Food Yield Calculator
Enter what you bought and what you can actually use, or start from a typical item. Get your yield %, trim loss, the true cost per usable pound (raw or cooked) and how much to order.
Your numbers
Cooked weight ÷ raw weight. Leave empty for raw product. Cooking yield calculator
- Enter the as-purchased weight to calculate yield.
Results
- Yield
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- Trim loss
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- Trim weight
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- Yield cost factor
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- Total purchase cost
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Food yield formulas
Yield % = usable (EP) weight ÷ as-purchased (AP) weight × 100. EP cost = AP price ÷ yield. AP to buy = EP needed ÷ yield. Example: a 10 lb tenderloin at $12/lb that trims to 7 lb is a 70% yield, so usable beef costs $17.14/lb, and 10 lb of trimmed beef needs 14.3 lb bought.
Yield is the share of a product you can use after trimming and prep. The lower your yield, the more each usable pound really costs — because you still paid for the trim.
How to calculate yield percentage (formula + example)
- Weigh as purchased. Record the weight and price of the product the way you bought it (bone-in, untrimmed).
- Weigh what's usable. Trim and prep, then weigh the edible portion you can actually serve or sell.
- Divide. Yield % = usable weight ÷ as-purchased weight × 100.
- Find the true cost. Divide the as-purchased price by the yield to get the real cost of each usable unit.
Worked example
Beef tenderloin: A 10 lb tenderloin at $12/lb trims down to 7 lb usable. Yield is 70%, and the true cost of the usable beef is $17.14/lb — not $12.
Why it matters: Pricing a dish off the $12 as-purchased cost instead of the $17.14 usable cost quietly erases your margin.
AP vs EP: as-purchased vs edible portion
AP (as-purchased) is the product as it arrives — the weight, count and price on the invoice. EP (edible portion) is what is left to cook or serve after trimming, peeling, boning or cooking.
Three formulas cover almost every costing and ordering job: Yield % = EP ÷ AP × 100. EP cost = AP cost ÷ yield (as a decimal). AP quantity to buy = EP quantity needed ÷ yield (as a decimal).
Example: a prep list needs 12 lb of peeled, diced onion and onions yield about 90%. Order 12 ÷ 0.90 = 13.3 lb as purchased. At $0.90/lb AP, the usable onion really costs $0.90 ÷ 0.90 = $1.00/lb.
| Term | What it means | Tenderloin example |
|---|---|---|
| AP weight | The product as delivered, at the weight on the invoice | 10 lb |
| AP price | What you pay per pound as purchased | $12.00/lb ($120.00 total) |
| EP weight | What is left to cook or serve after trimming | 7 lb |
| Yield % | EP weight ÷ AP weight × 100 | 70% |
| EP cost | AP price ÷ yield (as a decimal) | $17.14/lb |
| Yield cost factor | AP weight ÷ EP weight (1 ÷ yield) | 1.43 |
Food yield percentage chart
Typical trim yields for common products, plus USDA cooking yields for a few meats. Use them as a starting point for costing and ordering: cut, spec, supplier and knife work all move the number, so confirm your own with a yield test. Pick an item in the calculator to use its typical yield.
