Portion Scoop Sizes Explained: #8, #12, #24 and #40
Portion scoops are numbered, and the number is not a model code. It tells you how many level scoops it takes to fill one quart (32 fluid ounces). A #8 scoop fills a quart in eight scoops, so each scoop is about 4 oz. A #40 fills it in forty, so each scoop is under 1 oz. Once you know the rule, the whole range makes sense.
What the number means
Divide 32 by the scoop number and you get the capacity in fluid ounces. Restaurants use the same system, which is why cookbook recipes that call for a #16 or #20 scoop translate directly to home kitchens. Capacities are for a level scoop; a heaped scoop of cookie dough will run heavier.
Size chart: ounces and tablespoons
- #8: 4 oz, 1/2 cup, 8 tbsp
- #12: 2.67 oz, about 1/3 cup, 5.3 tbsp
- #16: 2 oz, 1/4 cup, 4 tbsp
- #20: 1.6 oz, about 3 tbsp
- #24: 1.33 oz, about 2.7 tbsp
- #30: about 1 oz, 2 tbsp
- #40: 0.8 oz, about 1.5 tbsp
Cookies
A #40 gives a small two-bite cookie, a #24 gives a standard cookie, and a #16 gives a bakery-size round. The #24 scoop is the most useful single size if you bake often, because a level scoop lands close to a rounded tablespoon and a half, which is what most drop cookie recipes assume.
Muffins and cupcakes
Standard muffin cups take about 1/3 cup of batter for a two-thirds fill, which is one level #12. The #12 scoop fills a dozen cups in a dozen presses with no drips down the pan. For mini muffins, drop to a #40.
Meatballs and portioned meals
A #24 makes a meatball around the size of a golf ball, and a #16 makes one suited to a sub or a pasta bowl. Larger scoops move past baking altogether: a #8 portions rice, mashed potatoes and stuffing in half-cup servings, which is handy for meal prep containers.
Ice cream
For hard ice cream, bigger is easier. The 4 oz #8 scoop pulls a full-size scoop from a frozen tub, and the trigger pushes it clean into a cone or bowl. A #12 makes a neater single serving for sundaes, and the #40 mini scoop makes small curls of gelato or sorbet for a dessert plate, and works as a melon baller.
Trigger release and cleaning
A cog-and-ratchet trigger sweeps a thin blade around the bowl, so sticky dough and frozen desserts release without a second spoon. Stainless steel scoops go in the dishwasher; dry the pivot after washing so the mechanism stays smooth.
Which scoops to start with
Two sizes cover most kitchens: a #24 for cookies and meatballs and a #12 for muffins and single servings. Add a #8 if you scoop a lot of ice cream or portion meals in bulk. You can compare the full range in the kitchen tools collection.