Recipe Portion Calculator

How to use the recipe portion calculator

1. Fill in the fields — they start with a worked example.
2. Read the answer, and the arithmetic shown beneath it.
3. Copy the results, or adjust the inputs to compare scenarios.

About this tool

Cooking for a crowd is not the same problem as cooking for four, because portions do not scale linearly with the number of guests. A large gathering has a wider spread of appetites that averages out, and more courses means smaller servings of each — which is why catering quantities per head fall as the guest list grows.

This calculator starts from a per-person portion and multiplies it out, with a typical figure offered for common courses so there is a defensible starting point. Dry pasta at 100 grams a head, rice at 75, meat off the bone at 200: these are the working numbers caterers use, and they assume the dish is part of a meal rather than the whole of it.

The appetite setting matters more than it looks. A buffet where people serve themselves runs about a quarter above a plated meal, because portions are self-selected and generous. A dish served alongside two others needs noticeably less than the same dish served alone.

Leftovers are treated as a deliberate choice rather than a rounding error. Running out is the worse failure at a dinner, so a ten per cent margin is a reasonable default — but for something that reheats badly, cooking exactly enough is the better call.

Common uses

• Buying the right amount of meat and rice for a dinner party.
• Scaling a side dish for a buffet where people help themselves.
• Checking catering quantities against a published per-head figure.

Frequently asked questions

How much pasta per person?

Around 100 grams dry for a main course, or 75 grams when it is a starter or one of several dishes. It roughly doubles in weight once cooked.

Do portions get smaller for larger groups?

Per head, yes. Appetites average out across a big group and more dishes on the table means less of each, so catering figures per person fall as numbers rise.

How much extra should I cook for leftovers?

Ten per cent covers a second helping without producing a fridge full of waste. Add more only for something that genuinely reheats well.