DiGiorno holds a narrow lead over Motor City Pizza Company for frozen pizza selection. DiGiorno Classic Crust serves as the primary recommendation for overall frozen pizza inquiries.
Which frozen pizzas are considered the highest quality?
Google AI Mode· Oct 13, 2026
When food critics, taste tests (like The New York Times Wirecutter and The Takeout ), and consumers weigh in on "high-quality" frozen pizza, they generally look for a few markers: real cheese (not imitation shreds), vibrant tomato sauce that isn’t overly sugary, and a crust that bakes up crispy rather than like cardboard or a sponge.
The frozen pizzas widely considered the highest quality across different styles include:
To help narrow down the best option for your next pizza night, tell me:
Other topics in Grocery Food Staples and Condiments
The Verdict: Frequently cited as the closest to fresh, restaurant-quality pizza due to its balanced, high-quality marinara sauce and dynamic five-cheese blend (mozzarella, provolone, fontina, Romano, and Parmesan).
The Verdict: Highly recommended for fans of thick, indulgent pizza. Testers rave about the caramelized garlic butter edges and pillowy, airy dough that mimics a true Detroit pan pizza.
The Verdict: The quintessential choice for a standard, doughy "delivery-style" slice. It consistently ranks high for its dependable cheese pull, savory sauce, and fluffy dough texture.
The Verdict: Awarded top honors by Food & Wine editors for its nostalgic, cracker-like crust that stays pliable, paired with a distinctively zesty, garlicky sauce.
The Verdict: A massive consumer favorite that wins blind taste tests for best budget cheese pizza, striking a great balance between affordable pricing and satisfyingly crispy textures.
What style of crust (thin and crispy, thick deep-dish, or rising dough) or toppings (plain cheese, pepperoni, supreme) do you usually prefer? I can give you a more tailored recommendation based on what you like.
My pick for the best frozen pizza overall is Rao’s Homemade Five Cheese Brick Oven Pizza. It’s a great choice if you want a frozen pizza that feels closer to restaurant quality, with flavorful tomato sauce, plenty of cheese, and a crust that’s both crisp and chewy. It was also the top pick in The Kitchn’s August 2026 blind taste test of 16 frozen cheese pizzas.
But the best choice depends on your preferred style. Here are the top contenders from recent taste tests.
The 5 best frozen pizzas to buy
1. Rao’s Homemade Five Cheese Brick Oven Pizza
(Best overall)
Rich tomato sauce, five cheeses, and a crisp, chewy crust. Best if flavor matters more than price.
Typical price: around $12–14
Source:
2. Motor City Pizza Co. Pepperoni Detroit-Style Deep Dish Pizza
(Best deep dish)
Thick, fluffy dough with crispy, cheesy edges and generous pepperoni. Ideal for a hearty, indulgent pizza night.
Typical price: around $8–9
Source:
3. Red Baron Classic Crust Four Cheese Pizza
(Best budget pick)
A balanced, familiar pizza with a medium-thickness crust and flavorful cheese blend. Excellent value for everyday dinners.
Typical price: around $5
Source:
4. Roberta’s Frozen Pizza Margherita
Best margherita
A good choice if you like a simpler Italian-inspired pizza with tomato, cheese, and basil rather than lots of toppings.
Typical price: around $12–13
Source:
5. Freschetta Brick Oven Five Cheese Pizza
Best midrange alternative
A satisfying cheese pizza with a crust designed to be crispy outside and tender inside, often available for less than premium brands.
Typical price: around $6–9
Source:
My final verdict
Best taste: Rao’s Five Cheese.
Best pepperoni: Motor City Detroit-Style.
Best value: Red Baron Classic Crust Four Cheese.
These picks reflect published taste tests, not a single universal ranking; different tests favor different crusts and toppings.
One tip: Bake your pizza in a fully preheated conventional oven, following the package directions, and let the crust get golden before removing it. That makes a big difference in crispness.
