Recipe scaling calculator and printable prep sheet
Enter ingredient pack prices to see cost per portion and a menu price at your food-cost or gross-profit target. Figures exclude VAT and overheads. Scale and print the prep sheet. Free in your browser; sign in only to save recipes across devices.
On Android, use your browser menu to add ChefSums to your home screen for quicker access.
Sign in to scan your first invoice — 5 pages free.
Scan an invoice — 5 pages free
Optional account feature: photograph a supplier invoice or receipt to extract line prices, then review each line before applying it to your recipes. First 5 pages free, then £5 for 50 pages.
Scan an invoice →Your databring a costing spreadsheet in, or take your book out
Export writes one CSV with two sections — your recipes (ingredient, cost per portion, target) then your ingredient pricebook. Import reads a CSV with name,unit,pack,price columns (a header row is required); you see exactly what will change before anything is applied, and nothing is ever deleted.
Plus gives you unlimited recipes and 100 scan pages a month. Try it free for 14 days, no card. See Plus
What changedingredient price moves in the last 30 days
No price changes in the last 30 days.
Your recipes
Scale your batchset the original and target yield first
Ingredientsenter the pack you buy and how much the recipe uses
| Ingredient | Pack price (£) | Pack size | Used | Unit | Cost |
|---|
Keep pack size and amount used in the same unit (e.g. £8.50 for a 1000 g pack, used 250 g). Add a few % to cover trim and waste.
Costing
Rule of thumb: many kitchens aim for ~30% food cost (≈70% GP). This is food cost only — labour, rent, packaging, waste and VAT come on top.
Scaled prep sheetreview, save and print the batch
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|
Need an offline workbook after scaling? Get the recipe scaler spreadsheet → Or use the free prep-sheet template.
Recipe scaling, clearly calculated
Scale factor = target yield ÷ original yield. Each scaled quantity is original quantity × scale factor. For example, 6 portions → 24 portions is ×4: 500 g chicken becomes 2 kg, 2 onions become 8, and 250 ml stock becomes 1 L. With linear inputs, cost per portion stays unchanged while the batch cost multiplies by four.
Scaling is not always linear: salt, spices, leavening and gelatine may need chef judgement, while vessel capacity and cooking time must be checked for the new batch. This tool saves recipes in the browser; clearing browser data or switching devices changes availability. Sign in above only if you want the recipe book on every device.
For full ingredient costing use the food cost calculator; for trim or cooking loss use /yield-calculator. Need a ready-made offline workbook? See the recipe scaler or free prep-sheet template.
If a supplier price changedsee which dishes moved, from your own prices
Pick an ingredient you already use and type the new pack price. ChefSums lists every dish that uses it and how the cost and GP would move if you kept today's suggested menu price. There is no live supplier feed.
Capture an invoicephotograph a supplier invoice or receipt, review the numbers, then apply
Capture needs an account. Sign in above to use your 5 free pages per account, review the extracted lines, and save approved prices. Nothing is applied without your action.
One-off scan packs, no subscription. One credit is used per successfully read page; failed pages are not charged. A maximum of 20 scan attempts per account per day still applies.
Your photo or PDF is sent to Anthropic to read the invoice. ChefSums keeps the extracted details without saving the uploaded file. Review the lines before updating your prices. How your data is handled.
Drop photos or a PDF here, or choose files
JPEG, PNG, WebP or PDF · up to 10 MB per photo, 20 MB for a PDF
Plus gives you unlimited recipes and 100 scan pages a month. Try it free for 14 days, no card. See Plus
Free pages used. Buy 50 more pages for £5.
Reading your pages…
Review
| Description | Pack | Unit | Price (ex-VAT) | Match | Page |
|---|
Capture history
No captures yet.
A supplier price changed — which dishes moved?
Use the report above: type the new pack price for an ingredient you already use, and see every dish whose cost and GP would move if you kept today's menu price. Your prices, your book — not a live feed. Join the list if you want a note when more of this ships.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Unit | Pack size | Pack price (£) | Updated | Dishes |
|---|
No ingredients yet — add a row to any recipe (in the Recipes tab) and it appears here.
Editing the pack price or pack size here updates every recipe row linked to this ingredient, and adds one line to its price history below.
How to cost and scale a recipe (quick guide)
1. Cost every ingredient. Enter the price and size of the pack you buy, then how much the recipe uses. ChefSums works out the proportional cost.
2. Set the yield. Tell it how many portions the recipe makes — that gives you cost per portion and lets you price from a target food cost or GP.
3. Scale to your batch. Type how many portions you actually need (or tap ×2/×3). Every ingredient quantity scales and you get a clean prep sheet to print for the line.
4. Save it. Each recipe is kept in your browser, so your costed recipes are there next time. Nothing is uploaded unless you sign in, and then only your recipe book.
Recipe costing & scaling FAQ
How do I cost a recipe?
For each ingredient, enter the price and size of the pack you buy and how much the recipe uses. The tool works out the proportional cost of each, totals the recipe, and divides by your yield to give cost per portion. It also shows food cost %, gross profit and a suggested menu price.
How do I scale a recipe up or down?
Enter how many portions you need in the "Scale to" box, or tap ×2/×3/×5. Every ingredient quantity and the batch cost recalculate instantly, and you get a printable prep sheet with the scaled amounts. Cost per portion stays the same — only the batch total changes.
Does it save my recipes?
Yes — every recipe is saved in your browser, so they're there when you come back, and nothing is uploaded to a server. (Clearing your browser data or using a different device will start fresh.) If you want the same book on your phone and the office computer, sign in with your email at the top of the page: your recipe book is then also kept on the server, and you can delete it and the account in one click.
Is it free?
Costing, scaling and printing prep sheets are free, with no signup and nothing to install. A free account adds sync across devices (up to 25 recipes) and 5 free invoice scan pages; more pages are £5 for 50, bought once. ChefSums Plus is the optional subscription (£12 a month or £120 a year, 14 days free with no card) for unlimited recipes, 100 scan pages a month and the menu GP view. If you'd rather work in a spreadsheet, there are ready-made Excel templates — including a recipe scaler and full food-cost workbook — in the shop.
Does it include VAT?
No — figures are ingredient (food) cost only and exclude VAT. In the UK most restaurant food carries 20% VAT, so your menu price has to cover VAT, labour, rent and waste on top of food cost.
Need to measure trim before scaling a recipe? Use the AP-to-EP yield calculator. Your recipes stay in your browser unless you sign in, and then only the recipe book is stored — see the privacy page. Figures are guidance only, exclude VAT, and don't constitute financial advice.