Two kinds of egg weight
An egg has two weights that people use. The first is the weight in the shell. The second is the edible weight, which is the weight without the shell. The two weights come from different USDA documents, and this page keeps them apart.
| Kind of weight | USDA source | What the number is | Large egg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight in the shell | AMS 56, section 56.218, Table I | Minimum net weight for one dozen eggs | 24 oz for a dozen |
| Edible weight, without the shell | FoodData Central, FDC ID 171287 | Reference portion for one egg | 50 g for one egg |
The converter on this page uses only the edible weight, because the shell does not go into the food.
Three facts show that the FoodData Central portions are weights without the shell.
- The record is from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (data type SR Legacy, NDB number 01123). The food description file of that database gives the refuse of this food as “Shell”, 12 percent by weight.
- The documentation of release 28 of the same database says: “Weights are given for edible material without refuse”.
- The record has a cup portion: 1 cup (4.86 large eggs) is 243 g. The division 243 / 4.86 gives 50.0 g, the same as the portion for one large egg.
For the Large class, the two kinds of weight are consistent. At the class minimum, a Large egg weighs 56.70 g in the shell as an average. Less 12 percent for the shell, that is 49.90 g. The FoodData Central portion for a large egg is 50 g.
So a statement of about 57 g for a large egg and a statement of about 50 g can both be correct. The first is a weight in the shell. The second is a weight without the shell.
USDA weight classes for eggs in the shell
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service publishes the weight classes in the document AMS 56, United States Standards, Grades, and Weight Classes for Shell Eggs, effective July 20, 2000. Section 56.218, Table I, gives the U.S. weight classes for consumer grades. The table has six classes. Each class has a minimum net weight for one dozen eggs, in ounces.
| Size or weight class | Minimum net weight per dozen, oz | Each egg in the shell, g |
|---|---|---|
| Jumbo | 30 | 70.87 |
| Extra large | 27 | 63.79 |
| Large | 24 | 56.70 |
| Medium | 21 | 49.61 |
| Small | 18 | 42.52 |
| Peewee | 15 | 35.44 |
The ounce column is from Table I. The gram column is a calculation of this page. The formula is ounces per dozen / 12 × 28.34952. The factor is from NIST Special Publication 811, Appendix B.8, which gives 2.834 952 E+01 to convert an avoirdupois ounce to grams. For Large, 24 / 12 = 2 ounces, and 2 × 28.34952 = 56.70 g.
The minimum is for the dozen. So each gram value is an average for the eggs of one dozen at the class minimum. It is not a limit for each single egg.
Table I has a different column for single eggs. Its heading is “Minimum net weight for individual eggs at rate per dozen (ounces)”.
| Size or weight class | Minimum for individual eggs, oz at rate per dozen | One egg at that rate, g |
|---|---|---|
| Jumbo | 29 | 68.51 |
| Extra large | 26 | 61.42 |
| Large | 23 | 54.34 |
| Medium | 20 | 47.25 |
| Small | 17 | 40.16 |
| Peewee | · | · |
Table I gives no value for Peewee in this column. The gram column is again a calculation of this page with the same formula. For Large, 23 / 12 × 28.34952 = 54.34 g.
Section 56.218 (b) adds a tolerance for the eggs of a lot:
A lot average tolerance of 3.3 percent for individual eggs in the next lower weight class is permitted as long as no individual case within the lot exceeds 5 percent.
For these reasons the eggs of one weight class do not all have the same weight.
Edible weight of each size
USDA FoodData Central lists the food “Egg, whole, raw, fresh” with FDC ID 171287. The data type is SR Legacy and the publication date is April 1, 2019. The record has a food portion for one egg in five sizes.
| Size | Edible weight of one egg, g | Source of the value |
|---|---|---|
| Jumbo | 63 | Food portion of FDC ID 171287 |
| Extra large | 56 | Food portion of FDC ID 171287 |
| Large | 50 | Food portion of FDC ID 171287 |
| Medium | 44 | Food portion of FDC ID 171287 |
| Small | 38 | Food portion of FDC ID 171287 |
| Peewee | · | No portion in FoodData Central |
FoodData Central has no portion for Peewee. For that reason this page gives no edible weight for a Peewee egg, and the converter does not offer that size.
These values are reference portions. They are not measurements of the eggs in your kitchen. Real eggs vary in weight.
From small to extra large, each step to the next size adds 6 g. The step from extra large to jumbo adds 7 g.
How the converter calculates
| Step | Formula | 3 large eggs to medium |
|---|---|---|
| Edible weight of the recipe eggs | number of eggs × weight of the recipe size | 3 × 50 g = 150 g |
| Exact number of your eggs | edible weight / weight of your size | 150 / 44 = 3.41 |
| Nearest whole number | exact number, rounded | 3 |
| Weight of the whole number | whole number × weight of your size | 3 × 44 g = 132 g |
| Difference after rounding | weight of the whole number − edible weight | 132 − 150 = −18 g |
The same 3 large eggs are 2.68 extra large eggs, because 150 / 56 = 2.68. The nearest whole number is 3. Three extra large eggs give 168 g, which is 18 g more than the recipe amount.
