Cooking
How do you scale a recipe to more or fewer servings?
Paste the ingredients for 4 servings and get the amounts for 2, 6, 10 or any number.
Quick answer
Scaling factor = target servings ÷ original servings. Going from 4 to 6 portions: factor = 6 ÷ 4 = 1.5. Every quantity multiplies by 1.5: 320 g spaghetti becomes 480 g, 4 eggs become 6, 100 g cheese becomes 150 g.
480 g spaghetti 225 g bacon 6 eggs 150 g pecorino cheese
How it works
Paste your ingredient list and the calculator rewrites each number automatically. It works for any unit (g, ml, cups, whole items). Baking times and oven temperature usually stay the same — only quantities change.
Practical kitchen gear makes scaling less error-prone: a digital kitchen scale for flour and butter (volume cups drift), meal prep containers when you cook once for the week, and a stand mixer when you double dough that would strain a hand whisk. Round awkward numbers to what you can actually measure — 1.33 eggs become 1 egg plus a splash of milk in most home recipes.
Multiply the ingredients, but not everything else. Time, pan size and heat do not scale: a cake batter doubled into the same tin is deeper, so it needs a longer bake at a lower temperature, and a risotto with twice the rice in the same pan takes far longer than twice as long because the surface it evaporates from has not changed. Salt and acid follow the multiplication, but chilli, garlic and strong spices do not — at double the quantity they usually land somewhere around one and a half times, and it is easier to add at the end than to rescue a dish that is too hot.
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Frequently asked questions
Do cooking times change when doubling a recipe?+
Often slightly longer for larger volumes, but not linearly. A doubled cake may need 10–20% more time, not double. Check doneness with a thermometer or toothpick rather than the clock alone.
Can I scale baking recipes reliably?+
Yeast and leavening ratios are sensitive. Halving or tripling usually works; odd fractions can throw off texture. Round to practical numbers and adjust liquid slightly if the batter looks wrong.
What about spices when scaling?+
Scale salt and dried herbs with everything else. Strong spices (chili, nutmeg) — increase slightly less than linearly and taste as you go.
How do I scale down a large-batch recipe?+
Same formula in reverse: target ÷ original. A recipe for 12 servings scaled to 2: factor = 2 ÷ 12 ≈ 0.167. Very small amounts may need a minimum practical dose.
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