---
title: "Find & Replace: Ingredient Substitution"
description: This article will show you how to effectively substitute products in your recipes.
---

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# Find & Replace: Ingredient Substitution

## This article will show you how to effectively substitute products in your recipes.

The **Find & Replace** feature allows you to substitute one product for another across your system, without needing to manually update every recipe, sub-recipe, or related entity.

It is most commonly used when:

- **A product is no longer available**
- **A supplier changes pack size or format**
- **You are standardising products across sites**
- **You need to react quickly to pricing or availability changes**

This ensures **recipes, costing, and stock depletion remain accurate**, while significantly reducing manual effort.

---

### 🔔 What’s Changed

Find & Replace has been improved to make unit handling clearer, safer, and faster:

- **Automatic handling for compatible units** (e.g. g → g, ml → L)
- Removal of the **“conversion factor”** terminology
- Clear **guided relationships** when units differ
- Live **example impact previews** before applying changes
- Replacement scope controls moved into **Advanced Settings**

These changes reduce the risk of errors and make substitutions much easier to understand.

---

### How Unit Handling Works in Find & Replace

When replacing a product, Kitchen CUT evaluates the **unit relationship** between the original product and the replacement product.

There are now **three clear behaviours**, shown below with practical examples.

---

### Example 1: Like-for-Like Units (g → g)

#### **Scenario:** You are replacing one product measured in grams with another product also measured in grams.

#### **Behaviour:**

- The system recognises the units as compatible
- No input is required from the user
- The replacement can be completed immediately

**What you’ll see:**

- A confirmation message stating that no conversion is required
- No relationship fields to complete

![Screenshot 2026-01-21 at 14.18.39](https://support.kitchencut.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-01-21%20at%2014.18.39.png?width=670&height=325&name=Screenshot%202026-01-21%20at%2014.18.39.png)

---

### **Example 2: Same Metric, Different Scale (g → kg)**

#### **Scenario:** You are replacing a product measured in grams with a product measured in kilograms.

#### **Behaviour:**

- The system recognises this as the same measurement type (weight)
- A known database conversion is applied automatically
- No manual relationship is required

**What you’ll see:**

- Confirmation that the system will handle the conversion
- Clear indication of how quantities will be translated

![Screenshot 2026-01-21 at 14.52.03](https://support.kitchencut.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-01-21%20at%2014.52.03.png?width=670&height=326&name=Screenshot%202026-01-21%20at%2014.52.03.png)

This allows seamless substitution even when suppliers change unit scale.

---

### **Example 3: Different Unit Types (each → Ml)**

#### **Scenario:** You are replacing an “each” product (e.g. a bottle) with a volume-based product (ml).

#### **Behaviour:**

- The system cannot infer the relationship automatically
- You are prompted to define what **one unit of the original product equals in the new unit**

#### **Example:**

- 1 bottle = 700 ml

**What you’ll see:**

- Guided help explaining what value is required
- A live **Example Impact** panel showing how an existing recipe will change

![Screenshot 2026-01-21 at 15.01.14](https://support.kitchencut.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-01-21%20at%2015.01.14.png?width=670&height=384&name=Screenshot%202026-01-21%20at%2015.01.14.png)

This ensures substitutions remain accurate and transparent when units differ.

---

### Reviewing the Example Impact

Before confirming a replacement, the **Example Impact** section shows how one of your recipes will be affected.

This allows you to:

- Verify quantities look correct
- Catch errors before applying changes
- Understand the real operational impact

This step is strongly recommended for all non-like-for-like replacements.

---

### Controlling Where Replacements Apply

Replacement scope is managed via **Advanced Settings**.

From here, you can choose whether to apply the replacement to:

- Recipes and sub-recipes
- Menu items
- Market list templates
- Area stock take templates
- Specific outlets only

![Screenshot 2026-01-21 at 15.03.13](https://support.kitchencut.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-01-21%20at%2015.03.13.png?width=670&height=161&name=Screenshot%202026-01-21%20at%2015.03.13.png)

This gives you full control and prevents unintended system-wide changes.

---

### ⚠️ Confirm Replacement Warning

When you click **Replace**, Kitchen CUT will display a **confirmation warning** summarising the impact of the action before it is applied.

This step is designed to ensure you fully understand **what will be changed and where** before the replacement is committed.

![Screenshot 2026-01-21 at 14.19.11](https://support.kitchencut.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-01-21%20at%2014.19.11.png?width=670&height=686&name=Screenshot%202026-01-21%20at%2014.19.11.png)

### What this warning tells you

The confirmation screen will show:

- **Which product is being replaced**
- **How many recipes are affected**
- **Which outlet(s) are impacted**
- **An estimated time to complete the replacement**

This gives you a final opportunity to review the scope of the change before proceeding.

### Important behaviour to be aware of

The warning also highlights several critical points about how replacements work:

- **Changes are applied sequentially**  
  Replacements are processed one item at a time across the system.
- **The action cannot be reversed**  
  Once started, the replacement cannot be undone.
- **Interrupting the process can cause inconsistencies**  
  If the process is stopped part-way through, some recipes may reference the new product while others still reference the old one.
- **This may lead to costing discrepancies**  
  Partial replacements can affect recipe costs, stock tracking, and reporting accuracy.

For this reason, once you proceed, the process should be allowed to complete without interruption.

### When to proceed

You should only click **“I Understand – Proceed with Replacement”** when:

- You are confident the **unit relationship and conversion behaviour** are correct
- You have reviewed the **Example Impact** shown on screen
- You are happy with the **scope defined in Advanced Settings**
- You can allow the replacement process to complete fully

If you are unsure, select **Cancel** and review your setup before proceeding.

---

### 💡 Best Practices

- Always review the **Example Impact** before confirming
- Use **Advanced Settings** to limit where changes apply
- Avoid replacing in menu items unless sales depletion should change
- Consider delisting replaced products to prevent future use
- If unsure, test replacements on a single outlet first

---

### ❓ FAQs

**Why don’t I need to enter anything for some replacements?**  
Compatible units (e.g. g → g, kg → g) are now handled automatically.

**When do I need to define a relationship?**  
Only when units differ (e.g. each → ml, pack → kg).

**Can I preview the impact before applying?**  
Yes — the Example Impact section shows how a real recipe will change.

**Can I limit replacements to certain areas?**  
Yes, via **Advanced Settings**.

---

### 🆘 Need Help?

If you’re unsure how to define a unit relationship or want help reviewing a replacement:

📧 **Email:** support@kitchencut.com

📝 **Submit a support ticket** via your Kitchen CUT site

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