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Recipe Scaler

Change your serving size and every ingredient quantity updates automatically. Smart unit conversion turns 1500g into 1.5kg so your measurements stay practical.

Servings

Set the original and desired number of servings.

Ingredients

Add your recipe ingredients with their original quantities.

Scaling Factor

2x

4 → 8 servings

Scaled ingredients

Add ingredients to see scaled amounts.
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Scale recipes with one click inside Cucinovo

Save your recipes once, then scale to any number of servings instantly. Costs update automatically. Free plan available.

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How Recipe Scaling Works

The scaling formula

Scaling a recipe means adjusting all ingredient quantities proportionally to produce more or fewer servings.

Scaling Factor = Desired Servings / Original Servings

When to scale

Cooking for a crowd: Double or triple for a party
Halving a recipe: Cut down for a weeknight dinner
Restaurant portioning: Convert home recipes to prep-sheet quantities
Batch prep: Scale up sauces, doughs, and bases

Tips for accurate scaling

Use weight, not volume: 2 cups of flour varies by packing. 250g is always 250g.
Watch baking ratios: Leavening agents don't always scale linearly above 2×.
Adjust cooking time: A doubled recipe in a larger pan may need different timing.
Season to taste: Salt and spices often need less than a direct multiply.

Ingredients That Don't Scale Linearly

Most ingredients scale proportionally, but some need adjustment when you increase or decrease a recipe significantly.

Leavening agents: Baking powder and yeast should scale at 70-80% when doubling. Too much leavening causes collapse or off flavours.
Salt and spices: Scale at 80-90%. Seasoning intensity does not increase proportionally with volume. Always taste and adjust.
Fats for sauteing: Depends on pan size, not recipe volume. You need enough to coat the cooking surface, not a strict ratio.
Gelatin and thickeners: May need adjustment for larger batches because setting strength changes with volume and surface area.
Eggs: Cannot be split easily, so use weight-based scaling (one large egg is roughly 50g) for precision when a recipe calls for a fraction.

Scaling for Different Cooking Methods

Baking

Most sensitive to scaling. Temperatures and times change with batch size. Larger volumes take longer to heat through, and leavening agents need careful adjustment. Use baker's percentages for accuracy.

Braising & stewing

Scales well. Increase liquid proportionally and use a larger vessel. Cooking time stays roughly the same as long as piece size does not change. The liquid does the work.

Grilling & sauteing

Scale the number of portions, not the cooking technique. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, which causes steaming instead of browning.

Sous vide

Temperature stays the same regardless of batch size. Adjust bag size and ensure water circulation is adequate. Very large batches may need longer to reach target temperature.

Recipe Scaling FAQ

Can I scale a recipe by any amount?

Yes, but very large scales (10x+) may need technique adjustments. At high volumes, cooking times, equipment, and even ingredient behaviour change. Scale in steps if you are unsure.

Should I scale by weight or volume?

Always scale by weight for accuracy. Volume measurements (cups, tablespoons) vary depending on how tightly an ingredient is packed. Weight is consistent and reproducible.

How do I scale baking recipes?

Use baker's percentages, where every ingredient is expressed as a percentage of flour weight. This makes scaling straightforward: multiply the flour weight by the desired factor, then calculate each ingredient from its percentage.

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