Disposable Plate Sizes: 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12 Inch, and What Each One Is For

Plate sizes are sold in inches, but no two suppliers measure them the same way, and a “10 inch plate” from one factory can be noticeably smaller than another’s. If you are ordering thousands, that difference changes how much food fits and how many plates guests take. This chart gives the real measurements of every plate Pulpcraft makes, and which size suits which meal.

Disposable plate size chart

Sizes below are the outer diameter, rim to rim, measured in millimetres. The inch figure in brackets is the actual size, not the name.

Plate	Diameter	Depth	Weight	Typical use
6 inch Deep Round Plate	150 mm (5.9 in)	25 mm	7 g	Chaat, momos, desserts, sides
7 inch Deep Round Plate	175 mm (6.9 in)	25 mm	8 g	Snacks with gravy, noodles, quarter plate
9 inch Round Plate	225 mm (8.9 in)	18.5 mm	14 g	Breakfast, starters, single-dish meals
10 inch Round Plate	250 mm (9.8 in)	22 mm	19 g	Buffet main course, biryani
11 inch Round Plate	278 mm (10.9 in)	24.5 mm	21 g	Full meals, platters
12 inch Round Plate	305 mm (12.0 in)	24.5 mm	25 g	Wedding and party main course, full plate

Two things to notice. First, the 6 and 7 inch plates are deep plates (25 mm), built for food with liquid, while the 9 to 12 inch plates are flatter dinner plates. Second, weight goes up with size: the 12 inch plate weighs 25 g against 14 g for the 9 inch. Weight is a fair guide to how stiff a plate is when you compare two plates of the same size from different suppliers.

Full plate, half plate, quarter plate

Indian restaurants and caterers often talk in these terms rather than inches. Roughly:

• Full plate: 11 to 12 inch, for a complete meal. The 12 inch plate is the standard wedding buffet plate.
• Half plate: about 9 to 10 inch, for a smaller meal or a single dish. See the 9 inch and 10 inch plates.
• Quarter plate: about 6 to 7 inch, for starters, chaat, sweets or a side. Our 6 inch and 7 inch plates are deep, so they work for wet snacks too.

Which size for which occasion

Occasion	Main plate	Second plate or bowl
Wedding buffet	12 inch round	6 inch deep for chaat and dessert
Corporate lunch or canteen	11 inch 4 compartment	180 ml bowl for dal or dessert
Birthday or house party	10 inch round	7 inch deep for snacks
Langar or bhandara	10 inch 3 compartment	150 ml bowl for halwa
Chaat counter	5 inch triangle	120 ml bowl for pani
Restaurant takeaway (dine-out)	3 compartment meal tray	240 ml bowl

Detailed guides: wedding catering, events and parties, corporate catering, langar and bhandara plates and pani puri and chaat plates. Hosting at home? Our potluck planning guide has a plates-per-guest grid.

Compartment plate and meal tray sizes

Compartment plates keep rice, dal and sabzi apart, which is why caterers use them for thalis. Our guide to compartment plates goes into which menu suits which layout.

Product	Size	Depth	Weight	Per packet	Per box
10 inch 3 Compartment Plate	250 mm	22 mm	19 g	25	500
11 inch 4 Compartment Plate	278 mm	24.5 mm	22 g	25	500
12 inch 4 Compartment Plate	305 mm	24.5 mm	26 g	25	500
2 CP Meal Tray	200 x 130 mm	on request	8 g	on request	on request
3 CP Meal Tray	225 x 180 mm	on request	13 g	on request	on request
5 Compartment Meal Tray	300 x 245 mm	34 mm	35 g	25	500

Bowl sizes in ml

Bowls are sold by volume. As a rule of thumb, 120 to 150 ml suits chutney, raita, prasad or a sweet; 180 to 240 ml suits dal, kheer or a dessert serving; and 360 ml suits noodles, soup or a rice bowl. Our bagasse bowls guide and the note on deep bowl performance cover how each one handles hot liquid.

Product	Size	Depth	Weight	Per packet	Per box
120ml Kiwi Bowl	80 mm	35 mm	4.5 g	on request	on request
150ml Square Bagasse Bowl	102 mm	30 mm	5 g	50	2,000
180ml Round Bagasse Bowl	100 mm	45 mm	5 g	50	2,000
240ml Round Bagasse Bowl	110 mm	45.5 mm	6 g	50	2,000
360ml Round Bagasse Bowl	140 mm	40 mm	9 g	50	2,000

How sizes affect how many you order

Bigger plates come fewer to a box. The 6 inch deep plate ships 2,000 to a box; the 10, 11 and 12 inch plates ship 500 to a box. So for the same storage space you get four times as many small plates. When you plan an order, count plates per guest for each size separately, add about 10 percent spare, then round up to whole boxes. Our storage guide explains how to keep spare stock in good shape between events.

Every round plate with box counts

Product	Size	Depth	Weight	Per packet	Per box
6 inch Deep Round Plate	150 mm	25 mm	7 g	50	2,000
7 inch Deep Round Plate	175 mm	25 mm	8 g	50	1,500
9 inch Round Plate	225 mm	18.5 mm	14 g	25	1,000
10 inch Round Plate	250 mm	22 mm	19 g	25	500
11 inch Round Plate	278 mm	24.5 mm	21 g	25	500
12 inch Round Plate	305 mm	24.5 mm	25 g	25	500

Pulpcraft makes every plate, bowl and tray at its own plant in Kaimur, Bihar. The plant holds BRCGS (Packaging Materials, Grade A), ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 22000 certification, with SGS and CIPET test reports on the products. You can see the certificates on the About page. Every size is also listed on our use and throw plates page, and our guide to the best disposable plates for Indian food compares materials.

FAQs

What size is a standard disposable dinner plate?

Most dinner plates are 10 to 12 inch. Pulpcraft’s 12 inch plate measures 305 mm across and is the usual choice for wedding and party buffets.

Is a 12 inch plate really 12 inches?

Ours is 305 mm, which is 12 inches. Some other sizes are named slightly above their real size (our 11 inch plate is 278 mm, about 10.9 inches), so always check the millimetre figure when comparing suppliers.

What size plate is best for snacks and chaat?

A 6 or 7 inch deep plate, or the 5 inch triangle plate. The deep plates are 25 mm deep, so chutney and gravy stay in.

Which plate size do caterers use for thalis?

A 10 inch 3 compartment plate for simple meals, or an 11 or 12 inch 4 compartment plate for a full thali.

How many plates come in a box?

It depends on the size: 500 for the 10 to 12 inch plates, 1,000 for the 9 inch, 1,500 for the 7 inch deep and 2,000 for the 6 inch deep.

Can I get samples of different sizes?

Yes. Ask for a sample set so you can compare sizes with your own portions before ordering.