Measuring my burritos — what the numbers taught me

For one month I measured every burrito I made: total diameter at the widest point, length, fill weight, and whether it held through the meal. The finding that surprised me most: diameter at the widest point, not total fill weight, is the best predictor of blowouts. A burrito with a 9cm diameter at the widest point was significantly more likely to fail than an 8cm one even at the same total fill weight. This makes sense physically — a wider burrito means the tortilla is under more radial tension at the widest point. The implication is that the shape of your fill matters as much as the weight: a flat, spread fill allows a smaller diameter at the same weight compared to a rounded heap in the center.