CostKit vs a spreadsheet for recipe costing

When a spreadsheet is enough

Plenty of good kitchens cost their food in a spreadsheet, and if yours works, you may not need anything else. A spreadsheet is a sensible choice when:

• you cost a few recipes and rarely add new ones;
• you buy from the same places and prices stay steady for months;
• you are comfortable writing formulas, including unit conversions such as kilos to grams;
• you do your costing at a computer rather than on your phone at the market.

If that is you, the formulas in how to calculate food cost are all a sheet needs.

Where CostKit saves time

• It keeps your prices current. When the market moves, your recipe costs keep up, without hunting through sheets.
• It works in the packs and units you actually buy: by the bag, the bottle or the piece.
• It builds menus and shows what each plate costs and earns.
• It saves your costings, so you can come back to any dish later.
• It works in your own currency, on your phone or your computer.

In short, a spreadsheet gives you a blank grid and leaves the upkeep to you; CostKit is made for costing food and does that upkeep for you.

Side by side

Trying it alongside your sheet

Start with the dishes you sell most and compare CostKit's cost per portion with your sheet. Your first 2 recipes are free, so you can check the numbers agree before you pay.

The short version

If your recipes and prices rarely change and you like building formulas, a spreadsheet is fine. If you cost often, buy at changing market prices, or want menus and saved costings in one place on your phone, CostKit does the upkeep for you.