30%
Whole lobster yields 30%
You buy whole lobster by its whole weight, but you only plate 30% of it. That 70% loss is real cost the invoice never shows — here's the math.
Yield is the fraction of an ingredient that actually reaches the plate after you clean, peel, and trim it. What you pay is the AP (as-purchased) price; what it costs on the plate is the EP (edible-portion) price.
Shell, head, and water weight are the loss — shellfish yields are the lowest in the kitchen, so the cost per usable ounce runs high.
Say your invoice shows $14.00 per lb of whole lobster (an example AP price).
At 30% yield, your real cost is $46.67 per lb EP — because $14.00 ÷ 0.30 = $46.67.
AP price is illustrative; the EP figure is computed (AP ÷ yield). Use your real invoice price below.Sourced: CIA Standard Yield Tables, via the Plate Cost Calculator · what yield means · edible portion