How Much You Are Overspending Buying Costco Pizza By The Slice

A visit to the Costco food court is your reward after stocking up for the month at "the warehouse," lugging around a cart full of necessary purchases, and (why not) the occasional kitchen gadget or flat-screen TV. One of the most enduring offerings there is the pizza — comfortingly familiar, sufficiently cheesy, and reasonably priced. And if things taste even better when you get a good deal on them, consider getting an entire pie instead of a slice the next time you crave pepperoni or cheese 'za alla Costco. While the amounts we'll mention here are what Costco pizza (as a slice or whole) generally costs, keep in mind that prices can vary according to the location.

You can also do a few things to get your Costco pizza with minimal effort. Most importantly, you must have a membership to make purchases in the court. Whole pizzas are freshly made and can take anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes to prepare, depending on how crowded it is. You don't want to wait for your pizza while getting hungrier because of all the delicious food smells around. Call up and place your order in advance, or do so at the counter or the self-service kiosk when you reach the store, finish your shopping while your pie gets made, and pick it up from the food court on your way out.

There are three kinds of Kirkland pizzas you can pick up at the Costco court — cheese, pepperoni, and a half-and-half of the two. All three cost $9.95 per pizza, and for the price, you get a healthy 18" pie that's generously topped and encircled by a fluffy, chewy crust. Costco pizza slices, available in cheese or pepperoni, aren't too shabby either at $1.99 and will cover most of the plate they're served on. That's because they're one-sixth of the aforementioned 18" pizza. The slice makes for a satisfying snack, but the pie does better if you're looking for a good deal.

Consider this — if you bought six slices (basically the equivalent of a whole pizza), you'd spend just under $12. Instead, you can get the entire pie for $9.95, with the bonus of having the half-and-half option for some added variety. Sure, if you're hungry for just a slice, there's no point getting an entire pie, but if you're buying multiple slices, getting a whole pizza may save you some money.

And let's face it, there's no such thing as too much pizza. Costco pies also make great leftovers; if you're motivated enough, consider reheating the pizza on a grill to take it to the next level. With the melty cheese and smoky, crunchy, fluffy crust, no one will believe it's a sub-$10 pie from Costco.

If you take home a Costco pizza, you'll notice that the slices are not the same as the ones served individually; the former are much smaller — precisely half the size of what you'll get if you buy a slice at the food court. That's because the pie, when purchased whole, is precut into 12 parts, while the separately sold slices divide the pie into sixths. According to several Costco outlets that were asked about it by Mashed, their whole pies are always divided into 12 servings, often using a metal device that acts like a stencil to get an even cut.

Despite being divided into 12 slices, Costco pizzas are large enough to keep each piece a healthy size. If you're serving them for a party, remember that people generally eat about three slices. A large pizza is usually divided into ten slices but is smaller than Costco pizzas, which are considered extra-large. Therefore, the size of the slice will be roughly the same in both cases.

In short, a Costco pie can serve three to four people comfortably. And, if you feel like turning the get-together glamorous, consider making it a wine and pizza party. Just as with pizza, it's easy to figure out how much vino you'll require once you know how many glasses of wine are in one bottle. It is better to have too much than to fall short.

Static Media owns and operates both the Foodie and Mashed brands.