Yield and Trim Calculator
What the part you can actually use really costs, once trim and waste are counted.
Part of the 👨🍳 Chefs and Cooks toolkit, with more tools made for the job.
What you bought
Weigh it as it arrives, then weigh what you can use after trimming, boning or peeling. Use the same unit for both.
Before any trimming.
After trim, bones, peel and so on.
What you serve (optional)
Gives the number of portions and the cost of each one.
Type what you bought and what you can use, and the yield appears here.
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Weigh what you bought and weigh what you can use after trimming, boning or peeling. Add the price per kilo or pound. This shows the yield, what the usable part really costs and what the waste cost you.
The price on the invoice is for everything you bought, but you only serve part of it. A whole fish, a chicken, a bunch of leeks and a head of broccoli all lose weight to bones, skin, peel and stalks. If you cost the dish at the invoice price you under-price it. Yield percentage is the share you can use, and the real cost of the usable part is the price divided by that share. Cooking loss is separate: a joint that shrinks in the oven loses more again. This tool works on the first, the trim, and is best used by weighing a few real batches.
How it’s worked out
- Yield is the weight you can use divided by the weight you bought, as a percentage. Waste is the rest.
- The real cost of the usable part is the price per unit divided by the yield. For example, a 10 per kilo product with a 75 percent yield really costs 13.33 a kilo to use.
- The cost of the waste is the weight lost times the price you paid for it.
- If you add a portion size, the usable weight gives the number of portions, and the total cost divided by those gives the cost per portion.
You buy 10 kg at 8 a kilo and get 7.5 kg of usable meat. The yield is 75 percent, the usable part really costs 10.67 a kilo, and the trim cost you 20. In 250 g portions that is 30 portions at about 2.67 each.
Common mistakes
- Using one yield for everything. A whole chicken, a fillet and a bag of carrots all lose different amounts, so weigh each product.
- Weighing once. Yield changes with the cut, the supplier and the cook, so weigh a few batches and use the average.
- Forgetting cooking loss. A roast or a braise loses weight in the oven, so weigh again after cooking if you serve it cooked.
- Throwing away what could be used. Trim often goes into stock, sauces or staff meals, which can offset some of the waste.
Questions
What is yield percentage?
The share of what you buy that you can use. It is the usable weight divided by the weight as bought, times 100. A 75 percent yield means a quarter is lost.
How is the real cost worked out?
The price per unit divided by the yield. If 25 percent is lost, you pay for 100 but get 75, so each usable kilo costs a third more than the price on the invoice.
Does it include cooking loss?
No. It covers trim, boning and peeling. Cooking loss is a separate loss, so weigh the product after cooking if you serve it cooked.
What should I do next?
Put the real cost per unit into the recipe cost calculator, using the usable share in the ingredient row, so every dish is costed on what you really use.
Where the method comes from
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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