We taste-tested 16 frozen pizzas: These are the best of 2026
Our 'aficionadoughs' sampled slices from DiGiorno, Red Baron, Motor City, Rao's and more to find the winners.
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Even pizza purists probably have a frozen pie stashed in their freezer. And they're far from alone: Frozen pizza remains a booming business, generating more than $8 billion in U.S. sales in 2025 . Premium pies, in particular, have surged in popularity as shoppers look for restaurant-quality meals at home. Of course, not all are worth the freezer space, so we set out to find the very best frozen pizzas at the grocery store.
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We narrowed the field to 16 widely available cheese and pepperoni pizzas based on editor recommendations, shopper reviews and availability. The lineup included everything from old-school favorites like DiGiorno and Ellio's to premium brands such as Roberta's and Motor City Pizza Co. We then gathered nearly 20 Yahoo staffers to taste-test 16 pies, including plenty of passionate pizza lovers and even a professional pizza tour guide. To eliminate brand bias, each pizza was served on plates labeled only with a letter, and participants scored the crust, sauce, cheese and pepperoni (when applicable).
I'll admit it: Some of the results surprised us. A few household names fell short, while other pies far exceeded expectations. Below are the winners of our frozen pizza taste test, along with a few favorite tools and accessories for making pizza night even better. And check out our guide to the best healthy frozen pizzas if you're looking for something plant-based or gluten-free.
Best frozen pizzas of 2026
This Red Baron pie costs just a few bucks, 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.
- Super affordable
- Crust has a good bite; doesn't get soggy
- Well-balanced sauce-to-cheese ratio
- Topped with a variety of cheeses: mozzarella, cheddar, provolone and parmesan
- Some testers didn't think the cheese melted well
- Might not be cheesy enough for some
When I was gathering frozen pizza recommendations 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.)
- Well-spiced pepperoni
- Crunchy crust that's soft on the inside
- Comes in its own baking pan
- Some testers found the crust too thick
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.
- Sourdough crust is thin and chewy, with a nice tang
- Very flavorful sauce
- Topped with homemade mozzarella and fresh basil
- Not enough cheese
If you've been paying attention, you know some folks can never get enough cheese, so heads up, 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.
- Five-cheese topping has a rich taste
- One of the better-tasting crusts
- Pie is wood-fired before being frozen
- Some thought it could have even more cheese
- Sauce tasted too strong for some
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 taste testers 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.
- Chewy yet crisp crust
- Juicy, well-spiced pepperoni
- Pie is wood-fired before being frozen
- Zingy, herby sauce
- Might be a bit too spicy for some
- Not enough cheese
How we tested frozen pizzas
To find the best frozen pizzas, we recruited nearly 20 Yahoo staffers who proudly consider themselves pizza lovers, including one who leads pizza tours around New York City. Yahoo's kitchen writer, a culinary school graduate, and I, a former food magazine editor, ran the taste test. We cooked each pizza according to the package instructions using two editor-approved ovens: the Betty Crocker Countertop Pizza Maker for round pies and the Hamilton Beach Countertop Toaster Oven & Pizza Maker for rectangular ones. To eliminate brand bias, slices were served on plates labeled only with a letter.
Testers ranked the slices on the quality of the cheese, crust and their overall enjoyment. Some samples truly were a cut above!
(Lisa Schweitzer/Yahoo)Then came the tasting. Panelists sampled the pizzas in random order and completed a scoring rubric, rating the crust, cheese, pepperoni (when applicable) and overall enjoyment on a scale of 1 to 5. We also asked them to share notes on each pizza, including thoughts on the sauce, texture and flavor.
As expected, opinions varied. Some testers gravitated toward thin, crispy crusts, while others preferred something thicker and doughier. They also disagreed on everything from ideal cheese levels to how sweet or herb-forward a sauce should be. To determine the winners, we averaged the scores in each category and calculated an overall score for every pizza. The best performers earned consistently high marks across the board and attracted the strongest positive feedback from the majority of our tasting panel.
We cranked out pie after pie using our trusty Betty Crocker pizza makers.
(Jessica Dodell-Feder/Yahoo)Other frozen pizzas we tested
Cheese
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.
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 bit into it.
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 on this pie, it was too wilted for many people's tastes.
Peep our best pepperoni pizza contenders, from Rao's, Ellio's, Motor City Pizza Co. and more.
(Jessica Dodell-Feder/Yahoo)Pepperoni
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).
Screamin' Sicilian Holy 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.
Pizza-making and -serving must-haves
Instead of slicing our pies the traditional way, with a pizza wheel or rocker, here's a sharp idea: Cut pizza with kitchen shears . The sharp blades on these scissors sliced cleanly through even the thickest crusts. Plus, they work the first time, unlike many wheels, which require you to make the same cut over and over, leading to messy cheese and toppled toppings.
We've been writing about this countertop pizza cooker for a while now — it gets five-star ratings from more than 6,375 Amazon shoppers, and it's often on sale. (When a shopper proclaims that a gadget is "Way better than [the] oven," we listen!)
Because it's so well-loved — and we don't have a pizza oven in the office — we used three of these pizza makers to cook the round pies for our test. They heat up in three minutes, so they were perfect for serving a crowd. In fact, they impressed us so much, our resident kitchen writer and cookware tester decided to take one for a spin at home. Curious how it fared during weeknight dinner duty? Here's her full review of the Betty Crocker Countertop Pizza Maker .
Or, if you're looking for something more versatile, the Chefman Everything Maker is the kitchen equivalent of a Swiss Army knife. Part pizza oven, part griddle, part grill, it can churn out crispy pizzas one night and fluffy pancakes the next, all without monopolizing your countertop.
With over 1,100 five-star reviews on Amazon, shoppers appreciate the nonstick surface and its versatility, making it a smart pick for apartment dwellers, college students or anyone trying to do more with less kitchen space.
These perforated pans are designed to help hot air reach the bottom of your pie, creating a crispier, more evenly baked slice with less effort. The nonstick coating helps keep cheese and toppings from turning cleanup into a chore, and the two-pack design means you can bake multiple pizzas for a crowd.
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.
Most home ovens simply can't get hot enough to make true pizzeria-style pizza. This countertop pizza oven solves that problem, cranking up to 850°F to deliver crispy, bubbly crusts in just minutes. We like that it includes a pizza stone and peel right out of the box, and the precise temperature controls make it easy to dial in everything from Neapolitan-style pies to crispy New York slices.
On the off chance you end up with leftovers, don't just wrap them in foil or toss them in a resealable plastic bag. There's a better way to store your slices: This expandable silicone container.
You may have seen it on Shark Tank or listed on Amazon as one of its top-selling food containers. Shoppers love it almost as much as a slice of pepperoni, awarding it more than 5,000 five-star ratings.
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-by-12-inch stone can withstand temperatures of up to 1,000°F, so you can use it on the grill too.
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? A good pair of oven mitts are a must — and these red gingham ones let you channel an old-school slice shop in the cutest way.
Update, June 15, 2026: We checked prices and availability for all products. Our top picks for the best frozen pizzas remain unchanged.
