Yield Test Calculator: Yield % and Cost per Usable Kilo

A yield test calculator shows how much of what you buy ends up on the plate. Weigh the item before and after trimming, enter the price per kilo and the waste, and the tool gives usable weight, yield percentage, cost per usable kilo and, if you add a portion size, cost per portion.

How to read your result

Usable weight: the weight purchased minus the waste you removed.
Yield %: usable weight divided by purchase weight. Buy 10 kg, lose 3 kg to bones and trim, and the yield is 70%.
Cost per usable kg: what you really pay for each kilo you can serve. At KSh 500 a kilo and a 70% yield, that is KSh 714.29, not KSh 500.
Cost per portion: shown when you enter a portion size in grams.

Download the matching form

Record each test on the Meat and Fish Yield Log, and keep your averages in the Yield Library workbook so recipe costing uses your own numbers.

Frequently asked questions

How many yield tests should I do?

Do several, on different days and with different cooks if you can, and use the average. One test can be thrown off by a poor batch or a rushed cut.

Does yield include cooking loss?

This tool covers trimming, boning and filleting. Cooking loss is a separate test: weigh the item before and after cooking and record it on its own line.

Where do I find standard yield figures?

Published tables can give a rough guide, but yields vary by supplier, size and cook. This page gives no standard figures on purpose: use your own test results.

How to use this tool

Weigh the item as purchased and note the price per kilo.
Trim, bone or fillet it the way your kitchen normally does.
Weigh everything you discard: bones, skin, trim and peel.
Enter the three numbers, and a portion size in grams if you portion the item.
Record the result on the Yield Log. Repeat the test and average the yield %.
Use the averaged yield in your recipe costing.

East Africa Chef