Free calculator
Recipe cost calculator
Enter a recipe’s ingredients with quantity and purchase price. The calculator works out the recipe cost, the cost per portion and, if you like, a selling price for your target food cost.
Calculate recipe cost
Inputs
How many portions the recipe makes.
For a suggested price – a value you set yourself.
For the food cost percentage.
Starts at 7 %. Enter the rate that applies to what you sell.
Result
To see a result, fill in: Portions.
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In short
A recipe costs the sum of its ingredient costs. Each ingredient costs quantity bought × purchase price, where the quantity bought is the quantity in the recipe divided by the yield. Divided by the number of portions, that is the food cost per portion.
How recipe cost is calculated
The calculator converts grams and millilitres to kilograms and litres so they match the purchase price.
Ingredient cost = quantity (in kg, l or pieces) ÷ (yield ÷ 100) × purchase priceRecipe cost = sum of all ingredient costsCost per portion = recipe cost ÷ portionsFood cost % = cost per portion ÷ net selling price × 100Suggested price (net) = cost per portion ÷ (target food cost ÷ 100)
Terms
- Yield
- The usable share of what you buy – peeled from unpeeled potatoes, fillet from a whole fish. An 80 % yield means buying 1.25 kg for every 1 kg in the recipe.
- Purchase price
- Your net purchase price per kilogram, litre or piece, the way you buy the product.
- Target food cost
- The largest share of the net price the ingredients should take – a value you set for your business.
Worked example: potato soup for 10 portions
A potato soup for 10 portions sells for €3.80 including 7% VAT. The target food cost is 25%.
| Name | Quantity in recipe | Purchase price | Yield | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floury potatoes | 2 kg | €1.20/kg | 80% | €3.00 |
| Onions | 300 g | €1.60/kg | 90% | €0.53 |
| Vegetable stock | 2 l | €0.90/l | 100% | €1.80 |
| Cream | 200 ml | €4.50/l | 100% | €0.90 |
| Diced bacon | 250 g | €11.80/kg | 100% | €2.95 |
Step by step
- Yield on the potatoes: 2 kg ÷ 0.8 = 2.5 kg bought, × €1.20/kg = €3.00
- Recipe cost: sum of the ingredient costs = €9.18
- Cost per portion: €9.18 ÷ 10 = €0.918
- Net selling price: €3.80 ÷ 1.07 = €3.55
- Food cost percentage: €0.918 ÷ €3.55 × 100 = 25.9%
- Suggested price for 25%: €0.918 ÷ 0.25 = €3.67 net, €3.93 gross
At 25.9%, the soup is above the 25% target. To reach it, it would have to sell for €3.93 – or the recipe would have to cost less.
All values are illustrations, not benchmarks.
What the result means
The cost per portion is the basis of every pricing decision. The suggested price is the net price at which the ingredients make up exactly your target food cost; it does not account for labour or overheads.
The most expensive lines show where renegotiating, another product or a smaller quantity pays off most. For ingredients with a lot of trim, a realistic yield alone changes the costing noticeably.
A costing is only as current as its purchase prices. Recalculate when prices change – especially for meat, fish and fresh vegetables.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need to enter the yield?
Because you pay for the untrimmed product, while the recipe lists the trimmed quantity. Without the yield, the costing comes out too cheap. Leave the field empty for an ingredient used without loss – then 100 % applies.
Should I use net or gross purchase prices?
Usually net prices: businesses entitled to deduct input VAT get the VAT they paid on purchases refunded, so the net price is what the ingredient really costs. If in doubt, check with your tax adviser.
Why does my costing differ from my stocktake?
A costing shows the target value of a recipe. In practice, spoilage, overproduction, larger portions, staff meals and breakage are added. The gap between target and actual shows where product is lost in the kitchen.
Which units can I use?
Grams and kilograms with a price per kilogram, millilitres and litres with a price per litre, and pieces with a price per piece. The calculator converts grams and millilitres itself.
Read on and keep calculating
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The calculators help with costing; they are not tax or financial advice. Check tax rates and results for your business.