Edible Portion Cost Calculator

The edible portion (EP) cost is the true cost of an ingredient after accounting for all waste, trim, peeling, or other preparation losses. Because you pay for the whole item but only use part of it, the EP cost per unit is always higher than the as-purchased cost per unit. Using EP cost ensures your menu prices reflect what you actually serve.

Yield percentage measures how much of an ingredient is usable after preparation. It's calculated as: (Edible Portion Weight ÷ As-Purchased Weight) × 100. For example, if you buy 1,000g of chicken but only 780g is usable after trimming, your yield is 78%. A higher yield means less waste and lower effective cost.

It first calculates the EP cost per unit weight by dividing the as-purchased price by the yield percentage (AP Price ÷ Yield%). It then multiplies that rate by your portion size to get the true cost of one serving. This captures the hidden cost of waste that a simple division of price by purchased weight would miss.

When you trim, peel, or prep an ingredient, you lose weight but you've already paid for the whole item. That waste cost doesn't disappear — it gets distributed across the usable portions. So each gram of usable product effectively costs more than each gram of the raw purchase. Ignoring this leads to underpricing and lost profit.

Most restaurants target a food cost percentage between 25% and 35% of the menu selling price. Fine dining establishments may run closer to 30–35%, while fast casual concepts aim for 25–28%. The right number depends on your concept, labor costs, and overhead. Use the Desired Food Cost % field to generate a suggested menu price aligned with your target.

Improving yield starts with better prep training and standardized recipes that specify trim levels. Track waste by ingredient over time to identify problem areas. Choosing higher-quality or pre-portioned ingredients can sometimes reduce waste even if the per-unit purchase price is higher. Small yield improvements compound significantly across high-volume ingredients.

Yes — this calculator works for any ingredient where some weight is lost during preparation. Common examples include beef and poultry (fat and bone trim), fish (skin and bones), onions and garlic (peeling), and leafy greens (stem removal). Simply enter the as-purchased and post-prep weights for each ingredient to get its true EP cost.

You can enter weights in grams, kilograms, ounces, or pounds — just make sure all three weight fields (As-Purchased Weight, Edible Portion Weight, and Portion Size) use the same unit. Select your preferred unit from the Weight Unit dropdown. The dollar amounts and percentages will calculate correctly regardless of unit choice.