This is the single most common question we get from new customers, and the honest answer is: it depends on how many meals you cook a day and how many people you're cooking for — not on which size 'feels' more economical on the shelf.
The 6kg cylinder
- Best for 1–3 person households, students, or bedsitters with limited storage space.
- Typically lasts 3–5 weeks for light daily cooking — tea, ugali, one or two hot meals a day.
- Lower upfront refill cost, which suits tighter, more frequent budgeting.
- Lighter to carry and easier to store in small kitchens or on a shelf.
The 13kg cylinder
- Better suited to families of 4 or more, or households that cook multiple heavy meals daily.
- Works out cheaper per kilogram of gas than buying 6kg refills twice as often.
- Fewer reorders means fewer delivery trips to schedule around.
- Needs a bit more floor space and is heavier to move, which matters if you carry it yourself between rooms.
A simple way to decide
Track how long your current cylinder actually lasts, divide the refill price by the number of weeks it gave you, and compare that to the other size's weekly cost using AquaGas's live pricing in the app. For most single people and couples, 6kg wins on flexibility. For families and anyone running a small food business, 13kg almost always wins on total cost per meal.
Not sure yet? Start smaller.
If you're moving into a new place or just switched suppliers, start with a 6kg cylinder for your first order. It's easier to size up once you know your actual usage pattern than to be stuck with a half-used 13kg cylinder you didn't need.
What about 3kg and 25kg?
3kg cylinders exist mainly as a low-cost entry point or backup for travel and camping — not a primary household size. On the other end, 25kg and larger are built for commercial kitchens, restaurants, and institutions with continuous cooking demand. AquaGas vendors stock both, and business accounts get volume pricing on the larger sizes.