How Much Mashed Potatoes per Person Calculator

What this does

So you are making mashed potatoes for a table full of people and you do not want to come up short on everyone's favourite side. This calculator tells you how many potatoes to buy. Enter your guest count and it gives you the amount in both ounces and pounds, ready to take to the shop.

How to use it

1. Enter the number of guests.
2. Press Calculate to see the potatoes needed in ounces and pounds.

Simple as that, one number in, your shopping weight out.

How the maths works

The estimate uses a generous and reliable serving of about half a pound, or 8 ounces, of raw potatoes per person:

potatoes = guests × 8 ounces

So for 10 guests that is 80 ounces, which is 5 pounds of potatoes. Half a pound each sounds like a lot, but potatoes cook down, people go back for seconds, and mash is one of those sides that always disappears.

Planning tips

This half pound figure leans generous on purpose, which is just right when mashed potatoes are a star of the meal, like at a holiday dinner where seconds are a certainty. If your spread has a lot of other sides competing for plate space, you can trim it down a little. Bear in mind that potatoes lose a bit of weight once peeled, so buying to this estimate gives you a sensible buffer. And for the fluffiest mash, starchy potatoes like russets or all rounders like Yukon golds do the best job.

Questions people ask