Explainer
Cookie scoop sizes explained: what the number means, how much dough each size holds, and which size suits small, everyday and jumbo cookies.
A #40 scoop does not hold forty of anything. The number says how many level scoops it takes to fill a quart, so the bigger the number, the smaller the portion. Once that clicks, the whole range from tiny truffle scoops to bakery-size giants becomes easy to read.
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Scoop numbers come from a restaurant-supply convention: the number is how many level scoops of that size would fill one quart. A #12 gives about twelve large portions from a quart of dough, while a #60 gives about sixty small ones.
That is why the scale runs backwards from what most people expect. The cookie scoop set you buy follows the same backwards logic: smaller numbers mean bigger scoops and bigger cookies; larger numbers mean smaller scoops and bite-size treats.
Most home baking lives somewhere between #100 and #12, and the top cookie scoop for most kitchens is a size 40 with a gentle trigger. The volumes below are typical rather than exact, since makers round their stated capacities a little differently.
| Scoop | Holds about | Weight about |
|---|---|---|
| #100 | 1 to 2 teaspoons | 0.3 to 0.4 oz |
| #60 | 1 tablespoon | 0.5 oz |
| #40 | 1.5 to 2 tablespoons | 0.8 to 1 oz |
| #30 | 2 tablespoons | 1.1 oz |
| #20 | 3 tablespoons | 1.6 to 1.8 oz |
| #12 | 5 tablespoons | 2.7 oz |
Picture the finished cookie first, then work backwards to a number. A #40 is the safest default for everyday drop cookies, usually giving a cookie somewhere around 2.5 to 3 inches across once baked.
A scoop fixes the amount of dough, not the width of the baked cookie. Dough with a lot of butter relative to flour spreads more in the oven, so a #40 of one recipe can finish noticeably wider than a #40 of another. Baking one or two scooped test cookies first shows how far a recipe spreads before committing a full tray.
Dough that clings to the bowl of the scoop is a different problem from sizing, and anti-stick scoop techniques such as chilling the dough, a light film of oil or a quick dip in water deal with it.
The numbering is standardized, so a #40 from one maker should land close to a #40 from another. Stated capacities do vary a little, though: the OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop lists 1.5 tablespoons for its size 40, the Solula Medium Cookie Scoop Size 40 lists about 1.7, and the Homure H Cookie Scoop 2 Tablespoon lists 2.
What really differs between makers is handle style and the release mechanism. Sets such as the Fayomir Cookie Scoop Set of 3 and the Homure H Cookie Scoop Set of 3 pair #60, #40 and #20, which spans small, everyday and large portions. The best cookie scoop page covers the handle grip, trigger and wiper differences between single scoops and these sets.
For most home baking the #40 is the usual starting point. It suits classic drop cookies such as chocolate chip, and many bakers add a #60 for small cookies and a #20 for large ones.
A #20 holds about 3 tablespoons, roughly twice what a #40 holds at about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons. The lower number is the larger scoop, so a #20 makes a jumbo cookie where a #40 makes a classic one.
A #16 sits between the #20 and the #12, at roughly a quarter cup of dough. It is a common pick for large cookies, jumbo muffins and generous servings of ice cream.