The Alternative Units feature allows users to assign additional units of measure to products beyond their default setup. This is particularly useful when building recipes, as it offers greater flexibility for how ingredients are measured and entered.
For example:
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Assign volume or weight values to a product sold by the each (e.g. a 1kg bag of lentils or a carton of cream).
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Assign custom units such as "blue spoon" or "ladle" to reflect how items are commonly portioned or used in service.
This ensures recipe inputs remain intuitive for chefs while maintaining accurate cost and nutritional tracking in the background.
✅ When to Use Alternative Units
Use Alternative Units when:
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You need to input recipe quantities differently from how a product is purchased (e.g. spoons of mustard instead of weight).
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You want to standardise measurement units that kitchen teams use across multiple recipes.
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You want to maintain flexibility without compromising the integrity of your costings or nutrition data.
How to Create an Alternative Unit
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Go to
Settings > Menu Costing > Unit Builder -
Enter the name of your Alternative Unit and slide the slider to YES.
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Click Create.
How to Assign an Alternative Unit
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Go to
Suppliers > Products -
Use the search bar to locate and open the product you want to edit.
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In the product profile, scroll down to the Alternative Units section.
Then:
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Select Alternative Unit (e.g.
blue spoon) -
Enter the Equivalent Quantity in relation to the product's base unit
(e.g. 100 blue spoon = 5,000g, 200 Green Spoon = 5,000g)
Repeat this process to assign multiple alternative units to the same product as needed.
Click Save to apply each entry.
Example
A mustard product is purchased by weight, but kitchen staff use a blue spoon during service. If a blue spoon was equal to 2.5g, this would be set up as 400 Blue spoon = 1kg:
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Blue spoon = 0.025 kg -
In the recipe builder, enter 1 blue spoon as the quantity
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The system will automatically convert it to the correct weight for costing, nutrition, and inventory linkage
You could also add other units (e.g. red spoon, teaspoon) for additional flexibility across recipes.
💡 Best Practices
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Use clear, consistent naming conventions (e.g. “blue spoon”, “full ladle”) to avoid confusion across recipes.
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Assign as many alternative units as needed, especially if a product is used in different ways in different contexts.
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Regularly review and update alternative units when product pack sizes or formats change.
❓FAQs
Can I assign more than one alternative unit to a product?
Yes — you can assign multiple alternative units to any product.
Will alternative units affect my purchasing or inventory?
No — all purchasing and stock control continues to use the product’s original base unit. Alternative units only impact recipe inputs and reporting calculations.
Can I delete or edit an alternative unit later?
Yes — you can return to the product profile at any time to update or remove alternative units.
🆘 Need Help?
📧 Email Support: support@kitchencut.com
📝 Submit a Ticket: Submit a ticket