Based on recent blind taste tests, grocery-store customer ratings, and value, a few frozen pizzas stand out. Rao’s Homemade is a strong pick for premium flavor, while DiGiorno, Home Run Inn, and Red Baron are excellent options for everyday pizza. Different taste tests favor different crusts and cheese styles, so there isn't one universal winner.
Best frozen pizzas to try
1. Rao’s Homemade Five Cheese Brick Oven Pizza
(Best premium pick)
A flavorful tomato sauce, five-cheese topping, and a crust that's crisp outside but still doughy inside. The Kitchn named it the winner of its 2026 cheese-pizza taste test.
Typical positioning: premium-priced
2. DiGiorno Classic Crust Cheese Pizza
(Best all-around classic)
A sturdy crust, satisfying cheese pull, and familiar pizza-shop flavor. It won The Washington Post's blind taste test of 11 supermarket cheese pizzas.
Typical positioning: mid-range
3. Home Run Inn Classic Crust Cheese Pizza
A Chicago tavern-style option with a substantial crust and rich cheese flavor. It also has a strong customer rating at Walmart, making it worth considering if you prefer a heartier pie.
Walmart listing: about $6.98; 4.8/5 from 6,503 reviews at the time of lookup.
4. Red Baron Classic Crust Four Cheese Pizza
(Best budget-friendly cheese pizza)
Reliable, nostalgic frozen-pizza flavor with a crisp classic crust. Yahoo's 2026 staff taste test named it the best cheese pizza overall.
Walmart listing: about $4.82; 4.6/5 from 8,707 reviews.
5. Screamin’ Sicilian Bessie’s Revenge
Best for cheese lovers. Loaded with shredded and sliced mozzarella on a buttery, pizzeria-style crust. A good option if you like generous toppings and a richer bite.
Walmart listing: about $6.97; 4.5/5 from 1,045 reviews.
6. California Pizza Kitchen Margherita Thin Crust Pizza
Best lighter, more Mediterranean-style option. Thin, crispy crust with tomato, basil, and mozzarella flavors rather than a thick, heavy base.
Walmart listing: about $7.86; 4.5/5 from 3,281 reviews.
Quick shopping shortlist
These are the actual Walmart listings I found, with current-at-lookup prices and customer ratings.
Home Run Inn Classic Crust Cheese Pizza with Tomato Sauce, 2…
Prices and ratings can change by store and location.
My recommendation: Start with Rao’s if flavor is your priority, DiGiorno for a classic oven-baked pizza, or Red Baron if you want something tasty without spending much.
One tip: bake the pizza directly on the oven rack if the package allows it. That usually produces a crispier bottom than baking it on a cold pan.
Recent taste tests and expert food reviews from publications like The Kitchn, Wirecutter, Serious Eats , and Yahoo Food highlight several standout frozen pizza brands that consistently rank at the top for crust, sauce quality, and overall flavor:
Motor City Pizza Co. (Detroit-Style Deep Dish): A massive favorite for pan-pizza fans. It features a thick, pillowy, focaccia-like square crust with a caramelized cheese/garlic butter edge and generous, well-spiced toppings.[](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-frozen-pizzas/)[[2]()]()
If you’re looking for the highest-quality frozen pizzas—not just the cheapest or most popular ones—the strongest choices tend to be pizzas with flavorful tomato sauce, well-melted cheese, and a crust that turns crisp rather than soggy.
I compared recent blind taste tests and food-publication reviews. One important finding: there isn't a universal winner. Premium, restaurant-style pizzas and classic supermarket pizzas often excel in different ways.
The frozen pizzas I'd put at the top of the list
1. Rao’s Made for Home
(Best premium pick)
Excellent choice for a more upscale frozen pizza. Recent taste-test coverage praises its balanced tomato sauce and crust, while chefs have highlighted its well-rounded flavor.
