Food Can Sizes (With Charts) – Complete Guide

If you are following a recipe, and it calls to add in a can of chopped tomatoes, evaporated milk, or beans, the measurements might not be too clear, and this is because there are a few different ways to display canned food sizes.

You do not want to mess up the ratios in a recipe and add in too much or too little of a canned food item, so knowing the various sizes does help.

How do you know food can sizes?

To properly know how to read various food can sizes, you will need to understand the way that the cans are measured, and how this converts to how much food you will get in that can. This can be a little tricky, but once you understand the basics, you can work it out on your own.

Read on to find out more about different food can sizes, and how to read the sizes given on various cans of food.

How to Read Can Sizes

Can sizes can seem strange and confusing, and it can be really difficult to know how much food or liquid a can contains!

This is because there are a few different ways to display can sizes, with one of the most common ways being a # followed by a number. The # and the corresponding number is part of a scale of can sizes, but not all of us are familiar with what these sizes are.

Alternatively, the can size can be displayed through 2 3-digit numbers. Each of these numbers indicates the size or dimension of the can, and once you understand these, then you can easily work out the size.

An example of this is the popular can size 303 x 406. First, we would need to look at the number 303.

You would start by looking at the first digit – 3. This refers to the width of the can, and it is measured in inches. The next 2 numbers, 03, refers to the remaining fraction of measurements, in sixteenths. This means that the number 303 indicates that the can measures 3 3/16 inches in diameter.

Next, you would look at the next 3 numbers. It is pretty much the same, but the numbers instead refer to the height of the can. Therefore, 406 means the can measures 4 6/16 inches height.

For a can that reads 303 x 406, you can determine that the can is 3 3/16 inches in diameter, and 4 6/16 inches tall.

For an extra example, let’s look at the can size 603 x 700. This can would measure 6 3/16 inches in diameter, and 7 inches high.

Food Can Sizes

If you do not want to constantly play a guessing game when it comes to food can sizes, you can refer back to the below chart which gives you all the can sizes in #, and how much food or liquid you can expect to get the can to hold.

Can Size	Dimensions (Inches)	Fluid Ounces
6Z	2 2/16 x 3 1/2	6.08
8Z Short	2 11/16 x 3	7.93
8Z Tall	2 11/16 x 3 2/8	8.68
#1 Picnic	2 11/16 x 4	10.94
#211 Cylinder	2 11/16 x 4 14/16	13.56
#300	3 x 4 7/16	15.22
#300 Cylinder	3 x 5 9/16	19.40
#1 Tall	3 1/16 x 4 11/16	16.70
#303	3 3/16 x 4 3/8	16.88
#303 Cylinder	3 3/16 x 5 9/16	21.86
#2 Vacuum	3 7/16 x 3 3/8	14.71
#2	3 7/16 x 5 5/8	25.80
Jumbo	3 7/16 x 5 6/8	26.40
#2 Cylinder	3 7/16 x 5 6/8	26.40
#1.25	4 1/16 x 2 3/8	13.81
#2.5	4 1/16 x 4 11/16	29.79
#3 Vacuum	4 ¼ x 3 7/16	23.90
#3 Cylinder	4 ¼ x 7	51.70
#5	5 ⅛ x 5 5/8	59.10
#10	6 3/16 x 7	109.43

Common Can Sizes for Various Foods

If you use one type of canned food item more than another, then it might be worth knowing the common can size for this, so you do not have to play a guessing game when it comes time to cook.

Below are popular food items sold in cans, and the common can sizes they are sold in:

Tomatoes

Canned tomatoes are probably one of the most popular types of canned food purchased and used, as it can be used for so many different meals, and you do not have to spend time chopping and peeling the tomatoes on your own.

Typically, crushed, diced or whole tomatoes are sold in a 28-ounce can, or a 14.5 ounce can. Whichever you choose, the smaller or larger option, will depend on how much you need,  but these are the two common sizes sold.

Corn

Corn sold in a can is super easy to use, and you often don’t need too much to bulk up a meal or serve as a side. Because of this, the average size can of corn will measure between 8 to 15 ounces, which is around 1 cup of corn.

Beans

There are many different types of beans you can purchase in a can, black beans, kidney beans, and more. While there are many different types of beans, most are sold in 15 ounce cans.

Once you have drained the liquid from the beans, you will be left with around 9 ounces of beans, which is just over 1 cup.

Meat

There are also many meat products you can purchase canned, such as the ever-popular Spam, and even chicken and beef.

For meat products that are canned, the typical size measures around 12 to 15 ounces. However, you can purchase larger cans at around 25 ounces, which would be more suited to serving a larger family.

Condensed Milk

Condensed milk is a great canned item to keep in the pantry, for when you want to whip up a quick dessert or sweet treat. When using a recipe, it helps to know that the average size of a condensed milk can measures around 14 ounces.

If a recipe calls for a can of condensed milk, then it probably does mean 14 ounces.

Soup

It is tricky to try and find the average can size of soup, as there are numerous can soup sizes, to feed varying amounts of people.

Soup cans can vary from 12 ounces all the way up to 50 ounces, and it would really depend on how many people you are going to be serving soup to.

