Yield percentage and the real cost of usable food
What you buy is never what you serve. Bones, skin, peel, fat and cooking shrink all come off the purchase weight, so the price per kilogram on the invoice understates what each usable kilogram costs. This food yield percentage calculator runs a kitchen yield test: enter the as-purchased (AP) weight and price, what you trim away, any usable by-products and the cooked weight, and it returns the edible yield, the cooking loss, the true cost per usable kg or lb and the cost per portion.
It also works backwards for ordering: tell it the portion size and how many portions you need, and it gives the as-purchased weight to buy. It works in kilograms or pounds and in any currency, entirely in your browser.
How to use the Food Yield % & Edible Portion Cost Calculator
- Weigh the product as delivered and enter the AP weight and the price per kg or lb.
- Trim or butcher it. Weigh what goes in the bin (waste) and any by-products you will use elsewhere, such as bones for stock, with what they are worth to you.
- If you cook it, weigh the cooked weight after resting.
- Enter a portion size and, optionally, how many portions you need.
- Read the yield, cost per usable unit, cost per portion and the amount to order. Copy the result into your costing sheet.
Food Yield % & Edible Portion Cost Calculator features
Three yields
Edible (trim) yield, cooking loss and the overall yield from purchase to plate.
By-product credit
Usable trimmings lower the net cost of the main item, as in a butcher’s yield test.
Ordering
Converts portions needed into the as-purchased weight to buy, rounded up.
Visual breakdown
A bar splits the purchase into edible, cooking loss, by-products and waste.
The formulas
- Edible portion (EP) = AP weight − waste − by-products.
- Yield % = EP ÷ AP × 100. This is the same form FSIS inspectors use: % yield = finished weight ÷ green weight × 100.
- Cooking loss % = (EP raw − cooked) ÷ EP raw × 100. Rice, pasta and dried beans gain weight, which shows as a gain.
- EP cost = (AP cost − by-product credit) ÷ usable weight. With no credit this is simply AP price ÷ yield, so a 70 % yield on 4.00 per lb costs 5.71 per usable lb.
- AP to buy = EP needed ÷ yield. Twenty 6 oz portions at a 70 % yield need 120 oz ÷ 0.7 = 10.72 lb as purchased.
Running a good yield test
Use a scale with a fine enough reading for the job — to the gram for small items — and weigh everything: product as received, each pile of trim, by-products and the cooked weight after resting, not straight from the oven. Repeat the test with two or three deliveries and average the result, because size, grade and trim specification vary. Record the yield % on the recipe card so the whole team buys and costs the same way.
The yield factor (1 ÷ overall yield) is handy in a costing sheet: multiply any purchase price by it to get the cost per usable unit. To cost a whole dish with several ingredients and set a menu price, carry these figures into the food cost calculator. For typical cooked-weight yields of meat, poultry and grains measured by the USDA, see the raw to cooked weight calculator.
Limits
The calculator does arithmetic on your weights; it has no built-in yield table, because yields depend on your supplier and your trim. The USDA Food Buying Guide publishes yields for school meals, but per purchase unit and serving size rather than a single percentage, so check it directly if you need those figures. Prices and results are not financial advice.
Food Yield % & Edible Portion Cost Calculator FAQ
How do you calculate yield percentage in food?
Divide the edible portion weight by the as-purchased weight and multiply by 100. A 2 kg chicken that gives 1.3 kg of usable meat has a 65 % yield.
How do I calculate edible portion cost?
Divide the as-purchased price by the yield. At 6.50 per kg and a 65 % yield, each usable kg costs 6.50 ÷ 0.65 = 10.00. Subtract the value of any by-products first if you use them.
How do I calculate cooking loss?
Subtract the cooked weight from the raw edible weight, divide by the raw edible weight and multiply by 100. 1.3 kg raw that cooks to 0.95 kg has lost 26.9 %.
How much should I buy to serve a number of portions?
Multiply portions by portion size to get the edible weight needed, then divide by the overall yield. The calculator rounds up to the nearest 0.01 kg or lb.
What is the difference between AP and EP?
AP (as purchased) is the weight and price of the product as delivered. EP (edible portion) is what is left to serve after trimming and, if you include it, cooking.
Should by-products count?
Only if you really use them. Bones that become stock replace something you would otherwise buy, so their value can be credited against the main item.