yes, we grade our own pizza
EVERY PIE GETS JUDGED
Seven specific criteria, out of ten points each.
It's how we train our cooks, develop the “eye” of our cashiers, and how we make sure every guest loves their pizza every time. This is the reason a plain cheese pie from Andy's beat 90 competitors to win the World Pizza Championship.
What Perfect Looks Like
Perfect circle. Even thickness. Fills an 18" box edge to edge.
Criterion 01 of 07 · 8/10
SHAPE & ROUNDNESS
18 inches means 18 inches — and it fills the box.
Perfectly round, just as it should be. 18 inches means 18 inches and it should fill the box (within ½"). Every cook learns to stretch by hand — never a rolling pin. The cornicione (rim) should be mostly uniform, and this is where we typically see the most error.
What to Look Out For at Any Pizzeria
At many pizzerias, the maker has trouble getting the dough off the peel — it sticks, and stretches into more of a “football” shape. If the cornicione looks flat and listless, it often means they pressed all the air out during shaping.
What Perfect Looks Like
Golden crust. Even browning across the surface. Light char on the rim. Cheese cooked in sync with the crust.
Criterion 02 of 07 · 9/10
COLORING
Even browning, light char — every bite a little different.
Nice and even, with light charring that gives each bite a little nuance. Whether or not char belongs on the pizza is personal preference, but we find it greatly enhances the eating experience — each bite provides a different experience, which keeps it interesting. The cheese is not burnt nor dry, and cooked evenly with the crust.
What to Look Out For at Any Pizzeria
Impingement ovens — the high air flow conveyors used by the big chains — create an intense drying effect on the cheese and leave brown blisters all over it. Great color comes from long fermentation and high oven heat, not shortcuts.
What Perfect Looks Like
Edge-to-edge coverage. Orange-ish hue from perfect sauce:cheese ratio. No pooling or bare patches.
Criterion 03 of 07 · 7/10
DISTRIBUTION & MELT
Edge to edge, with the orange-ish hue of a perfect ratio.
Dough should be evenly stretched edge to edge. The cheese and sauce ratio should be even across the entire pizza — all the way to the rim. You’ll see an orange-ish hue when you hit the perfect ratio and perfect amount of melt. We use freshly shredded whole milk mozzarella with no anti-caking agent of any kind anywhere near it. It melts differently — more even, better coverage, superior stretch.
What to Look Out For at Any Pizzeria
A lot of pizzerias use way too much of a low-quality cheese to seem like a higher value. It easily hides faults in the stretch or saucing in some kind of chewy homogenized cheese blanket. You’ll also see places where the cheese didn’t melt entirely — the dough could be too thick, or there could be a pool of sauce underneath.
What Perfect Looks Like
Even stone marks. Crisp to the touch. No raw spots. No flour or cornmeal crutch.
Criterion 04 of 07 · 9/10
UNDERCARRIAGE
Stone contact. No screens. No cornmeal crutch.
This is where the magic of a true pizza oven happens. Stones are the best medium for cooking pizza — direct contact with a heat-saturated stone provides an intense heat transfer that cooks a crispy, well-colored, umami-filled crust. Some parts golden, some nearly charred, some a nice transition. Each bite yields a different taste profile. No noticeable flour, cornmeal, or semolina on the bottom.
What to Look Out For at Any Pizzeria
If it looks like it’s been on a screen, it’s been on a screen. That means it wasn’t directly on a stone, won’t be crispy, and won’t have the same depth of flavor. Some places even coat the bottom in flour or cornmeal — a crutch for a pizzamaker who has trouble moving raw dough into the oven.
What Perfect Looks Like
Wide-open crumb. Big, irregular air bubbles. Evidence of high hydration and long fermentation.
Criterion 05 of 07 · 8.5/10
CRUMB STRUCTURE
Wide open, with big, irregular air bubbles.
Here you can see the dough formula and how it was treated in handling. A wide-open crumb with big, irregular air bubbles is the goal. It means the dough had high hydration (making it more difficult to work with), the fermentation was correct, and they handled the dough delicately enough to preserve the structure.
What to Look Out For at Any Pizzeria
A tight, uniform crumb with tiny holes means low hydration, short fermentation, or rough handling — the dough was treated like it didn’t matter. Cold-fermenting for 72 hours requires patience, and that patience shows in every cross-section.
What Perfect Looks Like
Pronounced micro-blisters across the crust rim. Crispy, shattering texture on the bite.
Criterion 06 of 07 · 10/10
BLISTERING
Micro-blisters that shatter when you bite.
This is where you see how long the dough was fermented. Tiny little micro-blisters on the outside of the crust are a product of yeast development and high oven heat. At Andy’s, we set out on a multi-month journey to figure out exactly how to handle our dough to get the most pronounced micro-blistering we can. When it happens, that “shattering” texture of biting into lots of crispy bubbles is very satisfying.
What to Look Out For at Any Pizzeria
If you see no evidence of micro-blistering at any pizzeria, that dough is brand new. The yeast hasn’t had a chance to break down any of the flour, and it will taste like raw flour and sit in your stomach like raw flour.
What Perfect Looks Like
Holds by the cornicione. Slight droop acceptable. Bends without breaking.
Criterion 07 of 07 · 10/10
THE HOLD & THE FOLD
Holds itself up. Folds without cracking.
Two tests in one. First — does it hold? Pick it up by the cornicione and it should support itself. A slight droop at the end is acceptable, but it shouldn’t be so drastic that toppings slide off. Second — does it bend or break? While very crispy, the crust should bend to the classic NY fold without cracking.
What to Look Out For at Any Pizzeria
If the crust is cracking, it sat on the stones too long. We call it “the Captain Crunch effect” — that tears up the roof of your mouth. If you don’t know what we’re talking about, go eat a bowl of Captain Crunch and get back to us.