Why are there only 6 hot dog buns in a package?

Why Are There 10 Hot Dogs but Only 8 Buns in Each Package?

If you’ve ever hosted a tailgate party or cookout, you’ve likely encountered this persistent problem: hot dogs usually come in packs of 10, while hot dog buns are typically sold in packages of 8.

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Sure, if you’re making homemade vegan carrot dogs, it’s easy to align the number of carrots with the number of buns and diners. Or you could cut up the extra hot dogs to make pigs in a blanket. But otherwise, whenever you prepare these perennial favorites, you end up with a couple of hot dogs lacking their essential bun partners.

A hot dog without a bun is still edible, but it’s just not the same. We reached out to experts to figure out why these packages rarely match up. Eric Mittenthal, the president of the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council based in Washington, D.C., shared his favorite fun facts about hot dogs. (We'll save the “Is a hot dog a sandwich?” debate for another time.)

Why Don’t Hot Dogs and Buns Match in Package Size?

According to the NHDSC, up until around 1940, hot dogs weren’t prepackaged for sale. Shoppers would simply request the quantity they wanted from a butcher shop. Once hot dogs began being sold in pre-portioned packages, manufacturers generally packaged them by the pound (16 ounces).

“The most common size hot dogs are 10 hot dogs in a pound,” Mittenthal explains, meaning each hot dog is approximately 1.6 ounces. Less commonly, you might find packages with 8, 6, or even 4 hot dogs.

On the bun side, “Hot dog buns most often come in 8 per pack because the buns are baked in clusters of 4 in pans designed to hold 8 rolls,” Mittenthal adds. This is why you often see two rows of 4 buns in supermarket packs. Although newer baking pans can turn out 10 or even 12 buns at a time, the 8-roll pan remains the most popular.

Most brands that sell hot dogs don’t also sell buns and vice versa. Only a few exceptions, like Ballpark, sell both. Consequently, each company sticks to what is most efficient for their manufacturing process without coordinating with others.

There’s hope, though. Mittenthal reveals, “It’s possible that we might see equal-sized portions in the future, as some hot dog companies are making efforts to match the number of hot dogs to the number of buns.”

Related: 6 Best Healthy Hot Dogs

Try This Savvy Solution to Match Hot Dogs and Buns

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Until that day comes, here’s a handy tip: if you’re hosting a crowd, just use some simple math! Buy four packs of 10 hot dogs and five packs of 8 buns to get an even 40 of each.

If you’re cooking for a smaller group, slice up the two extra hot dogs and creatively incorporate them into other dishes, such as scrambled eggs, chili, baked beans, mac and cheese, or a sweet potato hash. Alternatively, you can use tortillas or slices of bread in place of the missing buns.

Fun Facts About Hot Dogs

While chatting with Mittenthal, we gathered some intriguing stats and trivia about hot dogs from the NHDSC:

• Location matters: Residents of Southern states eat more hot dogs annually than those in other regions.
• Dress it up: The most popular hot dog toppings vary by region. A 2021 NHDSC survey found mustard to be the top condiment (68%), followed by ketchup (61%), diced onions (61%), relish (41%), chili (30%), and cheese (29%).
• Eating on the fly: O’Hare International Airport in Chicago sees higher hot dog sales than other major airports, including LAX and LaGuardia.
• Dogs are popular: Americans purchase around 9 billion hot dogs from supermarkets annually, equivalent to 350 million pounds. Factoring in consumption at public events, the NHDSC estimates about 20 billion hot dogs are eaten yearly, averaging to 70 hot dogs per person.

Bottom Line

Hot dogs and buns come in different quantities because hot dogs are typically sold by weight, while buns are packaged based on pan sizes used in baking. For large gatherings, buy five packs of buns and four packs of hot dogs to have 40 of each. Problem solved!

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