How to work out the cost of an ingredient
Cost of the amount used = (pack price ÷ pack size) × amount used, in the same unitA 2 fl oz bottle of vanilla extract costs $6.49. A recipe uses 2 teaspoons. There are 6 teaspoons in a fluid ounce, so 2 teaspoons is ⅓ fl oz, and the vanilla in the recipe costs 6.49 ÷ 2 × ⅓ = $1.08.
Unit conversions used
These are exact US customary and metric figures, the ones published recipes mean by “a cup” or “8 oz”.
| Unit | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1,000 g |
| 1 lb | 453.59 g (16 oz) |
| 1 oz (weight) | 28.35 g |
| 1 L | 1,000 ml |
| 1 US cup | 236.59 ml (8 fl oz) |
| 1 fl oz | 29.57 ml |
| 1 tbsp | 14.79 ml (3 tsp) |
| 1 tsp | 4.93 ml |
| 1 US pint | 473.18 ml (2 cups) |
| 1 US quart | 946.35 ml (4 cups) |
| 1 US gallon | 3.785 L (16 cups) |
UK imperial pints and gallons are larger than US ones (a UK gallon is 4.55 L), and a UK or Australian “cup” in an older recipe may not be 236 ml. When in doubt, weigh.
Why cups of flour don't convert to grams
An ounce of weight and a fluid ounce of volume are different things. A cup of flour weighs about half what a cup of honey does, and even the same flour weighs more when packed than when spooned. Converting cups to grams needs a density for that ingredient, measured the way you measure it. A guessed figure would go straight into your cost, so the calculator keeps weight with weight and volume with volume. For dry ingredients bought by weight, weigh what the recipe uses once and note it down.
Know what each ingredient costs? Add them up and divide by the number of servings, or let Recipe Cost Calculator do it for every recipe you make.