Skip to main content

How many slices in a loaf?

Sixteen, usually. A head of garlic is about ten cloves, a carton is twelve eggs, and a case of soda is twelve cans. Below is the full chart, plus a quick way to work out what is left once you have used some.

You have left

11 slices

That is 0.69 of a container. Most apps would still call this “1 bread”.

The full chart

Container sizes by item
ItemYou buyWhich is about
breadloaf, sourdough1 container16 slices
bagel1 pack5 pieces
english muffinmuffin1 pack6 pieces
hot dog bunhotdog bun, burger bun1 pack8 pieces
dinner rollbread roll1 pack12 rolls
tortillawrap, flatbread1 pack10 pieces
pitanaan1 pack6 pieces
bananaplantain1 bunch6 bananas
garlic1 head10 cloves
celery1 bunch8 stalks
green onionscallion, spring onion1 bunch6 stalks
asparagus1 bunch12 spears
corn on the cobcorn cob, sweet corn1 pack4 ears
appleorange, lemon1 bag6 pieces
potatoonion, carrot1 bag8 pieces
egg1 carton12 eggs
string cheesecheese stick1 pack12 sticks
cheese slicesliced cheese, american cheese1 pack16 slices
yogurtyoghurt1 pack4 cups
applesauceapple sauce, fruit cup1 pack6 cups
sodacola, pop1 case12 cans
waterbottled water1 case24 bottles
juice boxjuice pouch1 pack8 pieces
tea1 box20 bags
coffee podk-cup, k cup1 box12 pods
oatmeal1 box6 packets
rameninstant noodle, instant noodles1 pack6 packets
granola barprotein bar, cereal bar1 box8 bars
crackercrackers1 box4 sleeves
fruit snackfruit snacks, gummy snack1 box10 pouchs
popsicleice pop, freezer pop1 box6 pieces
hot doghotdog, frankfurter1 pack8 pieces
sausagebratwurst, wiener1 pack6 links
bacon1 pack16 slices

Why this matters

Almost every kitchen app counts in whole containers. Buy a loaf and it records “1 bread”, and it still says “1 bread” when two slices are left. Within a fortnight the inventory has drifted away from the cupboard and people stop trusting it, which is how most pantry apps quietly die.

SeePantry counts in the units you actually use. Cook something calling for five cloves and it deducts five, not the whole head. What is left reads “5 cloves left”, low-stock alerts are expressed in slices rather than loaves, and partial use still counts toward the money you saved.

These are typical sizes, not guarantees. An artisan loaf and a supermarket sandwich loaf are not the same, so the app lets you correct the count on any item and remembers it.

Common questions

How many slices are in a loaf of bread?
About 16 for a standard sandwich loaf, not counting the heels. Artisan and sourdough loaves vary far more, since it depends where you cut.
How many cloves are in a head of garlic?
Around 10, though it ranges from about 6 in a small head to more than 20 in elephant garlic. Recipes usually assume a medium head.
Why would an app need to know this?
So that cooking can deduct what you actually used. Without it, an app either marks the whole container used the moment you touch it, or leaves it at “1” until you manually say otherwise. Neither matches your cupboard.

Let the app keep count

SeePantry applies these automatically. Scan a receipt and a loaf is tracked as 16 slices from the start, so what the app says you have matches what is actually there.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Free to start. No account needed to try it.

How sub-unit tracking works