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Food yield calculator for kitchen costing

Compare as-purchased (AP) quantity with edible portion (EP), measure trim or cooking change, and cost what is genuinely usable.

Blank optional fields remain blank; entered zero or negative quantities are invalid, while £0 AP cost is valid. Keep mass (g/kg) and volume (ml/L) within their own families: density is never assumed.

AP, EP and cost factor

AP is the supplier quantity and EP is the usable quantity after preparation. Yield is EP ÷ AP × 100. Cost factor is AP ÷ EP, equivalently 100 ÷ yield percentage: a 1.25 factor means 1.25 kg purchased supports 1 kg usable. This factor supports recipe costing but is not itself profit or a waste percentage.

Trim versus cooking yield

Trim yield is trimmed EP ÷ AP. Cooking yield is cooked EP ÷ trimmed EP. Combined yield is the multiplication of the two decimal yields, never the addition of losses. In the 5 kg → 4 kg → 3.2 kg example, 80% × 80% = 64% combined yield. Use trimmed EP for raw portioning and cooked EP for a finished-service portion. Drain and weigh the product in the state the recipe uses.

Worked purchasing examples

Buy 5 kg for £40 and finish with 4 kg usable: 80% yield, 20% loss, £8/kg AP, £10/kg EP, factor 1.25 and a 200 g portion at £2. If cooking ends at 3.2 kg, the final yield is 64% and EP cost is £12.50/kg.

Need 10 kg EP at 80%: exact AP is 10 ÷ .8 = 12.5 kg. With 5 kg packs, buy 3 packs (15 kg) and show the 2.5 kg surplus. Pack rounding is a purchasing decision, not additional yield.

For absorption, 1 kg dry rice → 3 kg cooked is 300% yield and 200% gain. Water changes weight and distributes the ingredient cost to a lower cooked £/kg; it does not create ingredient value. Drained, soaked and brined products deserve the same weigh-after-process check.

Run and record a real test

Weigh the AP product before preparation. Process exactly as for service, including peeling, boning, trimming, soaking, draining and cooking. Weigh trimmed EP, then weigh cooked EP if there is a second stage. Record date, supplier, product specification, prep method, equipment, batch identifier and operator. Repeat batches to see variation and retain the dated observation.

Mode checklist and re-test triggers

Use Measure yield after a completed weigh-process-weigh test. Use How much to buy when an order must meet a required EP quantity; inspect exact AP, whole packs and surplus. Use What will I get for a planning estimate, then confirm it against the next batch. Re-test after a supplier or seasonal change, new specification, different staff technique, changed portion, vessel or equipment, recipe change, or unusual drained/cooked result. Published typical-yield tables are planning aids only; your measured kitchen yield is the costing evidence.

Workflow

After a valid result, carry the true usable cost into the free food cost calculator. Use PrepSheet for recipe batches, the portion-cost guide for explanation, and the usable-yield guide for trimming notes. The commercial workbook is below the worked examples.

Save whole-menu costing comparisons with the food-cost template →