How many portions are in a kilo of rice, pasta or mince?
Portions per kilo = 1,000 ÷ grams per portion: at the portions in ChefSums' costed dishes, 1 kg of dry rice is 12.5 portions (80 g each), 1 kg of dry pasta is 10.0 (100 g) and 1 kg of raw mince is 6.7 (150 g). Those portion weights come from our own costed recipes, priced from wholesale pack prices dated on each dish page; your own spec sheet is the number that counts.
Portion chart from our costed dishes
| Ingredient | Grams per portion | Portions per kg | Cost per portion | Used in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basmati rice (dry) | 80 g | 12.5 | £0.12 at £1.50/kg | Chicken tikka masala with rice |
| Spaghetti (dry) | 100 g | 10.0 | £0.20 at £1.96/kg | Spaghetti bolognese |
| Beef mince (raw), cottage pie | 150 g | 6.7 | £1.12 at £7.50/kg | Cottage pie |
| Beef mince (raw), bolognese | 150 g | 6.7 | £1.12 at £7.50/kg | Spaghetti bolognese |
| Beef mince (raw), lasagne | 150 g | 6.7 | £1.12 at £7.50/kg | Beef lasagne with garlic bread |
| Beef mince (raw), chilli | 150 g | 6.7 | £1.12 at £7.50/kg | Chilli con carne with rice |
| Macaroni (dry) | 100 g | 10.0 | £0.18 at £1.80/kg | Macaroni cheese |
Method: grams per portion = recipe quantity ÷ portions in the batch; portions per kg = 1,000 ÷ grams per portion; cost per portion = pack price ÷ pack weight × grams. Prices are the wholesale pack prices on each dish page (dated there). Dry weights for rice and pasta; raw weight for mince.
Any portion size: the quick table
| Portion | 60 g | 75 g | 80 g | 100 g | 125 g | 150 g | 180 g | 200 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portions per kg | 16.7 | 13.3 | 12.5 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 6.7 | 5.6 | 5.0 |
| Kg for 50 covers | 3.00 | 3.75 | 4.00 | 5.00 | 6.25 | 7.50 | 9.00 | 10.00 |
Dry weight or cooked weight?
Order and cost rice and pasta on the dry weight, because that is what the invoice is priced on. Rice and pasta take on water as they cook, so a cooked-weight portion goes further than the same dry weight suggests; mince loses water and fat, so it goes the other way. Cooking gain and loss vary with the product and the method, so weigh one batch before and after and put that ratio on your spec sheet (the yield calculator does the sum). For joints, see cooked vs raw weight.
Questions chefs ask
How much rice do I need for 50 people?
At 80 g of dry rice each, 50 × 80 g = 4.0 kg dry. Round up for a buffet, where people serve themselves.
How much pasta per person for a main?
Our costed bolognese uses 100 g of dry spaghetti a portion, which is 10 portions from a kilo.
How many burgers from a kilo of mince?
1,000 ÷ the raw patty weight. Our costed beef burger's patty weight is on its dish page; a 113 g (quarter-pound) raw patty gives 8 from a kilo with 96 g left over.
Scale any recipe to a cover count with the recipe scaler; for event quantities see how much food to buy per person for 50 guests.
More chef questions: Food cost % by venue type · Menu price multiplier table · Pub food and drink GP mix · Cooked vs raw weight · Kitchen energy cost per dish · Kitchen staff cost 2026/27 · Sunday roast cost per cover · Prep par and shelf life · UK wholesale staple prices
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