Frozen pizza Buying Guide

Getting started

Sure, it's convenient--and cheaper than a pizzeria. But can frozen pizza truly satisfy anyone other than undiscriminating kids? Yes, according to our latest taste test of frozen cheese pies.

There's room for improvement among frozen pizza brands, as no pies were excellent. But most pies in our Ratings were very good. Our tests also show that you shouldn't buy simply by brand. The CR Best Buy DiGiorno pizza scored higher than the other DiGiorno pie we tried; the same was true of the Red Baron pizzas in our tests.

How we tested

We bought and baked more than 100 pies and cut them into same-sized pieces. We chose cheese pizza because it's among the most popular types, according to the National Frozen Pizza Institute, a trade organization. Our seven trained taste testers tasted each brand three times in an order designed to eliminate bias.

Testers didn't know which pizzas they were tasting; all samples were coded with three-digit numbers. (We don't use two-digit codes because they can introduce bias. For example, a tester whose ex-spouse's birthday is on the 14th or whose favorite sports figure wears No. 14 might unwittingly grade Sample No. 14 more harshly or favorably than other samples.)

Tasters graded the crust, cheese, and sauce separately and also gave an overall impression of each pie. Between practice tests and the real taste tests, tasters were served more than 800 slices in all.

We rate nutrition

It's pizza, remember, so don't expect miracles. Almost all brands scored adequately for nutrition, but we discovered quite a range in calories (260 to 380), fat (9 to 18 grams), saturated fat (3.5 to 9 grams), and sodium (570 to 870 milligrams) per serving. Our Ratings are based on the manufacturer's suggested serving size, so mind your pizza cutter. Most of the pies came whole; you cut them yourself. It's easy to cut more than what constitutes one slice.

Nutrition rating is based on calories per gram of food, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, sugars, iron, calcium, and dietary fiber, as indicated on package labels. Desired nutrient levels are based on federal dietary guidelines. Price is approximate retail.

Frozen pizza secrets

Don't thaw the pizza before you cook it.
Use a hot oven. Wait until it reaches the recommended temperature before putting in the pie.
Bake pizza directly on the oven rack. Using a cookie sheet (especially if the edges of the pizza hang off) can make the crust cook unevenly.
For the cleanest slices, use a pizza cutter. To reheat leftovers, put slices in a frying pan on medium heat until the cheese starts to melt.