You add a row for each ingredient with the cost of the amount the recipe uses — not the whole package, just the portion that goes into the pot. The tool sums all ingredient costs and divides by the number of servings. It's a straight summation with no markup, waste factor, or overhead. For menu pricing or food-truck costing, you'd typically multiply the per-serving cost by 3–4× to cover labor, overhead, and profit margin.
Enter only the cost of the portion the recipe uses. If a recipe calls for 2 cups of flour and a 5-lb bag costs $4, enter $0.53 (2 cups out of about 15 cups in 5 lbs). This gives you the true recipe cost rather than a misleading package-level total.
The average home-cooked meal costs $2–$5 per serving; a comparable restaurant meal typically runs $12–$25. Even factoring in time and energy, home cooking is generally 60–80% cheaper per serving.
Most restaurants target a food-cost percentage of 25–35% of the menu price. Divide your cost per serving by your target food-cost percentage (e.g., $3.00 ÷ 0.30 = $10.00 menu price) to find a sustainable price point.
No. In practice, home kitchens waste about 20–30% of food purchased. If you're budgeting, you might add a 20% buffer to the total recipe cost to account for trimmings, spoilage, and leftovers that don't get eaten.
Estimate only. Results reflect your inputs and standard formulas — they are not financial, tax, legal, health, or investment advice. Verify important decisions with a qualified professional.