Overview
The loss calculator helps you track food waste after prep sessions or events. For each recipe, enter how much was unsold or unused, and Cucinovo calculates the loss percentage and cost impact.
Understanding waste is essential for controlling food costs. Consistent tracking lets you identify patterns, adjust portions, and reduce unnecessary spending.
How It Works
Open a finalized shopping basket, prep list, or event that has been completed.
Scroll to the Loss Calculator section on the detail page. It lists every recipe with its planned quantities.
For each recipe, enter the amount that was unsold or unused, and select the unit. Leave recipes with no waste at zero.
The calculator instantly shows: total planned amount, loss percentage, equivalent wasted portions, and the cost of the waste.
How Loss Is Calculated
The loss calculation uses two key formulas:
- Loss % = (unsold amount / total planned amount) × 100
- Loss cost = (equivalent wasted portions / planned portions) × total recipe cost
For example: you planned 100 portions of soup at €2.50 each. After the event, 15 portions are left unsold. That gives you:
- Loss percentage: 15%
- Wasted portions: 15
- Loss cost: €37.50
The calculator handles unit conversions automatically. If your recipe output is in kilograms but you enter waste in grams, Cucinovo converts correctly.
Using Loss Data
Review loss data weekly to identify patterns. High-loss recipes might need portion adjustments, better demand forecasting, or menu changes. Events with consistent waste suggest over-ordering — reduce the portion factor next time.
Loss tracking is most valuable over time. After a few weeks of data, you can:
- Spot recipes that consistently produce more waste than others.
- Compare waste across different events to refine guest-count scaling.
- Calculate the real cost of overproduction and use it to justify menu changes.
- Set waste reduction targets and track progress.
Where It Appears
The loss calculator appears in three places, each providing the same functionality:
- Shopping baskets — track waste per recipe in the basket after purchasing is complete.
- Prep lists — track waste per recipe in the prep list after preparation is done.
- Events — track waste per menu item after the event is over.
Each context provides the recipe data differently, but the calculator works the same way. Enter the unsold amount for any recipe and get instant loss metrics.
The loss calculator requires the Pro plan. During your 14-day trial, it is fully available across all contexts.