Free recipe scaler

How to convert recipe servings

To scale a recipe, divide the serving size you want by the serving size the recipe makes, then multiply every ingredient by that number. Doubling four servings to eight uses a factor of two. This calculator does the multiplication and the fraction rounding for you, so 1 1/2 cups becomes 3 cups and 3/4 teaspoon becomes 1 1/2 teaspoons.

The arithmetic is the easy half. The part that catches people out is that a recipe is not only a list of amounts.

• Pan size scales by area, not by length. Doubling a batter needs twice the surface, so use two pans of the same size rather than one deeper one. A deeper pan bakes the outside long before the middle sets.
• Cooking time does not double. A bigger pot takes longer to come up to temperature and then behaves much like the original. Go by color, internal temperature, and texture rather than the clock.
• Salt and strong spices need tasting. Scale them with everything else as a starting point, then taste, especially going up by more than double.
• Leaveners want precision. Baking powder and soda change texture rather than flavor, so measure the scaled amount properly instead of rounding it to something convenient.
• Eggs halve by weight. Beat one, then use half. A large egg is about 50 grams, or roughly 3 tablespoons.

Halving and doubling, at a glance

The measures that come up most often when a recipe does not divide neatly.

Questions

How do you convert recipe servings?

Divide the servings you want by the servings the recipe makes, then multiply every ingredient amount by that number. Going from 4 servings to 6 is a factor of 1.5, so 2 cups of flour becomes 3 cups and 1/2 teaspoon of salt becomes 3/4 teaspoon.

Does everything in a recipe scale?

The ingredients do. Cooking times, pan sizes, and oven temperatures do not. A doubled cake batter needs two pans rather than one deeper one, and a doubled braise takes longer to come to temperature than the recipe says.

What about salt, spices, and leaveners?

Scale them with everything else, then taste. Salt and strong spices often need slightly less than the math says when you go up a lot, and baking powder and soda should be measured exactly rather than rounded, because they change the texture rather than the flavor.

How do I halve a recipe that uses one egg?

Beat the egg, weigh or measure it, and use half. A large egg is about 50 grams, or roughly 3 tablespoons, so half is about 25 grams or 1 1/2 tablespoons.

Is this recipe scaling calculator free?

Yes, and there is no sign-up. It runs entirely in your browser, so nothing you paste is sent anywhere or stored.