Scientific precision for juicier meat. Equilibrium and Gradient methods supported.
Higher salt %, shorter time (hours).
Total weight needed
(Optional)
Tip:
Dissolve the salt and sugar in a small amount of boiling water first, then mix with cold water/ice to reach the total volume. Brine must be COLD before adding meat.Brining works via diffusion and osmosis. Salt ions move from the salty brine into the less-salty meat cells. Once inside, salt denatures protein strands, causing them to unwind and trap water molecules. This means less moisture is squeezed out during cooking.
Always weigh your salt! Different brands of Kosher salt have vastly different crystal sizes.
- 1 cup of Morton's = ~250g
- 1 cup of Diamond Crystal = ~135g
By using grams in this calculator, you ensure the salinity is correct regardless of salt brand.
Gradient (Traditional) uses a high-salt solution for a short time. It's faster but risks over-salting the outside. Equilibrium uses a specific salt % based on total weight (meat+water) and takes longer (days), but makes it impossible to over-salt.
For Equilibrium: 1.0% to 2.0% is standard (1.5% is a good sweet spot). For Gradient: 5% to 6% is typical for a 12-24hr soak.
Sugar helps balance the harshness of the salt and aids in browning (Maillard reaction) when cooking. It's optional but recommended for pork and poultry.
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