---
title: "Servings scaling, US/Metric, cook mode and tick-off"
description: "The tools readers get on every card, how they behave, and how to turn them off."
url: https://scrumptiouswp.com/help/reader-features/
site: "ScrumptiousWP"
---

# Servings scaling, US/Metric, cook mode and tick-off

Every recipe card can give readers these tools. They run on one small script (about 5 KB) that loads only on pages with a recipe.

## Servings scaling

Above the ingredients:

- **−** / **+** change the number of servings one at a time (from the servings you entered).
- **1×**, **2×**, **3×** multiply the whole recipe.

Amounts update instantly:

- Rounded to kitchen fractions — ½, ⅓, ⅔, ¼, ¾, ⅛ — instead of decimals like 1.04.
- Thirds stay thirds (⅓ cup doubled is ⅔ cup).
- Countable things are rounded sensibly (you won’t be told to use 2.25 eggs; small amounts show as fractions).
- Unit words switch between singular and plural (*1 cup* → *2 cups*).
- Ranges scale at both ends (*1–2 tbsp* → *2–4 tbsp*).
- The servings number in the times row updates too.

The **−** / **+** buttons only appear when the recipe has a servings number. Ingredients with no amount (*salt to taste*) don’t change.

Turn off: **Recipes → Settings → Reader features → Servings scaling**.

## US / Metric

**US** and **Metric** buttons convert amounts that have a recognised unit:

| From | To |
| --- | --- |
| cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, fluid ounces, pints, quarts, gallons | millilitres / litres |
| ounces, pounds | grams / kilograms |
| millilitres / litres | teaspoons, tablespoons, cups or quarts, whichever reads best |
| grams / kilograms | ounces or pounds |

Things without a convertible unit (eggs, cloves, pinch, can) stay as written. The buttons only appear when a recipe has convertible units, and the recipe’s own system is selected to start with.

**Note:** Cups convert to millilitres (volume), not grams. Flour weighs differently from sugar, so volume-to-weight would need a per-ingredient table.

Turn off: **Recipes → Settings → Reader features → US / Metric conversion**.

## Cook mode

The **Cook mode** button keeps the phone or tablet screen from going to sleep while cooking and makes the text slightly larger. Tap again to turn it off. The browser turns it off when the reader switches to another tab or app; tap it again when you come back.

It uses the browser’s Screen Wake Lock feature, available in current Chrome, Edge, Safari (iOS 16.4+) and Firefox. On browsers without it, the button doesn’t appear.

Turn off: **Recipes → Settings → Reader features → Cook mode**.

## Tick off ingredients and steps

Readers can tap any ingredient or step to mark it done (it fades and is struck through). Tap again to undo. Links inside a step still work normally. This is always on.

## Star ratings

See [Star ratings](https://scrumptiouswp.com/help/ratings/).

## Performance

With all features off, cards load no JavaScript at all. With any feature on, one deferred script (about 5 KB compressed) loads on recipe pages only. Styles are added inline on recipe pages only.

## Related

- [Star ratings](https://scrumptiouswp.com/help/ratings/)
- [Ingredients](https://scrumptiouswp.com/help/ingredients/)
- [Settings](https://scrumptiouswp.com/help/settings/)