If you guys dig this series, let us know what you wanna see me try next! We just filmed my tasting over 50 kinds of apples, and I've got my eye on boxed brownie mixes next...
It never ceases to amaze me how DiGiorno managed to invent heat-proof, bake-proof dough - no matter how much or how long heat is applied, it never fully bakes through! Truly a marvel of science.
The only time i got a crispy bottom is by forgetting to put the pizza in the oven, i just preheated the oven with the pizza stone for like 30 minutes. Then threw the pizza on. i don't know why my family kept LOVING Digornos, so i hated frozen pizza, but look forward to eating Trader Joes pizza now
The real key to frozen pizzas of any variety is completely disregarding the factory recommended baking time and just baking it until its golden brown. The recommended time almost always produces no browning on the bottom crust or cheese.
@@zTxMeta I don't know the other ones, but know literally the first one tells you to bake it directly on the rack, baking it until it's golden brown is listed as part of the instructions, so yeah, I feel like he's failed at what he set out to do. I saw it coming off a tray and looking like it was baked on a tray.
Unsure if it’s an editing software macro or not but respect to whoever edited in the chalk sound effect for being fully committed to an unnecessary thing.
Completely agree on the overcooking. I also use a pizza pan that has holes cut in so the crust gets extra crispy. Red Baron is my favorite frozen pizza brand!
Came here to say exactly this. The crust is what makes Red Baron's pizza and it's a shame that the box instructions betray that fact. Always leave Red Baron in for an extra minute or two. Also, the pepperoni is solid. The cheese is easily the worst one.
I know it's been a rough long year, but I feel like especially in a video like this it seems like the fun and sillyness is really back for Andrew, and im so glad to see he's in a better place.
I’ll say it. Tombstone pizza is THE go to frozen pizza. To quote Keith from the Try Guys, “I used to eat an entire tombstone pizza- not as a meal, but as an activity.”
I prefer the blind taste test. I would like to see more tests where we know, but you don't know what brand or type you're being handed, until after final scoring. I just feel there's always going to be a bias whether you want there to be or not, if you know which pizza is which. I don't think our brains can help it.
I do think price should be mentioned since most people who are buying frozen pizza are doing it cause it's cheap and easy. And well, a Roberta's frozen pizza looks to be about $20-30 per pizza and unless you're near a store that stocks them you, you'll be ordering online where you can't order only one at a time, making it $60-80. Which at that point you can order local, so like-
@@davidisonyt A 2-pack 10" pizza costs 70$ with free shipping in the US. A 4-pack costs $110... I don't think I've ever brought a frozen pizza over 5$!
Yeah that's the thing with this channel and other cooking channels like it. I'm not sure they (both Babish and the studio) are used to taking price into consideration for much of anything anymore, so they don't think to incorporate price as a metric in the ratings (or their recipes). Sure, Roberta's might objectively be the best tasting, but I can guarantee one of the mid-level pizzas would taste better to me simply because it's $5 instead of $25. Trader Joe's is really the unsung hero here. It ranked pretty close to Roberta's and sells for around $5.50
My mistake - I thought Roberta's was stocked nationally, seems like it's only available at grocery stores in this region. In stores, it retails for $9.99@@seisage
Roberta's is 89$ for 4-pack if you can get it. I don't mind paying premium for something well crafted but naaa... take the runner-up which is 6 bucks for a pie.
Absolutely same. Like, I love totino's party pizzas, but they're almost like the mcdonald's cheeseburger version of pizza. It doesn't even really taste anything like the real food proper version, but it has it's own unique flavor that you really can't get anywhere else. That being said, being objective, it's AWFUL when compared to actual pizza.
I know right? Him saying it doesn't taste like pizza, it tastes like something else, makes me giggle because... yeah. It doesn't taste like pizza. I call it my 'cardboard pizzas,' cause... that's what the texture is like! xD Also, Combination is where it's aaat~
Yep, didn't look like he actually 'followed the directions' for a lot of these pizzas TBH. But, let's be honest here, the whole video was probably all about the "clear winner" anyways...
I always go to red Baron as my forever Frozen Pizza. Other favorite frozen pizza's are the Screamin Scillin , can't go wrong with the Costco's Kirkland's Pizza, and lastly the Freschetta thin crust pizza. Despite what the recommended timer says, I try to make sure that my frozen pizza is close to a golden brown, that fine line between not too little or too much burn.
my folks back home have decided to go gluten free for some Godforsaken reason, but Costco's cauliflower crust pizza actually slaps. The go-to was Screamin Sicilian before that
I love how despite its utterly horrible ranking the amount of nostalgic joy you get out of the Totino's pizza. I often buy them for the exact same reasons. An old staple from my childhood both in Party Pizza and Pizza Roll form.
