The Real Reason Costco’s Pizza Is So Delicious

There’s nothing better than grabbing a $1.99 slice of pizza at Costco after stocking up on bulk items. After all, pushing around that giant cart while scouting the massive store for deals is hard work. By the end of your journey, the perfectly browned cheese and crispy crust on every mouthwatering slice is a well-earned treat. And it very well should be—Costco works hard to make sure their pizza is practically perfect every time, and it’s all thanks to a secret pizza robot.

This magical machine evenly distributes their delicious sauce on the pizza dough, putting all of your at-home pizza experiments to shame. The gourmet gadget is actually pretty mesmerizing to watch in action. So much so, it’ll make you crave a slice (or two) in seconds.

Thanks to the handy robot, Costco has streamlined their pizza process to make it as efficient (and irresistibly delicious) as possible. “We never shortcut the ingredients. Everything is measured to a standard. Every Costco pizza you get should have the same amount of sauce, cheese, and toppings,” says Kaiwen Zhao, Costco employee since 2013.

First, they make sure to give the pizza dough time to rise before they press it into pies. Next, it goes to the pizza robot for an even layer of sauce. After toppings are added they put it in the oven, which evenly heats the pizza from all angles (in only six minutes!). And, to ensure that it’s always fresh, any pizza that isn’t sold within an hour gets replaced with one straight out of the oven, says Zhao.

If these foodie facts got you hungry, just wait till you find out the secret recipe behind Costco’s chicken bakes. What’s more, check out the 12 Costco foods only available in regional food courts.