| Product (AP → EP) | Typical yield |
|---|---|
| Asparagus, trimmed | 50–60% |
| Bell pepper, cored and seeded | 80–85% |
| Broccoli, trimmed (florets + peeled stems) | 60–70% |
| Carrots, peeled | 80–85% |
| Celery, trimmed | 70–80% |
| Garlic, peeled cloves | 85–90% |
| Mushrooms, button, trimmed | 95–98% |
| Onions, yellow, peeled | 88–92% |
| Potatoes, peeled | 80–85% |
| Romaine, cored, outer leaves removed | 70–80% |
| Tomatoes, cored | 90–95% |
| Product (AP → EP) | Typical yield |
|---|---|
| Avocado, peeled and pitted | 65–75% |
| Cantaloupe, peeled and seeded | 50–60% |
| Lemons, juice only | 35–45% |
| Pineapple, peeled and cored | 50–55% |
| Strawberries, hulled | 85–90% |
| Product (AP → EP) | Typical yield |
|---|---|
| Beef tenderloin (PSMO), fully trimmed | 60–75% |
| Pork loin, boneless, trimmed | 85–90% |
| Whole chicken → boneless, skinless meat | 45–55% |
| Product (AP → EP) | Typical yield |
|---|---|
| Whole salmon → skin-on fillets | 55–65% |
| Salmon fillet, skin-on → skinless, pin bones out | 88–92% |
| Whole round white fish → skinless fillets | 35–45% |
| Shrimp, shell-on → peeled and deveined | 75–85% |
| Shrimp, head-on → peeled tails | 50–55% |
| Live lobster → cooked meat | 20–30% |
| Product (AP → EP) | Typical yield |
|---|---|
| Brisket flat, braised (USDA) | 65–76% |
| Rib eye (prime rib) roast, bone-in, roasted (USDA) | 72–84% |
| Ground beef 12–22% fat, grilled patty (USDA) | 64–72% |
| Bacon, baked (USDA) | 31–33% |
| Rice, dry → cooked (weight gain) | 250–300% |
| Pasta, dry → cooked (weight gain) | 200–250% |
Rows marked USDA come from the USDA Table of Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry (Release 2, 2014). Other ranges are typical figures from kitchen yield tests. For 48 cuts and cooking methods, use the cooking yield calculator.
Trim yield vs cooking yield
Trim (raw) yield measures what you lose during fabrication. Cooking yield measures what you lose — or gain — during cooking: meat loses moisture and rendered fat, while rice and pasta absorb water.
For a cooked protein, multiply the two. A brisket flat with an 85% trim yield, braised to USDA's average 69% cooking yield, has a total yield of 0.85 × 0.69 ≈ 59%, so brisket bought at $5.50/lb costs about $9.38 per cooked pound. Enter the cooking yield in the calculator (or pick a USDA cut) to get the cooked cost in one step.
How to run a yield test (butcher's test / cutting test)
- Pick a typical case. Use a normal delivery, not the best or worst one. Record the AP weight and the invoice price per pound.
- Fabricate as usual. Have the person who normally preps it do the work, the way they normally do it.
- Weigh every output. Weigh usable product, usable trim (bones for stock, trim for grind or staff meal) and true waste separately.
- Calculate. Yield % = usable weight ÷ AP weight × 100; EP cost = AP price ÷ yield. Credit valuable trim at what you would otherwise pay for it.
- Repeat and standardize. Run the test three times, average the results and use that as your standard. Re-test when you change supplier, spec or cut.
Breaking a whole cut into several products? The butcher's yield test calculator credits usable trim and gives the cost per pound of the finished cut.
Yield practice problems (with answers)
Culinary-math style problems you can check with the calculator above.
You buy 6 heads of bibb lettuce that weigh 6 oz each. After cleaning you have 1.8 lb of trimmed lettuce. What is the yield percentage?
Answer: 6 × 6 oz = 36 oz = 2.25 lb as purchased. 1.8 ÷ 2.25 = 0.80, so the yield is 80%.
A recipe needs 5 lb of peeled carrots and carrots yield 82% after peeling. How many pounds should you buy?
Answer: 5 ÷ 0.82 = 6.1 lb as purchased.
Beef tenderloin costs $14.50/lb as purchased and your yield test gives 68%. What is the EP cost?
Answer: $14.50 ÷ 0.68 = $21.32 per usable pound.
Brisket flat costs $5.80/lb, trims to an 82% yield and braises at a 69% cooking yield. What does one cooked pound cost?
Answer: Total yield = 0.82 × 0.69 = 0.566. $5.80 ÷ 0.566 = $10.25 per cooked pound.
Last week salmon cost $9.00/lb and your EP cost was $11.25/lb. This week the price rises to $9.60/lb. What is the new EP cost?
Answer: Cost factor = $11.25 ÷ $9.00 = 1.25. New EP cost = $9.60 × 1.25 = $12.00 per usable pound.
More problems on costing, menu pricing, recipe conversion and unit conversions, with worked answers: culinary math practice problems.
