How to use this calculator
- Enter or choose guests.
- Enter or choose served portion per guest.
- Enter or choose cooked yield from raw.
- Enter or choose extra allowance.
- The raw quantity to buy updates as you type. Use Copy result or Share to keep it.
Method
Cooked kg = Guests × (1 + Allowance% ÷ 100) × Portion g ÷ 1000; Raw kg = Cooked kg ÷ (Yield% ÷ 100)
- Portion
- served (cooked) weight per guest
- Yield%
- cooked weight as a share of raw weight
- Allowance%
- extra over the exact guest count
Worked example
- Portions = 120 × 1.10 = 132.
- Cooked = 132 × 180 g = 23,760 g = 23.76 kg.
- Raw = 23.76 ÷ 0.70 = 33.94 kg.
For 120 guests at 180 g cooked each with a 10% margin, cook 23.76 kg, which needs about 33.94 kg raw at a 70% yield.
What the result means
Round the raw quantity up to whole packs. If the dish is one of several on the menu, reduce the portion: guests take less of each item when there is more choice (the buffet calculator spreads a total plate weight over several dishes).
Assumptions and limits
- Every guest takes one portion of this dish.
- Yield is the same for the whole batch.
- Portion sizes and yields vary by dish, cut and cooking method; use your own measured figures.
Questions
How do I find the cooked yield?
Weigh a batch raw, cook it as you will for the event, and weigh it again. Cooked ÷ raw × 100 is the yield.