America’s love affair with pizza dates back to the early 1900s, and it shows no signs of slowing down. But for all its popularity, there are a number of questions that persist about this heavenly meld of ingredients. How many calories in a slice of pizza? How many slices in a large pizza—or what about a small- or medium-sized pizza? How long does pizza last in the fridge? How long can pizza sit outside without refrigeration? And just what is pan pizza, anyway? We’re here to provide you with the answers to these questions—and a whole lot more.
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Typically, a slice of pizza will keep for three to five days in the refrigerator if it’s properly sealed. If you leave it uncovered, it will still be safe enough to eat, but it might have dried out too much to be appetizing.
Want your slices to last even longer? Try wrapping them in plastic wrap, then securing them in a sealed container before popping the whole thing in the freezer. They can be reheated and enjoyed for up to six months. Just be sure to thaw the pizza to room temperature before reheating it, or the crust will get soggy. For best results, the slices should be reheated on a quality customized pan or pizza stone.
Many of us are guilty of eating pizza that’s been left out on the counter overnight, but is this really a good idea? According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), perishable foods, including pizza, are unsafe to eat if they’ve been left out for longer than two hours. If they’re left out any longer than that, the risk of food-borne illnesses increases dramatically. As always, it’s better to be safe than sorry—and the pizza will taste better when it’s fresh, anyway.
Even when leftover pizza has been properly stored, it tends to lose its integrity when it’s reheated the next day. That’s because the hot oven dries out the toppings and hardens the crust. Fortunately, we’ve discovered how to reheat pizza in the oven so that it tastes nearly as good as it did the first time around.
To start, place the slices on a baking sheet and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Put the baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven, then set the oven temperature to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s important to start with a cold oven, as this will allow the moisture in the crust to redistribute properly. After 25 minutes, the slices should be crisp on the bottom, gooey on the top, and piping hot throughout—everything we’ve come to expect from a freshly baked pizza.
The answer to this one will vary, as it depends on the size, the thickness of the crust, and the variety of toppings applied. A thin-crust slice of cheese pizza, for example, can clock in at just 155 calories, while a wedge from a large deep-dish loaded meat pizza might have over 700.
While several factors contribute to this broad spectrum, thick crust is the greatest offender when it comes to the basic calorie count. Since pizza crust qualifies as a simple carbohydrate (meaning it doesn’t contribute a great deal of nutritional value), it’s best for health-conscious diners to start with a thin-crust selection and load it up with tons of fresh veggies.
Before you can determine the calorie count, it helps to know how many slices in a medium pizza that you have to work with. Most medium pizzas consist of eight slices, although this number can vary from place to place. A typical medium pie measures 12 inches in diameter. We’ve found that a high-quality pizza cutter is essential for turning out uniform slices with no ragged edges.
The majority of pizzas that are billed as “large” measure 14 to 16 inches in diameter, and are sliced into either eight or ten pieces. When baking a large pizza in a pizza oven, it’s important to rotate frequently to allow for even cooking. For this task, a pizza peel—a wide, wooden spade-shaped tool—will help you turn the pizza without tearing the crust in the process.
Pan pizza rose to national prominence when a popular restaurant chain, Pizza Hut, began listing the option on its menu in the 1960s. The crust is shaped into a deep-dish pan that’s been coated with oil, then topped and baked as usual. This causes the underside of the crust to become extra-crispy as it’s “fried” in the hot oil. While a pan pizza can be made with either thick or thin crust, it’s usually on the thicker side because the deep pan encourages a multitude of toppings.
To prepare restaurant-quality pizza at home, the following equipment is needed. Note that this list is comprised only of the essentials—when it comes to amassing the tools to prepare pizza, the sky is the limit.
We hope this guide has answered all of your pertinent questions regarding these little slices of heaven. Bon appetit!
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