The most popular size overall, 1.5 pound live lobster or “halves” are sweet, tender, and reasonably easy to cook while still yielding a reasonable amount of protein for a full meal. We recommend serving 1.5 pound lobster with plenty of sides for group events. If you know a few of your guests tend to be heartier eaters, you might order and set aside a few 2 pound lobsters for these guests. Halves are a wonderful option for parties, but we think they’re particularly perfect for smaller gatherings. It’s a satisfying amount of lobster per person.

How much is a 1.5 lb lobster? How do you cook it? Read on to find out.

1.5 lb Lobster Prices

Company Min. Order Price/lobster* Price/4 Lobsters** Company Rating Go To
Lobster Anywhere 1 $44.95 $225.80 5.0
Get Maine Lobster 2 $74.99 $239.99 4.6
James Hook Lobster Company 2 $14.96 $119.68 4.5
Lobster Gram 2 $52.50 $175.00 4.2
Winter Harbor Lobster Co-op 2 $77.49 $309.98 4.6

Read here about our quality seafood pricing tables.

* These prices do not include shipping, except when noted otherwise.

** Price for 4 lobsters INCLUDES shipping based on a standardized location. Exact costs may vary.

How to Prepare 1.5 Pound Live Lobster

Ready to cook up some halves? We’ll walk you through four popular methods of preparing these portion-sized delicacies: grilling, boiling, steaming, and broiling. 

  • Grilling: Brush the lobster all over with olive oil. Place it flesh-side down onto the grill and let it cook for about 6 minutes. Flip the lobster and grill it for about 5 more minutes. 
  • Boiling: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Given that the rule for cooking lobster is 7 minutes for the first pound and about 3 minutes for each additional pound, our advice is to cook the lobster between 9-10 minutes.
  • Steaming: Add 1 to 2 inches of water to a pot, and bring it to a boil. Place the lobsters (typically two at a time) into a steamer basket above the water. Cover the pot. Steam for about 15 minutes.

The Best Occasions for 1.5 Pound Lobster

Due to their manageable size, halves are a perfect addition to smaller gatherings. This lobster is best suited for intimate events like romantic dinner for two, Sunday dinner, or a small cook-out. 

1.5 pound live lobster is perfect for a special occasion’s main course with a few carefully selected sides. If you need to feed a crowd, we would suggest purchasing 1.25 pound lobsters. Make sure to serve enough sides to fully supplement the meal. Cooking smaller-sized lobsters is all about pulling together a cohesive meal, complete with sides, drink pairings, and even dessert.

We would recommend one lobster per person if you are ordering 1.5 lb lobsters. For a whole lobster price, outlined in the grid above, you will end up with about 6.5 oz of lobster meat. A typical Maine lobster roll contains about 4 oz of lobster meat. 

More Tips for 1.5 lb Lobster

The 1.5 pound live lobster is one of the most affordable choices for live lobster. You can make an 8-quart cooking pot work for cooking lobsters of this size, but it’s not ideal. We recommend a full 16- or 20-quart cooking pot for this size lobster, and you should have little trouble fitting 3-4 lobsters into the pot. 

A 1.5 lb lobster should yield about 6.5 oz of cooked lobster with the following nutritional information:

  • 140-150 grams, 5-5.5 oz
  • 130-135 calories
  • 27-29 grams of protein
  • 90-100 mg of cholesterol
  • 1.5-1.75 grams of fat

Some lobster companies also offer a 1.75 pound lobster category. Others go straight from 1.5 to 2 pound lobsters, which means you might also get a little extra if you order a 1.5 lb lobster and the company happens to grab a slightly bigger one when preparing your order.

 

More Resources for Buying Lobster

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