Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
Everything cooks ask about the scaling calculator, the measurement standard behind it, and the judgment calls it makes. Something missing? Ask us directly.
Does the calculator change oven temperature or baking time?
No, and that's deliberate. Time and temperature follow your pan size and batter depth, not the amount of batter. Keep the same pan size — or split across more pans of the original size — and the original time applies. The full logic is in the cooking-time guide.
Is my recipe uploaded anywhere when I paste it?
No. Parsing and scaling run entirely in your browser on this page. The text you paste is never sent to a server, stored, or logged.
What cup size does Fonda Las Cazuelas use?
The US legal cup: 240 ml, with 1 tablespoon = 15 ml and 1 teaspoon = 5 ml. If your recipe is Australian, Canadian or translated-metric, it likely means a 250 ml cup — see the US vs metric cups guide for when that 4% matters.
Why does the result say ¼ cup + 2 tbsp instead of 0.375 cups?
Because no measuring cup in your drawer reads 0.375. Every scaled amount is rewritten as the nearest combination of real measures — cup fractions, tablespoons, quarter teaspoons — with the gram weight alongside when the ingredient's density is known.
How accurate are the gram weights?
They're reference values, rounded to the nearest 5 g per cup, assuming spoon-and-level technique for flours and powders. Scooping style alone can swing flour by 10–20%, so treat the grams as a sound working standard, not a lab certificate. The methodology page lists every value the calculator uses.
Can I scale by servings instead of a multiplier?
Yes. Enter what the recipe serves and what you need — say 4 → 10 — and the exact factor (×2½) is applied to every line. You can also type any custom factor like 1.75.
Why did the calculator warn me about my salt line?
Because seasoning scales nonlinearly in pots: evaporation and perception both drift when batch size changes. For 2× and up, the working rule is to add about 75% of the scaled salt and finish by taste. In baked goods, scale salt fully — it's doing chemistry, not just flavor.
What does it do with '2 large eggs' when I halve a recipe?
It returns 1½ eggs plus a note: whisk one egg uniform and weigh out 25 g (half of a 50 g large egg). Without a scale, half a whisked egg is about 1½ tablespoons.
Can it handle metric recipes in grams and millilitres?
Yes — grams, kilograms, millilitres and litres scale directly, and amounts like '250 g butter' round to sensible scale-friendly numbers. Mixed recipes (cups and grams in one list) work line by line.
Is there a limit to how far I can scale?
The dial accepts ×0.05 to ×50, but physics has opinions before math does: past about 2× up, bake in multiple original-size pans; below about half, watch for minimum workable volumes in caramel, emulsions and yeast doughs. The guides cover both directions.
Can I save or print the scaled recipe?
Yes — Copy puts a clean text version on your clipboard, and Print formats just the ticket (the scaled ingredient list) without the rest of the page.
Why 'Fonda Las Cazuelas'?
A fonda is a casual kitchen or eating house, and cazuelas are the clay pots used for slow, flexible cooking. The name fits the site: practical kitchen math for one recipe, any batch size.