We set out to find the best frozen pizzas, any way you slice it. (Jessica Dodell-Feder/Yahoo)
Even if you're a snobby slice connoisseur, odds are good that you have a pizza sitting in your freezer: Sales of frozen pies, especially premium versions, have jumped this year, a possible response to the uncertain economy. But even in more stable times, the frozen pizza industry pulls a lot of dough. In 2024, it generated $6.5 billion! Of course, not all pies are created equal, so we conducted a taste test to find the best frozen pizzas in the grocery store. First, we narrowed the options to 16 cheese and pepperoni pies based on editor suggestions, shopper reviews and availability. The brands ranged from classic, like DiGiorno's and Ellio's, to high-end, like Roberta's and Motor City Pizza Co.
Then we gathered a group of nearly 20 Yahoo staffers that included many opinionated pizza fans and one pizza tour guide (yes, that's a thing, and because our office is in New York City, I didn't expect anything less!). We labeled the plates with only a letter to prevent brand loyalty from coming into play and asked participants to weigh in on the quality of the crust, cheese, sauce and pepperoni (when applicable).
I have to be honest with you: The results of our pizza-palooza surprised us. Did your favorite brand reign supreme? Here are the winners, plus some fun buys for making and serving your pies.
Ditch the delivery — making pizza at home is a snap when you have one of these nifty pans! Not only can you use it for prepping pies at home, it's also ideal for making pressed sandwiches, tortillas, crepes, omelets, quesadillas ... the limit does not exist. Plus, the nonstick interior is a breeze to clean.
These KitchenAid shears are a No. 1 Amazon bestseller and include an ergonomic, rubberized grip and protective sheath for storage. You can toss them in the dishwasher when you're done snipping and slicing.
"I've had a pair of these for years and reach for them for both kitchen use as well as other general scissor needs. They are comfortable, stainless, sharp and cut most everything exceptionally well," raved a sharp shopper.
This Red Baron pie costs just $4, but it represents the upper crust of frozen pizzas as far as our testers are concerned. It tastes just like how you imagine frozen pizza should, but in the best possible way. As one tester put it, "Solid — this is cafeteria pizza! Reliable, no frills."
Though it didn't outrank any of the other frozen pizzas we tested for cheese, crust or overall enjoyment, it had the highest score overall. While some pizzas soared in certain categories and nosedived in others, the Red Baron pie earned strong ratings across the board.
Despite not seeing the box, most of our panel easily identified that this pizza is topped with a multi-cheese blend, which they enjoyed. "Rich!" remarked one tester. Another said it was "really flavorful." Some wished there was more cheese.
The crust also won out, thanks to its crispy texture. "Crunchy and then soft. Enjoyed it," noted one fan, who also praised the flavorful sauce.
This wood-fired pie is the closest you'll get to high-end, restaurant-quality pizza in the freezer aisle. It's no surprise: Since opening in Brooklyn in 2008, Roberta's has become one of New York City's most beloved and prolific pizzerias.
Unlike most frozen pizzas, Roberta's is sold in a clear plastic sleeve, all the better to see the slightly charred sourdough crust and rounds of fresh mozzarella sitting atop bright-red tomato sauce.
Of all the non-pepperoni pizzas we tried, it earned the highest ratings for crust and overall enjoyment. Where this pie struggled was the cheese — most testers wished there was more. "Saucy, not a lot of cheese. Basil is a nice touch," wrote one tester. As for the tomato factor, our resident pizza tour leader had this to say: "Best sauce! Tastes the most fresh."
This pie also received possibly the highest praise of all: "Doesn't taste frozen!" another tester exclaimed.
You might have seen Rao's tomato sauces in the supermarket — they've earned a devoted following for their rich flavor that includes none other than Ina Garten. No surprise that the brand's pies, which are slicked with Rao's Homemade Pizza Sauce, are just as good. "More complex flavor than the others," declared one tester.
Our panel also gave Rao's high marks for its crust, which they described as "thin and crunchy, with good fluffiness" and "chewy but still crisp on the outside."
Most also enjoyed the pepperoni, which is uncured. "It had a kick, which I like (but others may not)," wrote a taster. "Good flavor — thin and a little crispy," noted another.
Attention, cheese lovers: This is the pie for you. It was one of our highest scorers for cheese quality, second only to our top pepperoni pizza pick, Motor City.
The five-cheese topping includes mozzarella, provolone, fontina, romano and parmesan, which our panel called "rich" and "gooey in a good way." Despite the generous scattering of cheese, some testers wanted even more.
But the pie made up for anything it lacked with its crust, which our panel mostly loved. "It's the star of the show here," remarked one taster. "If you're into a soft, doughier crust, this is for you! A little sweet too," noted another.
Most frozen pies can be baked directly on your oven rack, but if you want to take the experience up a notch, place them on a pizza stone first. This tool has a porous surface that absorbs moisture to keep crusts crisp.
Culinary Couture's 15-inch stone can withstand temperatures of up to 1,000°F, so you can use it on the grill too.
Do it like pizzerias do, and serve up your pie on an elevated tray. This leaves you with plenty of room for stashing napkins and seasonings underneath.
