Egg Carton Sizes and Pack Formats: A Wholesale Buyer’s Reference

Walk into any wholesale egg cooler and you will see eggs packed half a dozen different ways. Cartons, flats, loose cases, sleeves. If you are new to buying eggs at volume, the options can feel overwhelming. Here is a straightforward rundown of the pack formats available and which ones make sense for your business.

Common Pack Formats

The 12-pack carton is the format most people know from the grocery store. It is the standard retail unit and works well for smaller grocers, delis, and convenience stores that sell directly to consumers. The 18-pack carton is popular with families and value shoppers and moves well on retail shelves.

The 2.5 dozen flat (30 eggs) is a step up and common in foodservice. Many restaurants prefer this size because it is easy to store and gives cooks quick access without fumbling with carton lids. For high-volume operations, the 15 dozen loose case (180 eggs packed in flats inside a single case) is the standard foodservice unit. Bakeries, hotel kitchens, and institutional cafeterias rely on this format. And for the largest buyers, the 30 dozen case (360 eggs) is the most economical option per egg.

Which Format Fits Your Business

If you run a grocery store or deli, you want consumer-facing cartons. The 12-pack and 18-pack are your bread and butter. They are labeled, graded, and ready for the shelf. If you operate a restaurant, a mix usually works best. Keep cartons for bar service or small-batch prep and loose cases for the main kitchen. Bakeries almost always want loose cases because they go through eggs fast and do not need individual packaging.

Understanding Egg Sizes

Pack format is separate from egg size. USDA egg sizes go by minimum weight per dozen: Jumbo (30 oz/dozen), Extra Large (27 oz), Large (24 oz), Medium (21 oz), and Small (18 oz). Large is the industry standard for recipes and foodservice. Most wholesale buyers order Large unless they have a specific reason to go bigger or smaller. Jumbo and Extra Large sell well in retail because consumers like the perceived value. Medium eggs work for operations where cost per unit matters more than size.

How to Figure Out What You Need

Start with how many eggs you use per week. If your kitchen goes through 500 eggs a week, that is roughly three 15-dozen cases. If you run a small cafe doing 100 eggs a week, a couple of 2.5 dozen flats per delivery might be the better fit. Think about your storage space, too. Loose cases stack efficiently in a walk-in cooler, but you need the vertical clearance. Cartons take up more shelf space per egg but are easier to grab in small quantities.

We Carry Every Format

East Coast Egg Farmers stocks all of the pack formats and egg sizes mentioned above. Whether you need two cases of Large 15-dozen for your restaurant or a pallet of 12-pack cartons for your grocery shelves, we can build your order to fit. Not sure what combination works for your operation? That is exactly the kind of thing we help buyers sort out every day.