Price a recipe ingredient by ingredient from shelf prices and package sizes: cost per serving, the bill at the store, the value of leftovers and a price at a target food cost.
Recipe Cost Calculator - Cost per Serving and Food Cost %
Price a recipe ingredient by ingredient from shelf prices and package sizes: cost per serving, the bill at the store, the value of leftovers and a price at a target food cost.
Parameters
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What one serving really costs
For each ingredient, type the shelf price, the package size and how much the recipe uses. The recipe cost calculator returns the cost per serving, the cost of the whole dish, what you pay at the register for whole packages, and what is left in the pantry. Add a target food cost percentage and it suggests a selling price too.
What the spaghetti dinner comes to
Filling it in
- Ingredients - how many to price, 2 to 6. Salt and spices that cost cents can be left out.
- Servings - what the recipe makes, from 0.5 to 1,000.
- Target food cost (optional) - the share of the selling price the ingredients may take.
- Per ingredient - a name, the price of the package, its size and unit, and the amount used with its unit.
Units the calculator converts
Package and recipe can use different units as long as they measure the same thing. A pound bag and ounces in the recipe work; a pound bag and cups do not, because a cup of flour and a cup of butter weigh different amounts. The factors are the exact US definitions.
| Kind | Units | Key factors |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | g, kg, oz, lb | 1 oz = 28.35 g, 1 lb = 16 oz = 453.59 g |
| Volume | ml, L, tsp, tbsp, fl oz, cup, qt, gal | 1 cup = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp = 8 fl oz, 1 gal = 16 cups = 3.785 L |
| Count | each | eggs, lemons, tortillas |
Two prices for the same dish
The spaghetti costs $11.37 in ingredients, yet the receipt says $15.56. The gap is the rest of the Parmesan, 6 oz worth $3.74, and 4 oz of pasta worth $0.45. Both numbers are right; they answer different questions. Cost per serving uses the first one. The shopping budget for one dinner is the second.
| Ingredient | Used | Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef | 1 lb | $5.49 | 48.3% |
| Marinara sauce | 24 oz | $3.29 | 28.9% |
| Spaghetti | 12 oz | $1.34 | 11.8% |
| Parmesan | 2 oz | $1.25 | 11% |
Who prices a recipe line by line
Home cooks on a budget comparing two weeknight dinners per plate. Bake sale and cottage food sellers who need a price that covers ingredients. Caterers and small cafes working back from a food cost percentage: at 30%, a $1.90 plate sells for $6.32, because the price is the cost divided by the percentage.
Recipe costing, quickly answered
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