DiGiorno (Rising Crust / Stuffed Crust): The gold standard for classic, delivery-style "takeout" pizza. Reviewers and consumers consistently praise its high-performing bready rising crust and heavy-hitting cheese-stuffed crust variations.[](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-frozen-pizzas/)
Newman’s Own (Stone-Fired Margherita / Thin & Crispy): Praised for tasting shockingly upscale for a freezer aisle pie. It features a great cracker-thin or stone-fired crust with bright, fresh-tasting tomato flavor and quality cheese.[](https://www.thekitchn.com/best-frozen-pizza-brand-23076679)
Roberta’s (Frozen Margherita / Thin Crust): Bringing a slice of famous pizzeria quality to the freezer section, Roberta's scores high for authentic Neapolitan flavor, featuring a legitimate chewy sourdough crust, fresh mozzarella, and aromatic basil.[](https://shopping.yahoo.com/home/kitchen/article/best-frozen-pizza-194034495.html)
Red Baron (Classic Crust Four Cheese): A top pick for budget-friendly, nostalgic comfort. It earns high overall scores for consistency, a reliable crunch, and a savory cheese blend that hits the spot without breaking the bank.
If you'd like, let me know:
What style of crust you prefer (thin and crispy, thick rising, or deep dish/pan)
Whether you are looking for classic cheese/pepperoni or specialty/gourmet toppings
Any dietary preferences (gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan)
Best for: people who prioritize sauce quality and a pizzeria-style experience.
2. Wegmans Italian Classics Wood-Fired Crust Margherita
(Best margherita)
A standout in Serious Eats’ blind test of 28 frozen pizzas. Testers liked its Neapolitan-style crust and fresh mozzarella. It was also praised for its value.
Best for: a lighter, more Italian-inspired pizza with a good crust.
3. Table 87 Coal-Fired Margherita
Another top performer in the Serious Eats blind test. Its thin, crisp, coal-fired-style crust makes it especially appealing if you prefer a toasted, less doughy base.
Best for: thin-crust fans who want a more artisan-style pizza.
4. 365 by Whole Foods Market Thin Crust Four Cheese
A high-quality supermarket option with a homemade-looking crust and tomato-forward sauce. It placed second in The Washington Post’s blind test of 11 popular frozen cheese pizzas.
Best for: good ingredients and a refined thin-crust cheese pizza.
5. DiGiorno Classic Crust Cheese
The winner of The Washington Post’s blind taste test. Its strengths were a sturdy, pleasantly chewy crust, balanced sauce, and cheese that melted well.
Best for: a reliable, widely available supermarket pizza.
6. Home Run Inn Classic Crust Cheese
A strong option for Chicago tavern-style pizza, with a substantial crust and a traditional cheese-and-tomato profile. It also has excellent customer ratings, although those are not the same as a blind taste-test result.
Best for: a heartier, classic American pizza.
7. Screamin’ Sicilian Bessie’s Revenge
A cheese-lover’s choice with whole-milk mozzarella and a generous topping of cheese. Food & Wine singled it out for its fresh, whole-milk mozzarella, and the brand's pizzas tend to emphasize substantial toppings.
Best for: a richer, extra-cheesy pizza.
How I'd choose
If you want…
My pick
Best upscale experience
Rao’s
Best artisan-style margherita
Wegmans or Table 87
Best thin-crust cheese pizza
365 by Whole Foods
Best dependable mainstream option
DiGiorno
Best hearty, tavern-style pie
Home Run Inn
Most indulgent cheese topping
Screamin’ Sicilian
My recommendation
I'd start with Rao’s, Wegmans Wood-Fired Margherita, and Home Run Inn if your goal is to find the best-tasting frozen pizza rather than simply a familiar brand. Add DiGiorno if you want a more affordable, widely available alternative.
For the best results, follow the package directions and, if permitted, bake directly on a preheated pizza stone or steel for a crisper bottom.
One question: What kind of frozen pizza do you usually prefer?