They just haven't been the same to me since they started making them rectangle shaped. The round ones fit perfectly into my well used/seasoned cast iron skillet. The crust would get super crispy without burning, it wouldn't stick, and it'd be done perfect every time. Used to be one of my favorite super cheap guilty pleasures.
My girlfriend loves digiorno pizza, and the thing everyone seems to not read on the instructions is “bake directly on the rack from frozen” if you bake it on any kind of cold sheet it will never get cooked, anyway Totinos is and always will be my favorite frozen pizza type thing! This was a fun video to watch
It's the same with Red Baron, but you can tell from how the bottom looks that it wasn't cooked directly on the rack. It also helps to use a convection oven.
Hey man. Baking two pizzas at once (on separate racks) is probably why the some of the bottoms of the pizzas didn’t crisp up as much. The bottom pizza would be blocking the top pizza from getting heat from the bottom of the oven, no?
Totino’s is its own creation and nothing else satisfies when you want one. We know it’s not ‘pizza’, but it’s awesome! It’s like Taco Bell for Mexican food.
Bingo! I know it's not real pizza by any stretch of the imagination, but I still buy some occasionally. It also costs like 2 dollars, I can have it cooked in like 15 minutes, and it takes me back to my childhood. Comes out great in the air fryer, too
The only one that stands out, TOTINO’s. Party Pizza. “Flakey Pastry Crust.” Crispy flakey. 2 bucks. Not really pizza. It is what it is. You know what you’re getting.
The way that you describe Totino's is exactly how I've described them to my wife who questions why I would ever enjoy such a "fake" pizza. It really is a delicious pizza flavored snack square.
I like the three minute Kroger pizza that's really similar in taste, I just think it tastes slightly better for my tastes. There's nothing like folding one of those bad boys up and just devouring it
It's so weird. I remember going and getting a Totino's pizza for nostalgia's sake. The weird thing about it is, I could've sworn that they were round when I was a kid. I wasn't mad about this, it was just an odd change. Didn't affect the flavour at all, and I still appreciate one for a convenient snack on occasion. Still wouldn't put it up with homemade or actual pizzeria pizza, though.
Interesting story about Tombstone, so it was started in the 60s by Pep Simek and named after a tavern across from a graveyard. It was later bought by Kraft and sold to Nestlé, where the recipe was changed and the pizza didn't even taste like the original. So years later Pep's Drafthaus was released, and it's definitely one of my favorite frozen Pizzas. Wisconsin in general has great frozen Pizza.
that Red Baron needed another 10 minutes. I put a foil ring on about halfway through so the edge won't overcook, and the underside can get well done, as well as the middle can brown up and completely melt.
People really don't listen to what is in the video. It's the company's responsibility to have better directions. He said he would follow what they directed
@@evelynn4273I think ur right. Although, I have looked and see nothing where he indicates this is a sponsored post or an ad. But, why have all pizzas you can readily get anywhere and then BAM! This one pizza only located in Brooklyn. A bit disappointing that he wouldn’t be upfront about this. Especially with 10 mil followers.
@@evelynn4273clearly not, as ads need to be clearly stated on TH-cam. If not, it’s against TOS. Just from watching the video you can clearly tell it’s the best anyway. It’s not like he over exaggerated or anything.
I just looked up the price for ordering Roberta's pizza online and it's $70 for 2 pizzas... I think this clearly makes the Trader Joe's pizza the winner because why would anyone spend $35 on a frozen pizza?
The Newman's own sourdough peperoni pizza with ricotta is my favorite frozen pizza. But you have to put it in the oven until the peperoni starts to blacken at the top.
I know he said they're following package directions, but most frozen pizza says to bake directly on the rack now. And some of those pizzas looked pale like they were on pans.
Bit late to the game here, but just want to say that I think cooking them all on a pan, and not directly on the rack (which most do say on the package). really makes a huge difference to the crust. Otherwise enjoyed the video :D
Thats what I was going to say too, it was funny when he says directly as the package says, when they are all on baking sheets with parchment paper, and sometimes even 2 at a time which also can affect baking times.
i agree with this also it would have been better if cooked on the rack as most packages do say and cooking them one at a time as Max said below makes it different as well.