Cranberry Sauce

Some meals just aren’t complete without some cranberry sauce, but you don’t need all that much of it at one time. You find most cans of cranberry sauce measure around 14 ounces, but you could also find smaller options too.

Fruit

There are so many different types of canned soup that you can purchase, so once again, it is difficult to give just one common can size.

Cans of fruit can vary from 16 ounces to 60 ounces, depending on the type of fruit and how many people you would want to serve. You can even find canned fruit in 100 ounces, which is more bettersuited for restaurants.

Chickpeas

Whether you are making hummus, or are adding chickpeas to a salad or stew, they are a great ingredient to keep stocked in a pantry. You will also be able to find chickpeas in a few different size cans too, suiting the quantity that you need.

Chickpeas are available in 10.5-ounces, 15.5-ounces, 29-ounces, or even 110-ounces.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin pie is so much easier to make when you use canned pumpkin, and you will be able to find different size pumpkin cans to suit the amount of pumpkin pie you are making.

A common size for pumpkin pie cans is 15-ounces, but you can find much larger cans too.

Mushrooms

Canned mushrooms are usually sold in small 8-ounce cans, but you will also be able to find cans of 16-ounces, and for restaurants, there are even larger cans to choose from.

This includes whole button mushrooms and sliced mushrooms.

Lentils

Canned lentils are so convenient to use because you do not have to worry about rinsing and soaking dry lentils before you get cooking.

Canned lentils are sold in 15-ounce cans, but you can find larger can options if you need to cook bigger portions.

Cooked Meals

To make life easier, there are cans of cooked meals that you can open up and enjoy, and these come in various sizes. However, a popular can size for a cooked meal is around 14.5-ounce. A good example of this is canned spaghetti and meatballs, which could feed between one and two people.

Anchovies

You really do not need a large can of anchovies, as they are usually served in addition to other ingredients, and a little goes a long way with their super salty flavor.

For this reason, the most common anchovy can size is around 2-ounces, which is considerably smaller than many other canned items. The shape of an anchovy can is also different to most other cans, as it is easier to get the anchovies out of the can without breaking them if they are laid flat.

Tuna

Tuna cans are most commonly sold in cans sizes between 4-ounces and 12-ounces. Smaller cans are popular because they are a good single-serving size, but the larger cans are better suited for families. 

Green Beans

Canned green beans make for a quick and easy side for your dinner, and luckily there are various green bean can sizes, so you can find the one suited to your serving sizes.

Green beans are sold in cans between 8-ounces and 28-ounces, which gives you more than enough options.

How Long Does Canned Food Last?

One of the biggest benefits of canned food is that the canning process extends the shelf life of many different foods drastically. Whether it is canned tomatoes or canned meat, the food will keep much longer in a can compared to fresh, and the unopened can is safe to store in a dark, cool pantry too.

There is some variance when it comes to how long canned food lasts, and this mainly depends on the type of food.

Canned food with a high acidity level, such as tomatoes and certain fruit, can be kept in a can for up to 18 months before they need to be used.

Other non-acidic food, such as vegetables, meats and beans, can be kept in a cool dark pantry, unopened, for up to 5 years. You do however need to make sure that the can has no dents, swelling or any rust.

Cans of food will either have a best-by date, or an expiry date on the label. The expiry date indicates when the food might spoil, but the best-by date indicates when the food will be at its best quality.

Even if a can of food has passed its best-by date or expiry date, it might still be fine to use for some time after, as long as there is no damage to the can, there are no signs of spoiling, and the can has been kept in a cool, dry place unopened.

What Are Popular Jar Sizes?

When talking about the various food can items, it is helpful to look at jar sizes too, as these vary between products.

Jar sizes are easier to work out than can sizes, and are definitely less confusing. When looking at a jar size, you would be given the volume and/or the weight, which makes it much easier to determine how much food you would be getting.

Here are the popular jar sizes, along with how much they hold:

Jar Size	Weight (Ounces)	Volume (Cups)
Jelly Jar (Small)	4	1/2
Jelly Jar (Medium)	8	1
Jelly Jar (Large)	12	1 1/2
Half Pint	8	1
Pint	16	2
Quart	32	4
Half Gallon	64	8
Gallon	128	16

Food Can Sizes

Reading through the above complete guide should give you all the information you need to better understand food can sizes, and how much food a recipe needs if it calls for a can of a certain food.

Different types of canned food come in various shapes and sizes, so it is understandably difficult to know the standard food can sizes.

Canned food has many benefits, such as lasting much longer than fresh food, and saving you from having to prepare ingredients before using them in a meal, so hopefully the above gives you all the knowledge you need to use cans in your cooking!

Related Questions

How Many Cups Are in a #3 Can?

A #3 can contains 33.5 fluid ounces, which means that it contains around 4 ¼ cup of liquid or food.

How Big is a #2 Can?

A #2 can can hold 2 ½ cups of liquid or food.

How Large Is a Big Can Size?

One of the biggest can sizes is a #10. A #10 can holds 96 fluid ounces, which is 12 cups or 3 quarts. This is substantially larger than most other can sizes, and is the can size that restaurants and caterers use.