costed plateKnow what
every plate costs.
Recipe costing and menu pricing for your kitchen. Free, in your browser, with no sign-up.
Start your costing ledgerKITCHEN SAMPLE
Check each line before applying.
No tax or delivery in this example.
The app’s fixed local sample. No upload is needed for this demonstration.
Prices in. Plate cost out.
3 pancakes per portion · 4 portions per batch
Includes flour, milk, eggs and butter. Contribution is before labor, overhead and tax.
See the sample recipe and calculation
- 250 g all-purpose flour. Pack: $9.50 for 5 kg.
- 300 ml whole milk. Pack: $1.75 for 1 l.
- 2 each eggs. Pack: $3.00 for 12 each.
- 30 g butter. Pack: $2.50 for 250 g.
Assumed yield: 100%. Batch cost $1.80 ÷ 4 portions = $0.45 per portion. Food cost: $0.45 ÷ $9.00 × 100 = 5.0%. The 30% target is an illustrative choice.
Sample invoice applied to the starter pancake recipe.
Put your next plate
on the pass.
Account for units, prep yield and portion size. Enter a serving cost here, or build the full recipe in your ledger.
- Your recipes, on your device.
- Ingredients and recipes save in your browser.
- A clear trail back to the source.
- Reference prices and yield data, dated and cited.
Price your next plate
QUICK COSTINGEnter your cost per serving. The starting values are a worked example.
Cost ÷ target percentage. Before labor, overhead and tax.
Make the numbers part of the prep.
Price the pantry.
Enter what you actually pay for each pack and how much reaches the cutting board.
Build the plate.
Add ingredients and reusable prep recipes. Set the batch yield and portion size.
Read the margin.
Compare menu prices and ingredient changes before committing them to your menu.
A working reference shelf
Start with evidence.
Finish with your own numbers.
Know the purchase basis.
USDA portion weights and preparation yields meet dated BLS retail references. See the exact food, unit and preparation before using a number.
Worked platesFollow every ingredient.
Defined recipes show their quantities, costs and menu-price scenarios. Load a version into your ledger and replace reference prices with your invoices.
The kitchen ledgerRead beyond the percentage.
Research and practical examples distinguish recipe contribution from business profit, and published medians from the targets you choose.
Your working copy belongs with you.
The browser ledger keeps ingredients, recipes and sales inputs on this device. Export a JSON or CSV backup after important changes, and print a recipe card or costed menu when the team needs a review copy.
The optional invoice reader has a separate data boundary: it sends the image you choose to an AI provider after consent. Review every extracted line before applying it. Simple measured recipe text is parsed locally. The optional recipe reader can send pasted text or a photo after the same consent step. Manual ingredient entry and costing stay in the browser.
Sources and method
Last checked . Quick costing uses your portion cost divided by your target food-cost fraction. Its starting values are illustrative. Method: BC Cook Articulation Committee, The Principles of Menu Engineering. Product behavior: Costed Plate data handling.