This so much. No surprise the thin crust pizzas got somewhat brown and crunchy, but all the thicker ones were doughy. Gotta bake it directly on the rack.
Totinos is my favorite cheap frozen pizza. I recognize it for what it is, and take that into account. I do miss that they used to be circular instead of rectangular, because now I have to cut them instead of just folding the whole thing in half. As a lifelong poor person, they are tasty and they are filling. You should check out Freschetta's sometime. Also, always skip "rising crust".
The point of a frozen pizza is to eat all of it and immediately be ashamed of yourself and your careless actions. It is a regretful act that repeats itself like once a month
Should have had a 4th criteria... price. To compare a $2 frozen pizza to what i bet is a $12 frozen pizza is a little ridiculous without accounting for the price.
This applies heavily to Red Baron. It's like $4 cheaper than DiGiorno and makes (I think) a better product. It's basically like getting a name brand pizza for the price of a store brand and it delivers a quality product.
I'm a big fan of the Newman's Own line of frozen pizzas. Especially great if you add some extra mozzarella yourself, but that's a hack for almost any pie.
It appears to be the top scorer for a frozen pizza you can find at just about any grocery store. The Roberta's looks great, but I've never even heard of it before, let alone seen it in a grocery store near me.
I normally don’t get offended, but he rated my favorite(tombstone), a 3.6. That will always be my favorite. Not surprising he likes Italian style pizza. 😑
Extra mozz and some garlic powder was how I doctored up many a cheap frozen pizza and even some chain store pies. Little Caesars, I'm gesturing in your direction.
You made the comment about Elios being like school pizza- back when I was in elementary school, it literally WAS the pizza they served there :P I even asked the lunch ladies so we could try and buy it at home cause I really loved it. I still eat it today- it's not anywhere near gourmet, but it's filling and nostalgic for me.
The B-roll showed you guys cooking all these in pans. Are they supposed to be? When I make a frozen pizza I just throw it directly on the oven rack. Maybe that's why so many of the crusts were so pale and undercooked.
I know for a fact many of those pizzas say not to put it on a pan, but maybe some of them say to do it. I know newman’s, cpk, and red baron say not to specifically
If you ever did a follow up video, I'd love to see how Katie and Alvin could improve each pizza with different spices, cooking methods, or minor ingredient upgrades (no toppings still). There's only so much you can do but that's the challenge.
Absolutely a top idea. You already have your baseline as well, so the fun would be to let Andrew try them without telling him what they did first, then seeing his reaction.
Love this idea! When we we're broke, the gf and I always would do this to make our frozen pizza a bit more special rather than ordering delivery or whatever.
I get little Caesars or something, take apart the pieces and freeze them. Then if I want pizza I take out whatever slices I want, add fresh cheese and heat.
Wow, Tombstone actually comes in a box now? Back in my day, we didn't get a box, it was shrinkwrapped with a paper cover (showing a picture that the pizza would never live up to) and a cardboard circle you had to remember not to slide into the oven. Of course since that was 40+ years ago, maybe Tombstone couldn't afford boxes in those days. It did the job but I'm pretty sure if I bought one today, its only value to me would be nostalgia. Love this series! Now I'm wondering what it would be like if you ranked salisbury steak TV dinners.
I feel like there was something wrong with your Red Baron pizza, because none that I've ever had look like that. Also, are you cooking any of these directly on the oven rack? Because I know at least a few of these brands call for that, but none of the bottoms looked like you did.
Yeah it seemed like he was just pulling them out two minutes too early. Following the specifications is fine, but every oven is different, so you need to know that and adjust accordingly.
@@SpiralSine6 most unheated pizza stones will shatter if you put it into a pre-heated oven. I know from watching the failures of others breaking $150 pizza stones 😅
Agreed. I’m usually pushing my frozen pizzas up to 5 minutes longer than what the package says to get the crust how I want it. I recently picked up a carbon steel pizza tray that I preheat with the oven and get an even better result. That can’t fix the flavor of some of these, but definitely addresses the “doughy” issues. I even do this with some takeout pizzas if they show up chewier than I want.
Totino’s party pizza is the pizza I grew up eating! I love cooking it until it’s super crunchy and dark, definitely probably overcooked. Folding it like a taco and just munching on a whole pizza. 👌🏻
Yup. Personally I never get the he got but the meat party I think it’s called I think it tastes best. Torino’s was and kinda still is one of a either lazy dinner or a broke dinner which was both in my case. It’s looks can sometimes be deceiving but it always tastes great.
