Calculate Pizza Costs
Understanding Pizza Costs
Homemade Ingredient Costs: A basic margherita pizza costs $2-3 (flour 50¢, yeast 10¢, sauce 50¢, mozzarella $1-1.50). Fancier pizzas with premium toppings run $4-6. Still significantly cheaper than delivery where a large pizza is $15-25 plus tip and delivery fee.
Fuel Costs: Gas is cheapest at 10-15¢ per pizza. Electric runs 4-6¢ per pizza. Wood pellets cost 18-22¢ per pizza. Wood-fired is most expensive at 50-70¢ per pizza. Over hundreds of pizzas, fuel type matters! Gas saves $400+ vs wood over 5 years.
Oven Investment Payback: A $300 oven pays for itself in 4-6 months if you make 3 pizzas/week. A $1,000 oven takes 12-18 months. Even expensive ovens become profitable within 2 years. Plus, homemade pizza is often better quality than delivery!
Hidden Savings: Beyond just ingredients, you save on delivery fees ($3-5), tips ($3-5), and often make healthier pizza with better ingredients. A $20 delivered pizza might cost just $5-6 homemade with superior quality. That's 70% savings every single time!