This container can hold up to six slices (or more, depending on the size of your pie).
How many times have you reached into the oven to coax out a just-cooked pizza only to burn your hands on the rack or some screaming-hot cheese? Oven mitts are a must — and these red gingham ones let you channel an old-school slice shop in the cutest way.
When I was gathering frozen pizza picks from my colleagues, Costco shoppers raved about Motor City. Many thought the brand was exclusive to the warehouse store, but good news for non-members: You can also find it in some Walmarts and Targets, plus many grocery stores around the country.
It's worth the trip, wherever you buy it. Our testers enjoyed taking this rectangular pizza for a spin, gushing about its flavorful cheese, hint of garlic and juicy, well-spiced pepperoni. But where this pizza really stood out is its crust, which is thick, pillowy and brushed with garlic butter.
Motor City's frozen pizzas come in their own baking pan to help you achieve the crispy edges that are a hallmark of Detroit-style deep dish, and most of our testers loved them — this pizza earned the highest marks for crust of any option we tried, cheese and pepperoni. (That said, a few testers thought the crust was too thick, so if you prefer something thin and crispy, this might not be the right pick for you.)
We gathered a group of nearly 20 Yahoo staffers who are self-professed pizza lovers, including one who leads pizza tours in New York City part-time. Yahoo's kitchen writer (a culinary school grad) and I (a former food-magazine editor) ran the taste test. We cooked each pizza according to the time noted on the box using two highly rated, editor-approved ovens: the Betty Crocker Countertop Pizza Maker for round pies and the Hamilton Beach Countertop Toaster Oven & Pizza Maker for rectangular pies. We then cut slices of each pizza and placed them on plates labeled only with a letter to keep the tasting brand-agnostic.
Then came the fun part! The testers sampled each slice in random order and filled out a rubric rating the quality and flavor of the crust, cheese, pepperoni (when applicable) and overall enjoyment from one to five. We also asked the testers to jot down any thoughts they had about the samples, including the sauce.
Pizza preferences varied greatly among our panelists. Some preferred a thin, crisp crust, while others liked something fluffy and doughy. They were also split on ideal cheese levels, how herby or sweet a sauce should be and even what pizza looked most appetizing. To find the best frozen pizzas, we averaged the scores in each category, then added them up. Ultimately, we looked for pizzas that earned solid scores and were backed by a majority of positive comments.
DiGiorno Rising Crust Four Cheese Pizza: At $4, this pizza is a bargain, but flavor-wise, it didn't compare to our top pick, which also rings in at $4. Most of our panel thought it didn't have enough cheese and said what was there was bland.
Ellio's Cheese Pizza: Nostalgia for this school-cafeteria classic couldn't compensate for its lack of cheese and overly soft crust. A few testers described it as tasting "cheap."
Motor City Pizza Co. Deep Dish Detroit-Style Four Cheese Pizza: Though Motor City's pepperoni pie won top marks, its cheese version fared only so-so. Our testers gave it high marks for the crunchy, thick, garlicky crust, but some thought the pizza tasted too salty.
Amy's Cheese Pizza: This isn't a bad choice if you're looking for a frozen pizza made with organic ingredients. Some testers really enjoyed it, calling out the chewy, slightly sweet crust. But some thought it lacked flavor, especially the cheese.
Newman's Own Thin & Crispy Crust Four Cheese Pizza: Many of our testers thought the thin crust on this pie was too thin. "Cracker-like," noted one reviewer. Another said the crust was "like paper."
Screamin' Sicilian Pizza Co. Bessie's Revenge Cheese Pizza: Is there such a thing as too much cheese? The answer is yes with this pie, which is topped with shredded and sliced mozzarella and shredded white cheddar. One tester called it "a thick slice of cheese," and two others noted that the cheese slid off the crust when they took a bite.
Good & Gather Signature Wood-Fired Margherita Frozen Pizza: This pizza, from Target's in-house brand, scored in the middle of our testing pool. Our testers gave it mixed reviews on the cheese, sauce and crust, and while they appreciated the basil topping this pie, it was too wilted for many people's tastes.
DiGiorno Rising Crust Ultimate Pepperoni: "Good 'late-night' pizza energy," wrote one taster of this pie. Much of our panel agreed (but whether that's a good thing depends on how greasy and salty you like your frozen pizza).
Red Baron Classic Crust Pepperoni Pizza: Our top cheese pizza's pepperoni counterpart didn't fare quite as well. It earned average scores for the pepperoni and testers' overall enjoyment — some people loved the "salty" and "flavorful" pepperoni, while several others described it as "lacking taste" (confusing!).
Screamin' Sicilian Holy Pepperoni Pepperoni Pizza: This pepperoni-loaded pie scored third, just a smidge below Rao's. It did moderately well in all the categories, and the comments ranged from "Tasted almost like non-frozen pizza" to "Middle-of-the-road pizza." No one hated it.
Ellio's Pepperoni Pizza: Ellio's continued its tradition of being our lowest-scoring brand with its pepperoni pizza. Most of the panel said the crust was subpar: "Too thick without taste," wrote one tester. "A bit raw tasting," noted another.
We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.
