What pizza sizes do you want? It is hard to decide on the answer whenever you order a pizza. Though pizza is a delicious and popular comfort food that everyone loves, not many people know about all the pizza sizes available and their caloric content.
In this post, I will walk you through the world of pizza with different sizes and varieties to help you pick the most suitable one for your needs. So, which pizza sizes should you order for a party? Let’s dwell right into the answer.
The Basis Of Pizza Sizes
Most pizza stores will divide their pizza products into categories like personal, small, medium, large, and extra-large. However, they are not the universal standards, and the pizza sizes can vary in different locations and recipes.
Besides the total dimension, a pizza size involves factors like the diameter, the number of slices, and the area per slice. Each brand and pizza store will set its own pizza dimensions, but the range won’t fluctuate in huge numbers.
The following sections are a breakdown of some popular pizza size categories and their estimated dimensions. Before dwelling on the details, let’s have an overview of the numbers and sizes for each category.
Personal Pizza
Personal pizza is the smallest pizza size with a typical dimension of 7 inches and a total area of 38,5 square inches. A personal pizza usually comes in four slices with an area of 9.6 square inches per slice.
As its name suggests, a personal pizza is only ideal for one person to eat. However, it may not be enough if you have a bigger appetite.
Small Pizza
Small pizza typically yields around 6 slices with a diameter between 8 and 10 inches, making up to around 78.5 square inches in total. Meanwhile, each pizza slice of a small pizza has 13.1 square inches in its area.
A small pizza is made for one person with a big appetite, 3 children, or 2 adults to share. It is nearly two times larger than a personal pizza, but the average price of small pizza is still lower than two personal pizzas combined.
Medium Pizza
A medium pizza commonly has a 12-inch diameter with an area of 113 square inches. It features 8 slices with around 14,1 square inches for each slice. One medium-size pizza is roughly three personal pizzas combined.
Since 12 inches are a popular standard for cooking skillets, medium pizza is a great choice if you want to make your homemade pizza. A medium-sized pizza can fill the stomachs of 3 adults or 4 small children.
Large Pizza
Large pizza is a common order for small groups with a diameter of 14 inches and a total dimension of 153.9 square inches. It yields around 10 slices with 15,3 square inches per side.
A large pizza is ideal for a group of 5 to 6 children or 4 adults to share. With 10 slices, it is an ideal option to order if you want to order pizza for a group with an even number of people. This ensures everyone will get an equal number of slices.
Extra-Large Pizza
The extra-large pizza is normally the largest pizza size you can order from stores. It is nearly five times as large as a personal pizza and 25% larger than a large pizza. An extra-large pizza typically comes with a 16-inch diameter and a dimension of 201.1 square inches.
An extra-large pizza is a great choice if you want to get as much pizza as possible for the money. It can satisfy around 6 to 7 children or 4 to 5 adults.
How big is an extra-large pizza? Let this eating challenge tell you!
The Importance Of Pizza Sizes
The pizza size standards make it more convenient for customers and pizza stores to decide on the serving portions.
For example, customers can choose a small-sized pizza when ordering for an individual or two people. It helps you get the perfect portion to fill your stomach without wasting food or paying unnecessary money.
Meanwhile, you can get extra-large pizzas for a group or a party to get the highest value for money. In addition, the pizza sizes also come at various price points, allowing customers to choose a suitable serving for their budgets.
How To Measure And Calculate Pizza Sizes
Since pizzas come in circular shapes, you can use the formula for calculating a circle dimension to figure out the pizza size. If you have an uncut pizza size and want to measure its dimension, follow the steps below.
First, use a ruler or any measuring tool you have to get the pizza’s diameter. Then, divide the diameter by two, multiply the number by itself, and multiply it again with Pi to get the total dimension. (1)
For example, one-half of the personal pizza’s diameter is 3,5 inches. You can multiply the number by itself and Pi (3,14) to get the dimension of 38,5 square inches.
Here is a quick comparison of Domino’s two popular pizza sizes.
