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Buyer's guide

Best cup and char pepperoni brands

Not every pepperoni will cup. These are the brands pizzerias and home pizza makers turn to when they want real cups with real char.

Buffalo, NY

Battistoni Cup & Char

Battistoni is a Buffalo meat maker and one of the biggest names behind Buffalo-style pizza. Their Cup & Char stick is made specifically to cup and is on pies all over Western New York. If you want that true Buffalo look, start here.

Best for: Buffalo-style pizza, pizzerias

Columbus, OH

Ezzo

Ezzo is a cult favorite among pizza makers for small diameter, natural casing pepperoni that cups deep and chars dark. You will see it name-dropped on the menus of a lot of craft and Detroit-style pizza shops.

Best for: deep cups, heavy char, craft pizza

Grocery

Hormel Pepperoni Cup N' Crisp

Hormel built Cup N' Crisp specifically as a pepperoni that cups and crisps, and sells it at regular grocery stores. It is the easiest way to get cupping pepperoni at home without hunting down a specialty stick.

Best for: home cooks, easy to find

Vermont

Vermont Smoke & Cure

A natural casing stick pepperoni with a noticeable smoky flavor. It gives a good cup when sliced at the right thickness and is sold at many grocery and specialty stores.

Best for: smoky flavor, home pizza

Grocery

Margherita

A long-time pizza pepperoni brand. Home testers often rate it highly for flavor, and it cups well, especially when you buy it as a stick and slice it yourself.

Best for: flavor

Deli

Boar's Head

Available at most deli counters. Ask for it as a stick or sliced a little thicker, and it will give you a decent cup with a clean, classic taste.

Best for: convenience

How to pick a pepperoni that cups

  • Look for "natural casing" or "cup and char" on the label. The casing is what pulls the edge up.
  • Buy a stick, not pre-sliced. Pre-sliced pepperoni is usually cut too thin and often has the casing removed.
  • Go smaller. A narrow stick, around an inch to an inch and a half across, cups better than a wide one.
  • Slice it yourself. Around 1/8 inch thick is the sweet spot for most brands.

Heads up: Brands change their products and availability varies by region. If your store doesn't carry these, ask the deli counter for a natural casing pepperoni stick.

How to Cook ItWhy Pepperoni Cups

Rather let a pro make it?

Find pizzerias near you that serve cup and char on review.pizza.

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