Dry to Cooked Weight Calculator
What a dry weight of pasta, rice, grains or pulses becomes once cooked, and how many people it feeds.
Dried pasta roughly doubles and a quarter in weight as it takes up water; white rice triples; brown rice, quinoa and lentils sit between.
How the dry to cooked weight calculator works
Dried pasta roughly doubles and a quarter in weight as it takes up water; white rice triples; brown rice, quinoa and lentils sit between. Nutrition labels are usually per dry weight, so the cooked figure is what actually lands on the plate. A standard serving is about 75 g dry pasta or 60–75 g dry rice per person.
Formula: cooked weight = dry weight × yield factor; servings = dry weight ÷ dry weight per person
Worked examples
| Inputs | Cooked weight | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 500 g dried pasta | 1,125 g | 1,125 g, 6.7 servings |
| 300 g white rice | 900 g | 900 g |
| 80 g oats for porridge | 280 g | 280 g |
FAQFrequently asked questions
How much dry pasta per person?
About 75–100 g as a main course and 50–60 g as a starter or side. Rice is 60–75 g dry per person.
Why does my pasta weigh more or less than 2.25 times?
Cooking time and shape matter: al dente pasta absorbs less water than soft, and thin shapes absorb faster. The 2.25 factor suits pasta cooked to the packet time.
Are nutrition labels for dry or cooked weight?
Almost always dry unless the label says cooked. 100 g of dry pasta is about 350 kcal; the same 100 g cooked is about 155 kcal because it is mostly water.
Does the factor apply to fresh pasta?
No — fresh pasta already holds most of its water and gains only 10–20% in cooking. Use the custom factor with about 1.15.
Where these figures come from
- US FDA — Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures — the internal temperatures the roasting calculator targets
- NIST SP 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units — the exact weight and volume conversions used throughout
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand — food safety and labelling standards
Last checked: September 2026. Baking ratios follow standard baker's percentage practice; roasting guidance follows published safe internal temperatures.