Food Cost & Planning
Pantry Quantity & Limiting Ingredient Calculator
See how many batches you can make with what's in your pantry, and which ingredient runs out first.
Measurement System PreferenceAuto-saved
Currently active across all 60 calculators: US Customary (cups, tbsp, oz, °F, in)
| Ingredient | You have | Recipe needs | Unit | Enough for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 batches | |||||
| 2 batches | |||||
| 3 batches | |||||
| 5.33 batches |
What you can make
2 full batches
Eggs runs out first. To make one more batch, you'd need 2 more eggs.
Use the same unit for "You have" and "Recipe needs" on each row (for example, both in cups or both in grams).
How to use this calculator
- 1For each ingredient, enter how much you have and how much one batch of the recipe needs.
- 2Use the same unit on both sides of each row.
- 3Read how many full batches you can make and which ingredient runs out first.
Tip: The highlighted row is your limiting ingredient. Buy more of that one if you want extra batches.
How it's calculated
Max Batches = Min(Available Quantity of Ingredient i ÷ Required Quantity of Ingredient i)
We do the math at full precision and only round the final answer, so the numbers you see are as close as kitchen measurements allow. The assumptions and limits are listed alongside.
Worked example
Scenario: Pantry has 6 cups flour (needs 2/batch -> 3 batches), 4 eggs (needs 2/batch -> 2 batches).
InputsFlour allows 3 batches, Eggs allow 2 batches.
CalculationMin(3, 2) = 2 batches. Limiting ingredient: Eggs.
ResultYou can make 2 batches (limited by 4 eggs)
Common questions
What is a "limiting ingredient"?
It's the ingredient that runs out first, so it decides how many batches you can make, no matter how much of everything else you have.