Frequently Asked Questions

Qolira is a free online platform that provides essential cooking tools including a recipe scaler, measurement converter, nutrition calculator, and multi-timer system. We help home cooks prepare recipes accurately, convert measurements between different systems, track nutritional information, and manage cooking times—all from one convenient website.

Yes! All Qolira tools are 100% free to use with no hidden fees, subscriptions, or premium tiers. We support the website through ethical advertising while keeping every feature accessible to everyone. You'll never need to pay to scale recipes, convert measurements, calculate nutrition, or use our timers.

No account required! You can use all Qolira tools immediately without signing up, creating passwords, or providing personal information. Just visit the website and start cooking. This approach protects your privacy and makes our tools instantly accessible.

Absolutely! Qolira is fully responsive and works perfectly on smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. The interface automatically adapts to your screen size, making it easy to use while cooking in the kitchen with your phone or tablet propped up nearby.

Basic calculator functions (recipe scaling, measurement conversion, timers) work offline after the initial page load. However, features that require database lookups, like detailed nutritional information for specific ingredients, need an internet connection. We recommend loading the page while connected, then you can use most features offline.

Our calculations are mathematically precise and based on scientifically verified conversion ratios. For nutritional data, we use USDA databases and standard food composition tables. However, exact values may vary based on specific ingredient brands, varieties, and preparation methods. Our tools provide reliable estimates suitable for home cooking and general dietary planning.

The recipe scaler uses mathematical ratios to adjust ingredient quantities. Enter your original serving size and desired serving size, then input your ingredients. The calculator multiplies each quantity by the scaling factor (desired ÷ original) to give you perfectly proportioned measurements. It maintains the same ingredient ratios to ensure your dish tastes exactly as intended.

Yes! You can scale recipes in any direction. Double a recipe for 4 to serve 8, halve a recipe for 6 to serve 3, or convert a recipe for 8 down to 1 serving. The scaler handles any multiplication or division factor, including fractions and decimals.

This is common with certain ingredients when scaling. For fractional eggs, you have options: round to the nearest whole number for small differences, use the exact amount of beaten egg (measure by weight: 1 large egg ≈ 50ml beaten), or slightly adjust your serving size to get whole number ingredients. For non-critical ingredients, rounding usually works fine.

Yes, but not proportionally. Larger quantities need more time, but not double the time for double the recipe. Use visual cues (golden brown, bubbling, etc.) and internal temperature checks rather than relying solely on time. For baked goods, check for doneness a bit earlier than the original recipe suggests when scaling down, and later when scaling up.

Most recipes scale well, but some require adjustments. Baking recipes (bread, cakes) are more sensitive to scaling than cooking recipes (soups, stews). Seasonings like salt and spices may need adjustment when scaling significantly. When scaling up more than 4x or down below 0.25x, test with a smaller batch first to ensure results.

Cups measure volume while grams measure weight. The conversion depends on ingredient density—1 cup of flour weighs differently than 1 cup of sugar. Our converter separates volume and weight units for this reason. For ingredient-specific conversions, refer to our conversion guide or use standardized values: 1 cup flour ≈ 120g, 1 cup sugar ≈ 200g, 1 cup water ≈ 240g.

Fluid ounces measure volume (like milliliters), while weight ounces measure mass (like grams). They're different measurement systems that happen to share a name. 8 fluid ounces of water weighs 8 weight ounces, but this 1:1 ratio only applies to water. Most ingredients have different fluid-to-weight ratios.

No! While both use cups and tablespoons, there are differences. US tablespoons are 15ml, while UK/Australian tablespoons are 20ml. US pints are 16 fluid ounces, but UK pints are 20 fluid ounces. When following international recipes, always check which measurement system is being used and convert accordingly.

For liquids: use clear measuring cups with spouts, place on flat surface, check at eye level. For dry ingredients: spoon into measuring cups and level with knife (don't scoop or pack unless specified). For best accuracy, use a digital kitchen scale to measure by weight—it's more precise and consistent than volume measurements.

Our nutritional data comes from USDA FoodData Central and is highly accurate for common ingredients. However, exact values vary based on ingredient brands, varieties, ripeness, and cooking methods. Use our calculator as a reliable estimate for general dietary planning, but consult nutrition labels for specific brands when precision is critical for medical or athletic dietary needs.

Currently, our nutrition calculator focuses on macronutrients (calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats) which are most relevant for daily meal planning. We're working on adding micronutrient tracking (vitamins, minerals, fiber) in future updates. For detailed micronutrient information, we recommend using USDA's FoodData Central database directly.

Yes! Cooking can reduce water-soluble vitamins, and frying adds fat calories. Our calculator shows raw ingredient values. When cooking, account for added oils/butter, and remember that some nutrients (like lycopene in tomatoes) actually increase with cooking. For most home cooking purposes, raw values provide a good nutritional estimate.

Use the closest similar ingredient as an approximation. For example, if we don't have "butternut squash," use generic "winter squash." For processed foods, check the nutrition label and manually enter those values. We're continuously expanding our ingredient database based on user requests, so let us know which ingredients you'd like added!

Yes! That's the main advantage of our timer system. You can run as many simultaneous timers as you need, each with its own name and duration. Perfect for complex recipes where you're cooking pasta, roasting vegetables, and simmering sauce all at different times.

Timers will stop if you close the browser or tab completely. However, if you minimize the browser or switch to another app while keeping the browser open, timers continue running. Keep the Qolira tab open while cooking, and you'll receive alerts when timers complete.

Yes! You'll hear an audio alert when a timer completes. If you grant browser notification permissions, you can also receive popup notifications even if the Qolira tab isn't currently visible. This way you won't miss alerts while working in other browser tabs or apps.

Absolutely! Each timer has pause/resume controls. If you need to step away from cooking or want to wait before starting the next step, simply pause the timer. When you're ready to continue, click resume and the timer picks up where it left off.

Qolira works on all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. We recommend using the latest version of your preferred browser for the best experience. Mobile browsers on iOS and Android are fully supported as well.

Try these troubleshooting steps: 1) Refresh the page, 2) Clear your browser cache, 3) Check that JavaScript is enabled, 4) Try a different browser, 5) Make sure you have a stable internet connection. If problems persist, contact us with details about your browser and device, and we'll help resolve the issue.

Currently, Qolira doesn't require accounts or store data, which protects your privacy but means calculations aren't automatically saved. We recommend taking screenshots of scaled recipes or copying results to your notes app. We're exploring recipe saving features for future updates that would be optional and privacy-focused.

We love feedback! Visit our contact page to report bugs or suggest features. When reporting issues, please include your browser type, device, and steps to reproduce the problem. Your input helps us improve Qolira for everyone!

Yes! We don't collect personal information, track your recipes, or require accounts. Calculations happen in your browser and aren't sent to our servers. We use minimal analytics to improve the site and display ethical advertising, but we never sell user data. See our Privacy Policy for complete details.