Recipe Scaler
Make a recipe bigger or smaller, and see every amount worked out for you.
Part of the 👨🍳 Chefs and Cooks toolkit, with more tools made for the job.
Write the recipe as it is now
Each ingredient with the amount the recipe gives, and its unit. For example: Flour, 500, g. Choose "no unit" for things you count, like eggs.
How much do you want to make?
Most people just say how many portions they want. Or, if you have a set amount of one ingredient, match everything else to it.
It says this at the top of the recipe.
Example: the recipe makes 4 and you need 10. Every amount is multiplied by 2.5.
Write the recipe and say how much you want to make, and every scaled amount appears here.
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Write the recipe with its ingredients and amounts, then say how many portions you want. Every amount is scaled up or down for you. Or pick one ingredient, say how much of it you have, and the rest scales to match.
Scaling a recipe is multiplication: find the factor, then multiply every amount by it. A recipe for 4 that you want for 10 has a factor of 2.5. The arithmetic is easy to get wrong when there are a dozen ingredients and you are tired in the middle of prep, so it helps to have it done for you. There is a second way in: if you have 750 g of an ingredient and the recipe calls for 500 g, the factor is 1.5, which tells you how much of everything else you need. The tool does both. The cooking is a different matter, and large changes often need testing.
How it’s worked out
- By portions, the factor is the portions you want divided by the portions the recipe makes now.
- By one ingredient, you pick it from your list and say how much you have. The factor is that amount divided by the amount the recipe uses.
- Every ingredient amount is multiplied by the factor, and shown next to the original.
- Amounts are rounded to a sensible number of places. Whole items such as eggs may need rounding to a whole number.
A recipe for 4 that you want for 10 has a factor of 2.5, so 500 g of flour becomes 1,250 g and 250 g of butter becomes 625 g. If you have 750 g of an ingredient the recipe calls for 500 g of, the factor is 1.5.
Common mistakes
- Assuming everything scales evenly. Salt, spices, raising agents and liquids often need adjusting by taste, especially for big changes.
- Forgetting the equipment. A bigger batch may not fit your pan, oven or mixer, and cooking times change.
- Rounding eggs and small items badly. Half an egg is awkward, so decide how to round before you start.
- Mixing units. Keep each ingredient in its own unit, such as grams or millilitres, and check the converter if you switch.
Questions
Can I scale down as well as up?
Yes. A factor below 1 makes the recipe smaller. Very small batches can behave differently, so test the result.
Do cooking times scale too?
Not in a simple way. A bigger batch often takes longer, and the pan size and heat matter, so check by testing and by temperature, not by multiplying the time.
What about spices and salt?
They often do not scale in a straight line, so go lighter than the factor suggests and adjust by taste.
Can I scale by one ingredient?
Yes. Choose "match an ingredient I already have", pick the ingredient from your list and type how much you have. For example, the recipe is written for 2 kg of chicken and you have 3 kg, so everything else scales up by one and a half. It is also handy for using up the last of a bag.
Estimates only
These are estimates and general information, not financial, tax or food safety advice. Prices, yields, portion sizes and target percentages depend on your kitchen, suppliers and menu, so use your own figures, and follow your local food safety rules.
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