🥡 Washoku Recipe Scaler (Scale by Servings)

Japanese recipes give ingredients per stated servings, but Japanese kitchens cook in familiar units: rice in gō (合), stock in cups (1 cup = 200 ml in Japan), and seasonings in tablespoons (大さじ = 15 ml) and teaspoons (小さじ = 5 ml). Scaling a 2-serving recipe to 5 servings means multiplying every ingredient by 2.5 - simple in theory, easy to botch at the stove.

Seasoning is the part to scale carefully: soy sauce, miso and salt are concentrated, so a 1.5× error is very noticeable. The scaler keeps every unit the same and simply multiplies each amount by the ratio of target to original servings.

The scaler takes the recipe’s original servings and your target servings, computes the multiplier (target ÷ original), and applies it to every ingredient you list. Enter up to six ingredients with a value and a unit.

It also shows the scaled volume in millilitres so you can compare with measuring cups, and rounds spoon amounts to a practical quarter-spoon. Cooking time is not scaled by this tool - larger pots need slightly longer simmering and thicker braises need a touch more liquid.

1. Enter the recipe's original number of servings.
2. Enter how many servings you want to make.
3. List up to six ingredients with value and unit (gō, cup, ml, tbsp, tsp, g, pieces).
4. Read each scaled amount and the millilitre equivalent.
5. Cook, then taste before adding extra salt or soy sauce.

How do I scale a 2-serving recipe to 5 servings?

Divide target by original (5 / 2 = 2.5) and multiply every ingredient by that factor. This scaler does it for up to six ingredients at once.

What is a Japanese cup?

One Japanese measuring cup (カップ) is 200 ml, smaller than the US cup (240 ml). Always check which cup a recipe assumes.

How much is one gō in millilitres?

One gō is 180 ml - the rice cup that comes with Japanese cookers. For water purposes, 1 gō of rice needs 200 ml of water (see the rice calculator).

Should seasoning be scaled exactly?

Yes for soy sauce, mirin and sake. Miso and salt can be scaled exactly then adjusted to taste because brands vary in intensity.

Does cooking time scale with servings?

Not directly. More volume needs longer to come to temperature and simmer, but not proportionally. Check doneness by texture, not the clock.

Can I convert cups to millilitres?

Yes - the scaler shows every result in millilitres as well as in the original unit, so you can measure with any cup you own.

Scale salt-based seasonings by ratio exactly, then taste and adjust - miso and soy sauce vary in strength between brands. For rice-based dishes, scale gō first, then use our rice & water calculator for the correct water. When scaling up more than 3×, cooking liquid often needs slightly less than the pure ratio because a bigger pot loses less water to evaporation; when scaling down to one serving, don’t scale below one gō of rice or it will dry out. Soups and simmered dishes freeze well, so doubling a batch is usually smarter than cooking one tiny portion. Match stock with the dashi calculator and track salt with the salt intake calculator.