Price a box that pays for the hours in it.
CostReady costs a batch of chocolates down to the piece, including the tempering, the moulds and the shelf life you lose, then holds that price honest when cocoa moves.
The problem
Chocolate is priced by the piece and made by the batch, and almost nothing about the batch scales with the box. Tempering takes the same time for 40 pieces as for 400. A mould costs what it costs. Couverture moves with the cocoa market and the shells you rejected still cost you. Price on ingredient weight alone and the hours disappear, which is why so many chocolatiers earn less per hour than the people they sell to.
How you sell, per piece or per box
You sell per piece and per box, so that is how CostReady costs. Enter the couverture and fillings for a whole batch, how many pieces it yields, and the tempering and mould time that does not change with the count. You get a cost per piece with the batch beside it, and a box is priced by the pieces in it plus the box itself.
From a batch to a piece
Cost the batch
Couverture, fillings and flavourings for the batch as you actually make it, including the chocolate lost in tempering.
Add what a batch costs to run
Tempering, mould preparation, machine time and the cleardown. The same whether 40 pieces come out or 400.
Divide by good pieces
Not mould cavities. Rejected shells reduce the yield without reducing a penny of the cost.
Batch size moves your cost more than cocoa does
Where the hours hide
- Tempering: the same time for a small run as a large one, and rarely costed at all.
- Rejects: shells you paid to make and cannot sell.
- Working losses: couverture left on the bowl, the scraper and the marble.
- Packing: boxes, inserts, ribbon, and the time to fill them by hand.
| Same recipe, different run | Cost per piece |
|---|---|
| 24 pieces | £1.51 |
| 48 pieces | £1.05 |
| 96 pieces | £0.82 |
| Ingredients per piece, unchanged | £0.38 |
Calculators for chocolatiers
Free, no signup. Pick what you sell for tailored guidance and a FAQ for that product.
Guides for chocolatiers
Cornerstone chocolatier guide. From a batch of couverture to a price per piece and per box that pays for the tempering.
Chocolate Cost Per Piece: Batch Size and Yield (UK)Why batch size and reject rate move the cost per piece more than couverture does.
Chocolate Wholesale and Trade Pricing (UK)Setting a trade price for delis and hampers that still clears the batch costs.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do I price a chocolate?
Cost a whole batch of couverture and fillings, add the tempering, moulds and setup that cost the same however many pieces come out, add your finishing time per piece, then divide by the good pieces the batch yields and apply your margin.
Why does batch size matter so much?
Because tempering takes roughly the same time for 40 pieces as for 400. The same recipe costs £1.51 a piece on a 24 run and 82p on a 96 run, without a single ingredient changing.
How do I handle rejected shells?
Set the yield to the pieces you will actually sell. A 48-cavity mould does not give 48 sellable chocolates, and the tempering does not get cheaper because some were rejected.
How should a box be priced?
The pieces in it at their own per-piece price, plus the box, insert and ribbon, plus the time to pack it. Averaging across a range makes your expensive pieces subsidise the cheap ones.
What margin should I aim for?
Seventy percent or more direct is common, and 45 to 55 on trade. Chocolate is labour-heavy relative to its ingredients, so a margin set on cocoa cost alone will not pay for the hours.