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Recipe scaler

Double, halve or resize any recipe in one go.

Start each line with the amount: 2, 1/2, 1 1/2, ½ or 2-3.

Scaled recipe

× 1.5

From 4 to 6 servings

3 cups rice
2 1/4 tsp salt
750 g chicken
3-4 1/2 green chillies
3/4 cup yogurt
3 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Lines without an amount at the start, such as “to taste”, are left as they are.

Amounts are rounded to kitchen-friendly fractions. Adjust by taste for salt, spices and leavening such as baking powder, and keep the pan size and cooking time in mind: a bigger batch may need a larger pan or longer cooking.

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How to scale a recipe

  1. 1

    Enter how many the recipe serves and how many you want to serve.

  2. 2

    Paste or type the ingredients, one per line, each starting with its amount.

  3. 3

    Read the scaled ingredient list.

  4. 4

    Copy it to your notes or shopping list.

Resize any recipe

Cooking for 6 from a recipe for 4, or halving a cake? Paste the ingredient list, enter the original and new servings, and every amount is multiplied for you. The result keeps your wording and units, and rounds to amounts you can actually measure, like 2 1/4 tsp rather than 2.25.

A recipe converter for servings: double a recipe, halve a recipe, or scale it to any size.

How it works

The scaling factor is the servings you want ÷ the servings in the recipe. From 4 to 6 servings, that’s × 1.5:

  • 2 cups rice → 3 cups rice
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt → 2 1/4 tsp salt
  • 500 g chicken → 750 g chicken
  • 2-3 green chillies → 3-4 1/2 green chillies

Lines that don’t start with an amount, such as “Salt to taste” or headings, are kept as they are.

What it understands

  • Whole numbers and decimals: 2, 1.5, 250
  • Fractions: 1/2, 3/4, 1 1/2
  • Fraction characters: ½, ¼, ¾, 1½
  • Ranges: 2-3, 2–3, 2 to 3
  • An optional bullet at the start: “- 2 eggs”, “• 1 cup milk”

Amounts of 10 or more are rounded to whole numbers; smaller amounts to common fractions (1/8, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4) or one decimal.

Cooking tips when scaling

  • Salt, chilli and strong spices: add about three quarters of the scaled amount at first, then taste.
  • Baking: eggs can’t be split easily; round to whole eggs and adjust liquid. Baking powder and yeast don’t always scale exactly in big batches.
  • Pans and timing: a bigger batch may need a larger or extra pan and more time; a smaller one cooks faster.

To convert cups to grams or spoons to millilitres, use the cooking unit converter.

Frequently asked questions

How do I scale a recipe?

Divide the servings you want by the servings in the recipe and multiply every amount by that. From 4 to 6 servings is × 1.5, so 2 cups becomes 3 cups and 1 1/2 tsp becomes 2 1/4 tsp.

Which amounts does it understand?

Whole numbers and decimals (2, 1.5), fractions (1/2, 1 1/2, ½, 1½) and ranges (2-3, 2 to 3) at the start of a line, after an optional bullet.

Should I scale salt and spices exactly?

Start with a little less when making a much bigger batch, then taste and adjust. Baking powder and yeast also need care in large batches.

Do cooking times change?

Often. A bigger batch may need a larger pan or more time; a smaller one cooks faster. The calculator changes amounts, not times.

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