How To Choose Your Pizza Sizes
When choosing a pizza size, there are various factors to consider, such as the number of diners, your appetite, preferences, and more. In the sections below, I will introduce a few tips to help you decide on a pizza size easier.
Consider Everyone’s Appetite
Everyone’s appetition is not the same, especially for a delicious treat like pizza. Some people can eat one large pizza without feeling full, while others are pleased with a personal pizza.
You can calculate how many pizzas to order using the number of pizza slices. For example, around 3 slices of a medium-sized pizza are ideal for one adult, while the number for a child is 2 slices.
Then, you can count the total number of adults and children and multiply it by the mentioned ratios. For example, if you want to order medium pizzas with 8 slices for 5 adults (15 slices), divide 15 by 8 to get the number of pizzas you need (around 2).
In addition, you should ask your guests how much pizza they want to decide on a size. If the guests feel hungry, you can add a few more slices to accommodate their needs.
What Is The Occasion?
The time and occasion the meal takes place play a part in diners’ appetites. One large pizza should be sufficient for a simple lunch with a small group of three or four people. However, it cannot accommodate special occasions like sporting events or movie nights.
Meanwhile, medium pizzas are great options to accommodate children’s parties, which should be divided into 10 slices with one or two extra slices for parents. For events that last longer and require more energy from the participants, you should order a few more pizzas.
The Pizza Toppings Count
There are various pizza toppings like mushrooms, sausage, vegetables, ketchup, and cheese. The toppings will directly decide the pizzas’ flavors, so you should ask for everyone’s preferences before making the order.
Ask for the types of pizza the guests want, such as cheese, veggies, meat, BBQ chicken, or buffalo. Don’t forget the extra toppings and small adjustments like a gluten-free crust or vegan ingredients.
You just need one or two toppings when ordering a small pizza (10 to 12 inches) to avoid overloading its top. Meanwhile, you can choose larger pizza sizes (16 inches) if you prefer more topping options, but it also comes at higher costs.
Take a look at the beauty of these pizza toppings and varieties!
How To Order Pizza For A Large Group
Ordering the ideal pizza sizes is a bit more challenging for occasions like family gatherings or friends unions with more than ten people. The tips below will help you do this task easier and please everyone.
The first rule is to always order pizza in the largest sizes if you want the highest portion for the least money spent. Many studies and calculations indicate that ordering a larger pizza gives you a higher value for money than a smaller one. (2)
For example, the total dimension of a 16-inch pizza is 2,5 times larger than a 10-inch pizza. However, you have to pay 70% more when ordering many 10-inch pizzas to match the proportion of the larger 16-inch pizza.
In addition, pizza is a popular comfort food because it can retain the flavor for a long time, and you can store the leftover pizzas for later. Therefore, don’t hesitate to order one or two more pizzas than needed.
The Benefits Of Making Your Homemade Pizza
Despite the awesome flavors of store-bought pizzas, tasting your own homemade pizza is such a fun experience that you should try.
The first reason why homemade pizza is beneficial lies in cost efficiency. Purchasing the ingredients to make pizzas at home is much cheaper compared to purchasing pizzas from stores.
In addition, you can freely customize the types and proportions of toppings and crusts to accommodate your taste best. Also, some stores don’t provide gluten-free or vegan pizzas, and you can prepare them easily at home.
FAQs
There are interesting facts about pizzas you may not know. Check out the short questions and answers below to discover more!
A True Pizza Lover Should Know All The Pizza Sizes
I hope you will no longer get confused the next time the server asks for your desired pizza sizes. In summary, pizza sizes are divided into five main categories, ranging from personal to extra-large, with increased price, portion, and nutrient content.
If you find the numbers hard to memorize, just remember that the personal pizza is ideal for one individual. You can increase the size to small, medium, and accordingly for one or more people you have.
If you find this post informative, don’t hesitate to share it and leave me a big thumbs up. I will answer all your questions in the comment section if you want to share your ideas. Thank you for reading, and have a nice day!
References
- En.wikipedia.org. 2023. Circle.
- Vnews.com. 2011. Study: More Value In A Large Pizza