The converter shows the exact number with 2 decimal places. It calculates the nearest whole number from the value before that rounding. A value of exactly one half goes up to the next whole number. The difference after rounding tells you how far the whole number is from the recipe amount. A minus sign means less egg than the recipe amount. A plus sign means more.
One egg of each size in the other sizes
Each cell is the edible weight of the recipe size divided by the edible weight of the size that you have. Read along the row of the recipe size. The cells have 2 decimal places, so use the converter for more than one egg.
| Recipe size | In small | In medium | In large | In extra large | In jumbo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 1.00 | 0.86 | 0.76 | 0.68 | 0.60 |
| Medium | 1.16 | 1.00 | 0.88 | 0.79 | 0.70 |
| Large | 1.32 | 1.14 | 1.00 | 0.89 | 0.79 |
| Extra large | 1.47 | 1.27 | 1.12 | 1.00 | 0.89 |
| Jumbo | 1.66 | 1.43 | 1.26 | 1.13 | 1.00 |
For example, 1 large egg has the edible weight of 1.14 medium eggs, and 1 jumbo egg has the edible weight of 1.26 large eggs.
Large eggs in the other sizes
This table is for a recipe that names large eggs. Each cell shows the exact number and, in brackets, the nearest whole number.
| Large eggs in the recipe | Edible weight, g | Small eggs | Medium eggs | Extra large eggs | Jumbo eggs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 | 1.32 (1) | 1.14 (1) | 0.89 (1) | 0.79 (1) |
| 2 | 100 | 2.63 (3) | 2.27 (2) | 1.79 (2) | 1.59 (2) |
| 3 | 150 | 3.95 (4) | 3.41 (3) | 2.68 (3) | 2.38 (2) |
| 4 | 200 | 5.26 (5) | 4.55 (5) | 3.57 (4) | 3.17 (3) |
| 5 | 250 | 6.58 (7) | 5.68 (6) | 4.46 (4) | 3.97 (4) |
| 6 | 300 | 7.89 (8) | 6.82 (7) | 5.36 (5) | 4.76 (5) |
| 8 | 400 | 10.53 (11) | 9.09 (9) | 7.14 (7) | 6.35 (6) |
| 10 | 500 | 13.16 (13) | 11.36 (11) | 8.93 (9) | 7.94 (8) |
| 12 | 600 | 15.79 (16) | 13.64 (14) | 10.71 (11) | 9.52 (10) |
Limits of this page
- The edible weights are USDA reference portions. Real eggs vary, so the result is an estimate for your eggs.
- The weight classes are the United States classes of AMS 56. This page does not cover the size names of other countries.
- The page gives no weight for the yolk or the white.
- The page gives no edible weight for Peewee, because FoodData Central has no portion for it.
- The converter accepts 1 to 1,000 eggs, with at most 2 decimal places.
Questions about egg sizes
- How many medium eggs equal 3 large eggs?
- By edible weight, 3.41. Three large eggs are 3 × 50 g = 150 g, and 150 / 44 = 3.41. Three medium eggs give 132 g, which is 18 g less than the recipe amount. Four medium eggs give 176 g, which is 26 g more.
- How many large eggs equal 2 jumbo eggs?
- By edible weight, 2.52. Two jumbo eggs are 2 × 63 g = 126 g, and 126 / 50 = 2.52. The nearest whole number is 3 large eggs, which give 150 g. That is 24 g more than the recipe amount. Two large eggs give 100 g, which is 26 g less.
- How much does a large egg weigh in grams?
- Without the shell, the FoodData Central reference portion is 50 g. In the shell, the USDA minimum for Large is 24 ounces for a dozen, which is 56.70 g for each egg as an average. The two numbers are different kinds of weight.
- Why does the converter not offer Peewee?
- Peewee is a USDA weight class with a minimum of 15 ounces for a dozen, which is 35.44 g for each egg in the shell. FoodData Central has no portion for a Peewee egg, so this page has no edible weight to calculate with.
- Does each large egg have 50 g of edible weight?
- No. The 50 g is a reference portion. The USDA weight class sets a minimum for the dozen and a lower minimum for single eggs. For Large, the minimum for single eggs is 23 ounces at rate per dozen, which is 54.34 g in the shell. So the eggs of one class can differ in weight.
Where these numbers come from
Each number on this page is from one of the documents below, or from a calculation that the page shows. The documents were read on October 10, 2026.
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. United States Standards, Grades, and Weight Classes for Shell Eggs, AMS 56. Effective July 20, 2000. Section 56.218, Table I and paragraph (b).
- United States Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central, food “Egg, whole, raw, fresh”, FDC ID 171287, data type SR Legacy. Publication date April 1, 2019. Food portions.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. Special Publication 811, NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8, Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically. Web page created February 1, 2016, updated August 18, 2025.
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy (2018), Documentation and User Guide. April 2018, slightly revised July 2018. The data file FOOD_DES.txt of this release has the record 01123 with the refuse “Shell”, 12 percent.
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28 (2015), Documentation and User Guide. September 2015, slightly revised May 2016. Section “Weights and Measures”.