Title: What Size Lobster Should You Buy? - Yield Per Pound & Serving Portions
Headings: What Size Lobster Should You Buy?
What Size Lobster Should You Buy?
Give it to Me Straight: What Should I Buy?
How Much to Ship Live Lobsters to My House?
How Much Meat does a Live Lobster Yield?
Serving Sizes, Sizing Terminology and Legal Limits
Bigger Lobsters are Harder to Cook
Prices May Vary
About the Author: QSD Contributor

Content: A heartier, more indulgent portion may be 8 ounces or more. Also known as “quarters” and “halves,” 1.25 and 1.5-pound lobsters are the commonly ordered sizes. There are legal limits, both small and large, to the size of lobsters that can be harvested and sold commercially. Lobsters with a carapace under 3.25 inches or over 5 inches are prohibited as part of sustainable harvesting practices and protecting the entire lobster population. This translates into available lobster sizes ranging from 1 pound up to about 4 pounds. Lobster traps are designed to aid in only harvesting lobster with the legal limits: If a lobster is too small to keep, it can simply escape through the slats in the trap. Bigger Lobsters are Harder to Cook
Once you get above a 2 or at most 3-pound lobster, there are a couple things to consider before placing your order. To some extent, larger lobsters aren’t as sweet and flavorful as quarters and halves, but this difference is minimal especially when compared to the difference of cold-water Maine lobster (known for its sweet and flavorful taste) and warm-water lobsters. Often, a bigger issue is getting a good consistent cook with the lobster meat cooked all the way through without overcooking and rubberizing the exterior surface of meat.