potato you would need to reach 3 pounds.
Russet Potatoes
The classic russet potato is probably the type you’re most familiar with. It’s fairly large, come with brown skin, and has very few eyes. Peeling the skin away reveals soft, white, highly starchy flesh. Russet potatoes can be used for nearly any dish, from making baked potatoes to roasted potatoes and potato mash.
The average weight of a russet potato is 6.8 ounces for a medium-sized spud, so you would 7 of them to get to 3 pounds.
Red Potato
Red potatoes are a small type of potatoes that, as the name suggests, have reddish skin, which is thinner than the skin of most potatoes. This type of potato has waxy flesh that becomes creamy as it cooks. You can usually find red potatoes in salads or in roasted potato dishes, but they also make for a great thickening agent for soups.
Red potatoes fall into the same size classifications as russet potatoes, so a medium-sized red potato would also weigh 6.8 ounces, meaning you would need 7 of them to get to 3 pounds.
White Potatoes
At first glance, white potatoes look similar to russets. However, instead of having rough, dark skin, it comes with smooth, white skin that keeps the waxy flesh intact. The skin is fairly thin, so you can leave them skin-on when making mashed potatoes. White potatoes are in the middle in terms of starchiness and moisture content, so they retain their shape much better than russets.
Large white potatoes will weigh close to 10 ounces each. So, 5 of them would yield 3 pounds.
Yellow Potatoes
Another name for yellow potatoes is Yukon Gold. Its skin is moderately waxy, and it has relatively high starch levels per spud, making them ideal for most potato-based dishes. As it cooks, a yellow potato will develop a slightly sweet taste, so they’re great for adding to salads and throwing on the grill.
Yukon golds typically weigh between 5 and 10 ounces each, so to get to 3 pounds, you would need between 5 and 10 of them.
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