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Recipe Cost Calculator
Build a dish cost from your pack prices, served quantities and usable yields. Start empty or choose a labeled café, bakery, pizza or protein sample.
Common questions
How do purchase and serving units work?
Enter the full pack price and total contents, then the usable quantity served. The calculator converts pounds to ounces and each to dozen. It does not guess weight-to-volume or case contents. For six 5 lb bags, enter 30 lb; ounces mean weight, not fluid ounces.
Why does the calculator ask for usable yield?
Trim and cooking loss reduce usable quantity. At 70% yield, a $10 purchased pound costs $14.29 per usable pound. Enter the edible served quantity and apply the yield once. Use 100% for an already-costed sauce or an item used entirely.
When is the plate cost complete?
Every ingredient needs a name, pack price, positive pack quantity, usable yield and compatible served quantity. You must also confirm all ingredients are included. Until then, the result is a known subtotal and the calculator withholds a full margin.
Does a complete calculation mean verified costs?
No. Calculation completeness and evidence review are different. Record a price source and date, then check each ingredient's quantities, units and yield. Sample inputs and unreviewed entries remain labeled. Review old prices against your latest purchases.
How does the portion overage scenario work?
Choose one basis. Percentage mode increases all listed ingredients and the proportional allowance by the entered percentage. Measured mode compares each actual served quantity with its standard quantity in the same unit and applies usable yield once. Blank actual quantities mean unchanged. A measured total requires complete, user-reviewed input rows with sources and dates. Weekly impact uses your entered sales quantity, and neither mode proves a realized waste reduction.
What can I export or save?
Save one unfinished recipe in this browser for 7 days without an account, then return here and choose Resume saved recipe. Saving is manual: save again after edits. Resuming keeps your inputs and sample labels but asks you to recheck sources and confirm all ingredients. The copy is shared by people using this browser profile, can be deleted, and is lost if browser data is cleared; expired copies are deleted on the next calculator check. Download a CSV or print the ingredient breakdown for a separate copy. A copied calculator link contains no inputs. Once the calculation is complete, the separate account-review option lets you review and import a dish; nothing is automatically published.