The Complete Food & Cooking Calculations Guide 2026

Recipe Scaling — The Formulas Every Cook Needs

The Basic Scaling Formula

Recipe scaling is multiplication. Every ingredient is multiplied by the same conversion factor. Get the factor right and the recipe works at any size.

What Does Not Scale Linearly

Most ingredients scale perfectly, but a few require adjustment. Salt and spices should be scaled to about 75% of the calculated amount when multiplying by 3x or more — taste and adjust. Leavening agents (baking powder, baking soda) should be scaled to 75-80% at 3x+ to avoid a metallic taste. Eggs are awkward at non-integer counts — use weight (1 large egg ≈ 50g without shell) to split them accurately. Cook times do not scale — a double batch of cookies still cooks for the same time per tray.

Recipe Yield Conversion

Yield percentage = (Cooked/Trimmed weight / Raw weight) x 100. If a recipe calls for 1 lb of trimmed carrots but carrots have 85% yield, you need to purchase 1 / 0.85 = 1.18 lbs raw. This is essential for professional recipe costing and grocery shopping calculations.

Baking Science — Ratios, Hydration, and Leavening

Baker's Percentage — The Universal Baking Language

Baker's percentage is the professional standard for expressing bread formulas. Every ingredient is a percentage of the total flour weight, with flour always equaling 100%. This system makes scaling trivial and lets you compare recipes at a glance regardless of batch size.

Sourdough Hydration Explained

Hydration is the ratio of water to flour by weight, expressed as a percentage. It controls crumb texture: lower hydration = denser, easier to handle; higher hydration = open crumb, more complex fermentation, harder to shape. Always account for water contributed by your starter.

Yeast Conversion Chart

Self-Rising Flour Substitution

To make 1 cup self-rising flour: combine 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1.5 teaspoons baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon salt. This is the USDA-standard ratio. Do not use self-rising flour when a recipe already includes leavening — you will double up and produce a soapy, over-leavened result.

Hydration Level Guide

Cooking Measurement Conversions — Precise & Ingredient-Specific

Why Volume-to-Weight Conversions Vary by Ingredient

A cup of flour weighs very differently from a cup of sugar, honey, or butter. Volume measurements work for liquid ingredients (water, milk, oil) but are unreliable for dry and semi-solid ingredients. The only way to bake consistently is by weight — but most older recipes use volume. These converters bridge the gap accurately for each specific ingredient.

Butter Conversion Rules

Butter in the US is sold in sticks. One stick = 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons = 113g. When substituting oil for butter, multiply the butter amount by 0.75 (use 3/4 the amount of oil). When substituting melted butter for oil, use a 1:1 ratio. When substituting cold butter for shortening, increase butter by 20% to account for water content.

Fresh Herb to Dried Herb Conversion

Dried herbs are 3x more potent than fresh because water removal concentrates essential oils. Use 1 teaspoon dried for every 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of fresh called for. For best results, crush dried herbs between your fingers before adding to release trapped volatiles.

Pizza Dough Science — Hydration, Ball Weight, and Style

Pizza Dough Hydration by Style

Pizza style determines the correct hydration. Hydration = (Water / Flour) x 100. The yeast percentage is equally important for fermentation time: low yeast + long cold ferment produces more complex flavor than high yeast + quick proof.

The Pizza Size vs. Value Comparison

Two 12-inch pizzas vs. one 18-inch? Area = pi x r^2. One 18-inch pizza has 254 square inches. Two 12-inch pizzas have 226 square inches combined. The single large pizza wins on area AND is typically cheaper per square inch. Always calculate by area, not diameter.

Coffee Brewing Ratios — The Science of the Perfect Cup

The Golden Ratio & Brew Method Comparison

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) defines the "golden cup" as brewed coffee with 1.15-1.35% total dissolved solids (TDS). By weight, this corresponds to a 1:15 to 1:17 coffee-to-water ratio. Different methods extract at different efficiencies, so the ratio varies by brew style.

Caffeine Content by Drink

Standard 8oz drip coffee: 80-100mg caffeine. Espresso shot (1oz): 63mg. Cold brew 8oz: 100-200mg (varies greatly by steep time and ratio). Tea varies: black tea 40-70mg/8oz, green tea 25-45mg, white tea 15-30mg, herbal teas: 0mg.

Meat Cooking — Times, Temperatures, and Brine Formulas

Turkey Cooking Time Formula

Turkey cook time depends on weight, whether it is stuffed, and oven temperature. The USDA recommends roasting at 325F (163C) throughout. The only reliable doneness check is a meat thermometer — the breast must reach 165F (74C) and the thigh 175F (79C).

Wet Brine Ratio for Poultry and Pork

A standard brine is 5-8% salt by weight of water. For a basic brine: 1 gallon water (3,785ml) + 1 cup kosher salt (240g) = approximately 6.3% brine. Brine time: whole turkey 24-48 hours, chicken pieces 2-4 hours, pork chops 1-2 hours. Never brine pre-brined or Kosher meat — it will become inedibly salty.

Steak Doneness Temperature Guide

Ham Serving Size Guide

Bone-in ham: plan 1/3 to 1/2 lb per person (the bone accounts for about 30% of weight). Boneless ham: plan 1/4 to 1/3 lb per person. For a holiday meal with multiple sides, the lower end is sufficient. For a ham-focused meal or if you want leftovers, use the higher estimate.

Rice & Pasta Cooking Calculations

Rice-to-Water Ratio by Type

The water absorption method (common in home cooking) uses a fixed ratio to produce perfectly cooked rice with no draining. The ratio varies by rice type because different varieties have different starch structures and moisture content.

Rice Yield — Dry to Cooked

White rice approximately triples in volume when cooked (1 cup dry = 3 cups cooked). Brown rice expands to about 2.5x. In weight: 1 cup raw white rice (185g) absorbs roughly 370g water and yields about 555g cooked rice. For catering, plan 1/4 cup dry rice (45g) per person as a side dish, 1/3 cup (60g) as a main component.

Pasta Serving Sizes

Dry pasta doubles in weight when cooked. For pasta as a main course, use 75-100g dry per person. As a side dish, use 50-75g dry. Spaghetti and long pasta: one serving = roughly a 1-inch diameter bundle dry. Fresh pasta requires about 50% more volume than dry pasta for the same cooked yield.

Party Food Planning — Quantities, Portions, and Logistics

General Party Food Estimates per Person

Alcohol Calculations — Brewing, Dilution, and Serving

Alcohol By Volume (ABV) — Homebrewing Formula

ABV is the standard measure of alcohol content. For homebrewing, ABV is calculated from specific gravity readings taken before fermentation (Original Gravity, OG) and after (Final Gravity, FG) using a hydrometer or refractometer.

Alcohol Dilution Formula

When diluting a high-proof spirit or concentrate to a target ABV, use the dilution formula. This is used in winemaking, cocktail batching, and spirit production.

Wine Molecular SO2 Management

Free SO2 in wine exists in three forms: molecular SO2, bisulfite, and sulfite. Only molecular SO2 has antimicrobial properties. The target molecular SO2 is 0.8 mg/L for white and rose wines, 0.5 mg/L for reds. Calculation depends on wine pH, which determines the proportion of each form.