In this post, we intend to spend time checking out how big is a 14″ pizza and how many does it feed?
We have become so used to a 14” pizza representing a ‘large’ that we don’t think beyond the toppings that we will have on it.
But really, what does it all mean? How many people could a 14” pizza feed, and is there any way we could end up feeding more people from the same pizza?
It’s quite surprising how we put so little thought into something such as this, but don’t worry, as we are about to go ahead and change things.
More people now look at buying a 14” pizza for several reasons.
First, it just doesn’t appear that big when you see pizza places selling 18” pizzas regularly. Also, our appetite is much bigger than it was a generation ago.
In the past, eating a 14” pizza on our own was unusual. That doesn’t apply now, where so many of us could eat a 14” pizza all on our own, and sometimes at one sitting.
So, a better understanding of what is involved in a 14” pizza becomes more important than you may have initially expected.
The Size
But first, let’s get one thing straight about the size. A 14” pizza will indeed measure those 14”, but only across the absolute middle of the pizza.
You see, when we talk about the size of a pizza, it refers to the diameter rather than anything else.
So, if you move slightly to the side of the widest part, you will start to get a different result.
But we should also mention another valid point.
The measurement is to the absolute edge of the pizza. That means you may find the toppings do not cover the full 14” but will stop short.
That’s a bit disappointing, but it may only make a slight difference.
Of course, you could try and ensure the pizza place you order from pushes the toppings right to the edge, so you don’t miss out.
But as we said earlier, there’s more to this idea of a 14” pizza than you would expect.
Is it Large or Medium?
Another important point is whether a 14” pizza is a large or a medium pizza. That will change depending on where you buy your pizza, but it will generally mean a large pizza.
In saying that, some pizza chains make sure their large pizza only starts at 16”, which will explain any potential problems or confusion, you may have.
How Many Slices?
Again there is no set rule regarding how many slices a 14” pizza should have.
Generally speaking, it should come out as 10 slices, but some places will reduce it to 8, and others will even push it up to 12.
That does make a difference when it comes to how many people it will feed. After all, it’s tough dividing up the slices between people if you have no idea in advance how many slices will appear.
But for this argument, let’s say the 14” pizza comes with the standard 10 slices. That makes it easier to work out how many people should expect to get a reasonable meal from this one pizza.
So, How Many Does it Feed?
Taking that number of 10 slices, you could easily argue that a 14” pizza can feed five people. However, that only applies if each person intends to consume only 2 slices each.
We see that as the maximum number of people, as an average, of course, but it comes with so many variations.
For example, if each person wanted 3 slices, you can only feed 3 people with a fight, then having to happen for the outstanding slice. In this instance, it would work out better if the pizza was in 12 slices just because it makes it easier to divide.
But overall, a 14” pizza can feed anywhere from one individual to 5 people, unless nobody is hungry and you give one slice to 10 people.
Making it Last Longer
But here is a bit of a trick you might want to use to make those 2 slices each more appealing. The key is in the toppings.
With the toppings, you may wish to add some extras rather than simply going for a plain old pepperoni.
By adding more toppings, so it’s piled up high, each slice comes across as far more filling.
Look at it this way.
If you had simply pepperoni, it may taste good but is it as filling as adding beef, ham, mushrooms, peppers, and double cheese?
At that point, you feel as if you get a full-on meal rather than indulging in just a slice of pizza.
Building up toppings, just makes each feel they get more for their money. If you feel concerned about the size of slices, this will make a significant difference.
Feeding Children with a 14” Pizza
But let’s look at something more specific: feeding children pizza because something quite interesting happens.
With a kid, they don’t see the size of the slice. Instead, if you open up a pizza box, they will tend to look at the number of slices, which is the important part.
They simply see more slices than they expected, and that is the thing that grabs them.
So let’s say you have a birthday party and kids are at it with everyone getting pizza.
Of course, a kid will want to eat as many slices as they think they can get away with, and that’s not always a good thing.
But this is what we then recommend.
Make sure the pizza is cut into as many slices as possible. It also means you can share the pizza between more kids and everyone will be happy. Your biggest concern is ensuring each slice appears the same size.
Let’s face it, no kid wants their slice of pizza to appear inferior to the size of slice their friend is getting at the same time. That’s a source of arguments in an instant, and nobody wants that to happen.
Dealing with Leftovers
But let’s say you decide that a 14” pizza is only for your consumption, and who could blame you? Perhaps you don’t want to eat it all in one day.
The good news is that pizza remains very easy to store and will stay fresh in the fridge for up to four days. However, that only applies if you do store things correctly in the first place.
The big mistake people make is throwing the pizza box in the fridge. They have seen this in countless movies and think it’s a great idea.
Well, that’s not the case.
The problem with the pizza box idea is that your pizza may very well be in cold temperatures, but it’s still not in perfect conditions to stop bacteria.
Instead, you need to give your pizza slices a bit of added protection.
That means you can either put each slice in an air-tight box, or you can go ahead and wrap it up in some foil.
Either option will work, but we feel the air-tight conditions work better.
You should also do this within two hours, but check the pizza has cooled somewhat before putting it in the fridge.
You cannot simply throw a piping hot pizza into the fridge. That’s a bad idea and increases the chances of something going wrong.
Overall Conclusion
So even though you probably expected the answer that a 14” pizza does indeed measure 14”, we hope we have included several other points that made it more interesting than you thought.
Perhaps the point regarding toppings is something that will have resonated with you? It certainly makes a difference in our opinion, and it is one thing we suggest everyone does with their pizza, no matter the size.
But just try to become aware of how many slices your particular pizza place produces from a 14” pizza.
That alone can influence the number of people it then feeds simply because nobody wants to stand at home cutting up pizza on their own.
Alternatively, you could simply order a 14” pizza for yourself and store what you don’t want in the fridge for a couple of days.
At least with that there is no need to fight for the last slice or have people complaining that they didn’t get enough pizza.
