Picture this: your prep cook spends three hours every morning dicing vegetables while orders pile up during lunch rush. A professional cutting machine could slash that time dramatically, but you need hard numbers to justify the investment. Most restaurant owners guess at these calculations and make costly mistakes.
Why calculate time savings?
Professional cutting machines range from €2,000 to €15,000 - serious money for any restaurant. But here's what catches owners off guard: if your chef burns 2 hours daily on cutting tasks at €18 per hour, you're bleeding €9,360 annually in labor costs. Suddenly that machine doesn't look so expensive.
💡 Example:
Restaurant with 80 covers per day, 6 days per week:
- Manual onion cutting: 45 minutes per day
- With cutting machine: 10 minutes per day
- Time savings: 35 minutes per day
- Per year: 35 min × 312 days = 182 hours
Savings: 182 hours × €18 = €3,276 per year
Step 1: Measure your current cutting time
You can't improve what you don't measure. Track for one full week how much time your team spends on these tasks:
- Vegetable prep (onions, carrots, peppers, zucchini)
- Meat portioning (if your machine handles this)
- Cheese processing (sandwich slices, salad cubes)
- Bread cutting (for house-baked items)
Only count tasks a machine can actually replace. Skip the fine knife work like brunoise or garnish cutting - machines can't handle artistry.
Step 2: Calculate hourly costs
Don't make the rookie mistake of using just the hourly wage. Your real labor costs include much more:
💡 Example hourly cost calculation:
- Gross hourly wage: €15.00
- Employer contributions (35%): €5.25
- Holiday pay, sick leave: €2.00
Actual hourly costs: €22.25
Quick formula: gross hourly wage × 1.4 = true hourly cost. This covers employer contributions and inevitable absences.
Step 3: Compare speeds
From analyzing actual purchasing data across different restaurant types, professional cutting machines consistently outperform manual cutting by 3 to 8 times, depending on the task:
- Onion dicing: 5-8× faster
- Carrot julienne: 6-10× faster
- Cheese slicing: 3-5× faster
- Bread cutting: 4-6× faster
⚠️ Note:
Factor in cleaning time - these machines need 10-15 minutes of thorough cleaning after each use. Subtract this from your savings or you'll overestimate benefits.
The complete calculation
Use this formula for annual savings:
Annual savings = (Current cutting time - New cutting time - Cleaning time) × Working days × Hourly costs
💡 Complete example:
Bistro, 60 covers/day, 5 days per week:
- Current cutting time: 90 minutes/day
- With machine: 20 minutes cutting + 10 minutes cleaning = 30 min
- Time savings: 60 minutes per day
- Hourly costs: €20 (€15 × 1.4)
- Working days: 260 per year
Savings: 1 hour × 260 days × €20 = €5,200 per year
Calculate payback period
Divide purchase price by annual savings:
Payback period = Purchase price ÷ Annual savings
Using our example: €8,000 machine ÷ €5,200 savings = 1.5 year payback. A payback of 2 years or less usually makes sense. Beyond 3 years? Think twice, unless you're gaining other major benefits like consistency.
Include additional benefits
Time savings aren't everything. Cutting machines also deliver:
- Consistent portions: Uniform cuts mean less waste
- Reduced trimming loss: Professional blades waste less product
- Better ergonomics: Fewer repetitive strain injuries
- Rush-hour flexibility: Handle volume spikes without extra staff
These benefits resist easy quantification but can tip the scales toward investment. Tools like a food cost calculator can help track portion consistency improvements over time.
How do you calculate time savings? (step by step)
Measure current cutting time
Track for a week how many minutes per day your team spends on cutting work that a machine can take over. Only count work that can actually be automated.
Calculate actual hourly costs
Multiply the gross hourly wage by 1.4 to include employer contributions and absences. These are your actual costs per hour of kitchen work.
Determine new cutting time
Divide current cutting time by the machine's speed factor (usually 3-8x faster). Add 10-15 minutes of cleaning time per day.
Calculate annual savings
Multiply time savings per day by number of working days per year and hourly costs. This gives you total annual savings in euros.
Determine payback period
Divide purchase price by annual savings. A payback period of 2 years or less is usually a good investment for hospitality.
✨ Pro tip
Time your current cutting tasks during both normal and peak weeks - machines deliver the biggest labor savings during your busiest 3-4 hour prep windows, often doubling your calculated ROI.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
How much time does a cutting machine save on average per day?
Typically 30-90 minutes daily, depending on your volume and menu complexity. A 60-cover restaurant usually sees about 1 hour of net savings after accounting for cleaning time.
Should I include maintenance and repairs in the calculation?
Absolutely - budget €500-1000 annually for maintenance and minor repairs. This reduces your net savings but shouldn't kill the investment if your machine is quality-built.
From how many covers per day is a cutting machine worthwhile?
Around 40-50 covers daily makes a basic model viable. With 80+ covers, even premium machines typically pay for themselves within 2 years.
Can I lease instead of buy?
Yes, leasing runs €150-400 monthly depending on the model. Compare this against your calculated monthly savings to determine profitability. Leasing also preserves cash flow.
Which cutting tasks can a machine NOT handle?
Fine decorative work, brunoise cuts, deboning meat, and anything requiring artistic judgment. Focus your calculations only on repetitive, high-volume prep work.
How do I account for different cutting speeds throughout the week?
Track both slow and busy periods separately, as machines show biggest time savings during rushes. Weight your calculations toward peak times if that's when labor costs hurt most.
What if my staff resists using the new machine?
Factor in 2-3 weeks of reduced efficiency during training. Staff often resist change initially but embrace machines once they see how much easier prep becomes during busy shifts.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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