A 14.5 oz can of tomatoes weighs 411 g. The conversion is exact arithmetic: 1 ounce is 28.35 g, and 14.5 times 28.35 is 411 g. That is the total weight of the can contents — tomatoes plus juice — which is the weight printed on the label and the weight you should use when a recipe works in grams. It is the simplest kind of kitchen conversion, because the can is sold by weight and the label already tells you the answer in ounces; all you are doing is changing the unit.
The reason this page exists is that a growing number of recipes, especially those from European and professional sources, give tomato quantities in grams rather than cans or cups. A sauce recipe that calls for 400 g of tomatoes is asking for one 14.5 oz can, near enough — the 11 g difference is less than a tablespoon of tomato and will not change the dish. A recipe that calls for 800 g wants two cans. Knowing that one can is 411 g lets you shop and scale without a calculator, and it stops the common mistake of treating the can weight as the drained weight, which it is not.
Can of tomatoes weight table
The table below shows the weight of one can and the useful multiples, alongside the volume each amount represents. Use the weight column when your recipe is written in grams, and the cups column when it is written in volume.
| Amount | Weight | Volume (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 can | 206 g | 7/8 cup |
| 3/4 can | 308 g | 1 1/4 cups |
| 1 can | 411 g | 1 3/4 cups |
| 2 cans | 822 g | 3 1/2 cups |
| 3 cans | 1,233 g | 5 1/4 cups |
Weights are the total contents of the can, juice included. One ounce is 28.35 g, so any can weight in ounces converts by multiplying by 28.35.
Worked examples
A sauce recipe written in grams
A recipe from a European cookbook calls for 400 g of crushed tomatoes, simmered with garlic and olive oil. One 14.5 oz can is 411 g, so open one can and use the whole thing — the extra 11 g is negligible, about half a tablespoon of tomato. If you want to be exact, spoon out about a tablespoon before cooking, but no sauce will notice the difference. Weigh the tomatoes in a bowl on a kitchen scale if you are doubling the recipe: two cans are 822 g, and a recipe asking for 800 g is again one spoonful away from two full cans.
Scaling a chilli for a crowd
A chilli recipe for twelve people calls for 1,200 g of diced tomatoes. Three cans at 411 g each give you 1,233 g, which is close enough — the 33 g excess is about two tablespoons spread across a huge pot. Use all three cans and do not adjust anything else. If the recipe is written for four people and calls for 400 g, one can is the answer. The pattern is simple: one can per 400 g, and the rounding always works in your favour because the excess is tiny relative to the pot.
A soup that needs 200 g
A soup recipe calls for 200 g of tomatoes, which is just under half a can. Open the can, weigh out 200 g into the pot, and keep the remaining 211 g in a sealed container in the fridge. That leftover is a little more than half a cup, and it is the right amount for a small pan of shakshuka, a tomato and bean stew for one, or a quick pasta sauce. Do not store it in the opened can — transfer it to glass or plastic, because tomato acid reacts with the metal and gives the tomatoes a metallic taste within a day.
How the figure is worked out
Think of the answer as a conversion, not a measurement. The package weight is a standard 14.5 oz can. One cup of this ingredient weighs a known number of grams, so the cups in the package are the package weight divided by the cup weight. The method matters as much as the number: a spooned and levelled cup is the standard, and a scooped cup packs in more, which is why two bakers can get different cup counts from the same bag.
Practical guidance
Use the label, not the guess. The 14.5 oz can is the standard size in the US, but tomatoes also come in 28 oz cans (794 g) and smaller cans, and the weight on the label is always the authority. If your can says 15 oz instead of 14.5 oz, it weighs 425 g — the difference is one tablespoon of tomato, and it will not change a cooked dish, but it matters if you are being precise for a recipe you are developing. European cans are labelled in grams already, usually 400 g, which is 11 g less than a US 14.5 oz can — again, a negligible difference in cooking.
Remember that the label weight includes the juice. If your recipe calls for drained tomatoes in grams, you cannot use 411 g — you have to drain the can and weigh what is left, which will be noticeably less. The drained weight varies with the cut: whole tomatoes drain to a higher proportion of solids than crushed tomatoes, which lose more liquid. When a recipe is ambiguous about drained versus undrained, assume undrained, because that is how the label weight is defined and how most recipe writers think about a can.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in a 28 oz can of tomatoes?
About 794 g — 28 times 28.35 g. That is just under twice the 411 g of a 14.5 oz can, which makes sense because 28 oz is just under twice 14.5 oz. A recipe calling for 800 g of tomatoes is asking for one 28 oz can, near enough.
Is 411 g the drained weight or the total weight?
The total weight, juice included. The drained weight is lower and varies by cut, so if a recipe calls for drained tomatoes in grams, drain the can first and weigh the solids. Do not use 411 g for a drained weight — you would be adding too much tomato.
How many cups is 411 g of tomatoes?
About 1 3/4 cups, which is the whole contents of the can poured into a measuring jug. This is a volume figure for the can contents, not a density conversion — tomatoes are not in the ingredient density table, so there is no grams-per-cup figure to divide by.
Can I use a 400 g European can instead of a 14.5 oz can?
Yes. A 400 g can is 11 g lighter than a 411 g can, a difference of about half a tablespoon of tomato. No cooked dish will notice it. Use the cans interchangeably in sauces, soups and stews.
Why do some cans say 14.5 oz and others say 15 oz?
Different brands round the size differently and fill to slightly different weights. A 15 oz can is 425 g, only 14 g more than a 14.5 oz can. Treat them as the same size in cooking, and use the label weight when a recipe is written in grams and you want to be exact.