Yield formulas for Excel or Google Sheets
Put the AP weight in A2, the EP weight in B2, the AP price per pound in C2 and the EP amount you need in D2:
- Yield % (format as a percentage):
=B2/A2 - Trim loss %:
=1-B2/A2 - EP cost per pound:
=C2/(B2/A2) - AP quantity to buy:
=D2/(B2/A2) - Yield cost factor:
=A2/B2
Yield FAQ
What is yield percentage?
Yield percentage is the share of a product you can use after trimming and prep, calculated as usable (edible-portion) weight divided by as-purchased weight, times 100.
What is the difference between AP and EP cost?
AP (as-purchased) cost is the price you pay per unit at delivery. EP (edible-portion) cost is the true cost of the usable product after waste — always higher than AP cost when there is any trim loss.
How do I calculate EP cost?
Divide the as-purchased price per unit by the yield percentage (as a decimal). For a $12/lb item at 70% yield: $12 ÷ 0.70 = $17.14 per usable pound.
What is a yield cost factor?
The yield cost factor is as-purchased weight divided by usable weight (or 1 ÷ yield). Multiply your AP price by this factor to get the EP cost.
Why is yield important for food cost?
Menu prices set from the as-purchased cost ignore trim and waste, so your real food cost is higher than you think. Costing from the EP cost protects your margin.
What is a good yield percentage?
It depends on the product — leafy greens may yield 60-70%, while portioned proteins can exceed 90%. Track your own yields and compare batches to spot waste.
How do I calculate how much to buy (AP quantity)?
Divide the edible-portion amount you need by the yield as a decimal. Need 10 lb of trimmed tenderloin at a 70% yield? Buy 10 ÷ 0.70 = 14.3 lb as purchased. Enter your yield test and the usable amount you need above, and the calculator does it for you.
What is a food yield percentage chart?
A yield chart lists typical usable percentages for common products — for example, peeled onions around 90% and pineapple around 50%. It is a starting point for costing and ordering; your own yield tests are more accurate because cut, spec and prep method change the result.
What is cooking yield?
Cooking yield is cooked weight divided by raw (pre-cooking) weight, times 100. Roasts and ground beef lose weight and land below 100%; rice and pasta absorb water and land above it. Multiply trim yield by cooking yield to get the total yield of a cooked item.
How do you do a butcher's yield test?
Weigh a typical case as purchased, fabricate it the usual way, then weigh usable product, usable trim and waste separately. Yield % is usable weight divided by AP weight; EP cost is the AP price divided by that yield. Repeat three times and average.
How do I calculate food waste percentage?
Waste % = waste weight ÷ total weight × 100 — the mirror image of yield. For prep waste on one product, that is the trim loss this calculator shows: an item with a 70% yield has 30% trim loss.
What is AP weight?
AP (as-purchased) weight is the weight of a product as it arrives from the supplier (untrimmed, unpeeled or bone-in), which is the weight you pay for on the invoice.
What is EP weight?
EP (edible-portion) weight is what is left after trimming, peeling, boning or cooking: the part you can actually serve. EP weight ÷ AP weight is the yield.
How do I combine trim yield and cooking yield?
Multiply them. An item with an 85% trim yield and a 69% cooking yield has a total yield of 0.85 × 0.69 ≈ 59%. Divide the AP price by the total yield to get the cost per cooked pound.
What is the yield on fish fillets?
Typical ranges: whole round white fish to skinless fillets 35–45%, whole salmon to skin-on fillets 55–65%, and skinning a salmon fillet keeps about 88–92% of its weight. Species, size and the cutter all move these numbers, so weigh a few fish to get your own.
Is this calculator free?
Yes — it runs entirely in your browser, needs no account, and your numbers never leave your device.
Sources and method
The calculator uses the standard culinary-math formulas above. Trim ranges in the chart are typical figures from kitchen yield tests and are meant for planning; cooking yields marked USDA come from the USDA Agricultural Research Service Table of Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry (Release 2, 2014). Your own yield test always beats a chart.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
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