How to use this calculator
- Enter or choose pack or case price.
- Enter or choose pack size.
- Enter or choose unit.
- Enter or choose usable yield after trimming.
- Enter or choose usable quantity per portion.
- The cost per portion updates as you type. Use Copy result or Share to keep it.
Method
AP cost = Pack price ÷ Pack size; EP cost = AP cost ÷ (Yield% ÷ 100); Portion cost = Quantity used × EP cost
- AP
- as purchased
- EP
- edible portion, after trimming and prep loss
- Yield%
- usable share of what you buy
Worked example
- AP cost = 18 ÷ 5 kg = 3.60 per kg.
- EP cost = 3.60 ÷ 0.80 = 4.50 per usable kg.
- Portion = 0.2 kg × 4.50 = 0.90; the pack gives 5 × 0.8 ÷ 0.2 = 20 portions.
At 80% yield, the ingredient really costs 4.50 per usable kg, so a 200 g portion costs 0.90.
What the result means
Costing recipes at the as-purchased price understates plate cost whenever there is trim. Use the per-portion cost in the menu price calculator, and re-test yields when you change supplier or product grade.
Assumptions and limits
- Trim has no resale or reuse value (if it goes into stock, the effective yield is higher).
- Cooking loss (shrinkage) is separate from trim yield; include it in the yield if the portion is weighed cooked.
Questions
How do I find the yield?
Weigh a typical pack before and after preparation. Usable weight ÷ purchased weight × 100 is the yield percentage.