Yield calculator
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Free tool · no signup · runs in your browser · Last updated: · By the Varastiq team
Key takeaway: Yield % = edible-portion weight ÷ as-purchased weight × 100. The true cost of what you serve is the invoice price ÷ yield. If beef tenderloin costs $8.40 a pound and trims to a 72% yield, each usable pound really costs $11.67. Enter your own weights below.
Yield calculator
- Yield
- 72.0%
- Trim loss
- 2.8 lb
- True cost per usable lb
- $11.67
Formula: yield % = EP ÷ AP × 100. True cost per usable unit = AP price ÷ yield. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
How do you use the yield calculator?
- Weigh it as purchased (AP). The whole product, straight from the case, before anything is cut.
- Process it the way your recipe does. Trim, peel, debone, portion or cook. Keep the usable product and set aside the trim.
- Weigh the edible portion (EP). Only what goes into the recipe or onto the plate.
- Enter both weights in the same unit, plus the AP price per unit from your latest invoice.
- Optional: enter how much usable product you need for a prep batch or a week of service. The calculator tells you how much to buy and what it will cost.
What is the yield formula?
Yield % = EP weight ÷ AP weight × 100
Trim loss = AP weight − EP weight
True cost per usable unit = AP price per unit ÷ (Yield % ÷ 100)
AP to buy = EP needed ÷ (Yield % ÷ 100)
Spreadsheet version, with AP weight in B1, EP weight in B2 and AP price in B3: yield =B2/B1, true cost =B3/(B2/B1).
AP means as purchased: the weight and price on the invoice. EP means edible portion: what's left after trim, peel, bone, or cooking loss. Some kitchens track a separate cooked yield for proteins that lose water on the grill. Use the same method, with raw EP weight as your starting point.
What does a worked example look like?
A kitchen buys a 10 lb whole beef tenderloin at $8.40 per pound ($84.00). After removing the chain, silverskin and fat, the cleaned tenderloin weighs 7.2 lb.
- Yield = 7.2 ÷ 10 = 72%
- Trim loss = 2.8 lb
- True cost per usable pound = $8.40 ÷ 0.72 = $11.67
- A 6 oz filet (0.375 lb) costs $11.67 × 0.375 = $4.38, not the $3.15 you'd get from the invoice price.
- Need 18 lb of cleaned tenderloin for the weekend? Buy 18 ÷ 0.72 = 25 lb, about $210.
If the chain and trim go into a staff meal or a ground-beef special, you can credit their value back. Most kitchens keep it simple and cost the usable product at the full price. This example is illustrative. Your yields depend on your supplier, spec and knife work, so test your own.
Why do yield tests matter?
- Plate costs are wrong without them. Costing that 6 oz filet at invoice price understates it by over a dollar a plate.
- Orders come up short. Buying 18 lb of AP when you need 18 lb of EP leaves you a quarter short on Saturday.
- They catch supplier changes. If the same spec suddenly yields 65%, the product changed, even if the price didn't.
- They expose prep technique. Two cooks, same case, different yields: that's a training conversation worth dollars.
How often should you run a yield test?
Run one when you add a product, change a supplier or spec, or see food cost move on a dish that uses it. Re-test high-cost proteins and seafood periodically, since they carry the most dollars per point of yield. Write down the date and who did the test, so you can compare.
How does Varastiq use yield?
In Varastiq, yield is part of recipe costing. Each ingredient carries its pack-to-unit conversion and yield, so recipes cost the usable product, not the invoice weight. When an invoice changes the price, the yield-adjusted cost updates in every recipe and plate cost automatically.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate yield percentage?
Divide the edible-portion weight by the as-purchased weight and multiply by 100. For example, 7.2 lb usable from 10 lb purchased is a 72% yield.
What is the difference between AP and EP?
AP, or as purchased, is the product as it arrives from the vendor. EP, or edible portion, is what remains after trimming, peeling, boning or cooking.
How do I find the true cost of a trimmed ingredient?
Divide the as-purchased price per unit by the yield as a decimal. At $8.40 per pound and a 72% yield, the true cost is $11.67 per usable pound.
How much product should I order for a given yield?
Divide the usable amount you need by the yield as a decimal. To get 18 lb usable at a 72% yield, buy 25 lb.
Can yield be over 100%?
Not for trimming. Some items, such as dried beans or rice, gain weight when cooked. Track those with a cooked-yield ratio in your recipe instead.
Does this calculator save my numbers?
No. Everything runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
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Cost the usable product, every time
Varastiq keeps yield in every recipe and re-costs from your invoices, so your plate costs reflect what actually lands on the plate. Varastiq Pro: $149/month for your first location, plus $99/month for each additional location, or $1,639/year (1 month free). Optional $299 guided setup. Money-back guarantee on the software: 14 days on monthly plans, 30 days on annual.