Concentrate and Dilution Calculator: Ratios, Strengths, Reductions and Blends

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Opens on Chapter 15’s example: Soraya’s cold-brew concentrate, 1 to 3, for 8 cups.

1. Mix by ratio

Concentrate parts

Water parts

Total wanted (cups)

Wording

2. Dilute to a strength

Amount (g)

Strength now

Target

3. Reduce

Start (cups)

End (cups)

4. Blend two

Amount 1 (g)

Strength 1

Amount 2 (g)

Strength 2

Too salty?

Soup (cups)

Make it weaker by

Enter your numbers, then press Work it out.

How it works

With “1 to 3”, the parts add to 4, so the concentrate is 1/4 of the total, 25%. To dilute, the strong ingredient stays the same: new total = strong ÷ target strength, and you add the difference (halving a strength doubles the total). Reducing removes water and keeps the flavor, so the strength rises by start ÷ end. Blending two strengths gives the weighted average. To make soup a fifth weaker, the total must grow to 4 ÷ (1 − 1/5) = 5 cups: add 1 cup of unsalted stock.

From the book, Chapter 15. 1 to 3 for 8 cups is 2 cups of concentrate and 6 of water, 25% strong; “1 in 3” is 33.3% (2 2/3 cups). A 3% brine of 1,000 g blended with 500 g of water is 2%; to reach 1.5% add 1,000 g. Reducing 2 cups to 1 1/3 cups is × 1 1/2. 4 cups of soup made a fifth weaker takes 1 more cup. Simple syrup 1 : 1 by volume is 45.9% sugar by weight. Every chapter and its calculator →

Amounts can be typed as 3, 0.75, 3/4, 1 1/2 or 1½. They’re worked as exact fractions and written as a cook measures them: cups in quarters or thirds, then tablespoons, then teaspoons to the nearest eighth. Everything stays in your browser: no sign-up, nothing stored or sent.