Food
Recipe Cost Calculator
Add up what the ingredients cost, then divide by portions after waste.
What does a recipe really cost?
Home cooks often ignore oil, seasoning and the unused half onion. Put those in extras or waste so the plate cost is honest. For a stall or café, also check packaging on the cost per serving tool. Scale batches with recipe scaling and dough with pizza dough. Cost spices by the gram used, not by ignoring the jar. Energy for the oven is optional for home use and more relevant for commercial COGS. Estimates for planning — not allergen, hygiene or menu-engineering advice from a consultant. Seasonal produce swings can move plate cost weekly; date your ingredient prices when costing for a café specials board. Butchery yields deserve drained or trimmed weights, not label pack weights alone. If you batch-cook for the freezer, include freezer bags in extras when they are not reusable. Seasonal produce swings can move plate cost weekly; date your ingredient prices when costing for a café specials board. Butchery yields deserve drained or trimmed weights, not label pack weights alone. If you batch-cook for the freezer, include freezer bags in extras when they are not reusable across many meals.
Worked example
Pasta bake: pasta £1.10, sauce ingredients £2.40, cheese £1.80, oil and seasoning £0.35, expected 5% trim waste ≈ £0.28 → batch about £5.93. Six servings → roughly £0.99 each before packaging. A market box and napkin at 35p push the plated cost near £1.34 before labour.
Limits and assumptions
Supermarket prices change; use what you actually pay. Does not include labour or pitch fees. Not a nutritional or allergen declaration.
Frequently asked questions
How should I cost a partial pack of spice?
Use price × (grams used ÷ pack grams). Small spices still add up across many portions.
Should energy for the oven be included?
Optional for home use; more relevant for commercial costing. Add a small energy line if you need fuller COGS.
How do I treat waste and trim?
Increase ingredient quantities for expected trim, or add a waste percentage to the total.
What about leftover garnishes?
If reused in another dish, split their cost across meals; if discarded, charge them to this recipe.
Can I cost alcoholic ingredients?
Yes — include them at purchase price. Evaporation in cooking still consumed the bottle’s cash.