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Free portion calculator for parties. Pick a service style—cocktail bites, buffet, carved protein, desserts, or brunch—then adjust per-guest yields to see shopping-level totals. Pair with our wine for a party and recipe scaling tools.
Last updated: April 19, 2026
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Total bite-sized pieces to plan
400 pieces
Totals hors d'oeuvre-style pieces for receptions where guests graze over time.
Uses portion equivalents to help you size pans when guests choose different combinations.
Converts per-guest cooked ounces into total weight; raw purchasing still needs shrinkage and trim.
Plans mini pastries, slices, or cups for dessert tables and sweet stations.
Combines egg dishes and sides into a single planning number for buffet-style brunch.
Defaults follow common home-catering shortcuts—tune them for longer parties or lighter menus.
40 guests, finger-food style at 10 bites per guest → plan about 400 pieces.
We multiply your expected guests by a per-guest number that matches the event style: whole bite-sized pieces for cocktail receptions, decimal portion equivalents for mixed buffets, ounces for carved proteins, and dessert or brunch servings for those formats. Carved meat also shows an approximate cooked pound total for shopping conversations—always buy extra raw weight for shrinkage and carving loss.
Scaling recipes? Use the recipe scaling calculator once you know how many trays or batches you need.
You would plan roughly 400 pieces of passable bites before adding your buffer for late RSVPs or staff tasting.
Share it with hosts planning menus
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