Here's How Many Slices Are In A Medium Pizza

When you're not in the mood to cook dinner (or do dishes) and you want to get a pizza delivered, you'll want to make sure you order enough pie to go around. Is a medium pizza enough for a couple to split? Will one feed your family of four or should you order two? It all becomes clearer once you can estimate a slice-per-person ratio.

Medium pizzas, which are typically about 12 inches in diameter, are generally cut into eight slices. A good rule of thumb for estimating how much you'll need is to consider that adults will likely eat up to three slices per person, while kids typically only consume two (and they'll most likely leave the crust behind).

A medium pizza is definitely enough for just two people, with a piece or two left over per person for the next day, while one medium pizza isn't enough for a family of four (but it's just enough for a family of three, with two adults and one child). An underrated tip is that you actually get more pizza if you order two medium pies versus one large, but the latter is often the cheaper option in this age of sky-high pizza prices.

If you're like many Americans, you might be less loyal to particular pizza companies and more likely to order from whoever has the most deals and coupons. So if you have a coupon for two medium pizzas, but you're still hosting more people than 16 slices can feed, here's an idea: Request that the pizzas be delivered uncut (this will make the pizzas taste better anyway) and then cut them into squares. 

The size of the squares is up to you, and while the slices will generally be smaller, there will be more of them, giving the illusion of more food because everyone can have multiple pieces. Many of the top pizza chains allow you to request uncut pizzas (at Domino's it's an option on the menu, while at Pizza Hut there is a space in the online order form for special requests), and even a small local shop should be happy to accommodate when you call in your order.

Meanwhile, if you're too busy to eat when everyone else does and fear nary a crust will be saved for you (or you simply cannot live without cold leftovers), try a diabolical hack from TikTok. Make two vertical, parallel cuts all the way down the pizza's center. Remove the long strip of pizza — that's all yours. Then put the two halves back together and cut them into squares or triangles. No one will be the wiser about your secret stash!