@@palestalemale8831you’re not lying. I toasted one after drinking all night. Was too dumb to wait like I usually do. My skin melted off the top of my mouth 😂
I grew up in the same town as one of their factories and grew up on Stouffers French bread pizzas along with their lasagnas. they used to have an outlet store that you could go to where they would sell the products that were slightly off and couldn't be sold in a normal store so we would go pickup a giant box of the pizzas for a fraction of the price and keep them in our deep freeze and have them as a meal after school while doing homework or having friends over.
I know you’re following the rules on the boxes but it’s killing me how undercooked these pizzas are 😂 Especially the Red Baron and the Tombstone tastes wayyy different when it’s actually crispy and the cheese is melted
Yeah, that is entirely on them. These pizzas are not like this. Not when I bake them, anyway. And are we to believe that I am better at baking oven pizzas than the professionals?
@@Krysdavar I suspect this as well. They probably used a stone, or a sheet. And maybe they did a combination of that, and tweaking the bake-time. Some of them were even over cooked. And I have had a majority of the pizzas shown here. NONE of them would look for me like they looked for them. Like that Tony's pizza? Yeah, I suspect they even added some cheese to it. Did you notice, too, that they never showed the opening of the boxes?
0:34 All of these pizzas except Table 87 and Roberta's are supposed to be baked directly on the rack according to the directions, not on a baking sheet. That's why the bottom crust on most of these was bad and ngl this was a bit frustrating to watch.
They might go by Aldi’s if you’re out of the states. The chain is all about small stores with little variety but very high quality. I actually recommend it, I don’t think I’ve really had anything of theirs I outright disliked.
@@spartanhawk7637 I've lived in the states my entire life I also have never been to a trader joes. Never even seen one. It's not just a out of states thing
Having worked in a Tony's Pizza plant, I can confirm that Tony's makes Red Baron. It is the same sauce and ingredients between the two. IIRC, it was only the crust and perhaps the amount of toppings that was different.
Totally agree. I have a pizza oven and make all my own and yet still buy totinos haha. Side note, GFS sells the old Mexican pizzas the used to serve in elementary schools. Add on top shredded lettuce and taco sauce and it is amazing!
I like Red Baron. I grew up with them as a kid so it's got me on the nostalgia factor. Plus I have a small oven and baking on the rack cooks it perfectly. And I can eat a whole Red Baron cheese pizza by myself off the cutting board with minimal clean up. Plus they cost like $5 at my local Dollar General, that's the cheapest meal near me lol
haven't had Ellio's in years since i was a teenager but i grew up on that stuff, i particularly liked the dotted pattern to cut the slices into 3 that was on the underside of the crust. i remember it being bright red saucy and delicious for my taste (again i was a kid and was what we could afford) it broke my heart to see what it looks like now lol
Entertaining! My suggestion is that it should’ve been a blind taste test. Really would’ve been fun to see if you could identify the Totinos without knowing it going in for the bite.
Did any of the instructions suggest putting the pizza directly on the rack? It's been decades since I've had a frozen pizza, but that was common among the ones I bought and following that always yielded a crisp crust.
Most of the ones they made usually say rack OR pan/sheet. So not sure why they went with the pan/sheet method. Source: I just made some Red Baron a few days ago. It says put it on the rack.
Came here to say this. Sauce is second to none and the crust is amazing. Also dig their “brick oven” style pizzas. Went from living in NY to New Zealand and the frozen pizza game is waaaaaaack here
I was about to type this in the comments! I remember growing up they had a version with sauce in the crust that i desperately trying looking for in stores and searching online but to no avail.
Great vid Babish! Could you do a video where you make frozen pizza better? Some little tips that most anyone could do to the pizza to make it a better experience.
@@KLondike5 Schwans had always tried to process their own products Ice cream. Pizzas. Etc They have different lines of products for different markets. Hot stuff pizza often found in convenience stores is an example of this Who owns the company today. The family still runs the delivery as a separate thing. Believe is now known as yelloh. Whether the family has any interests in processing side idk. Red Barron. Tony’s. Freshetta are among the brands of schwans Freshetta has an interesting origin story to go with it.
@@thelunatick1993I was gonna say that too. The Schwan’s family sold the frozen foods side to CJ group along with the Schwan’s name. Which is why the home delivery has changed to Yelloh. They flash freeze most of their products. Also did you know that they are also the company that supplies Costco with their pizza? A lot of schools pizza too. They also own a ton of Asian food brands and even supply Panda Express with their noodles.
I’m somewhat surprised you didn’t try the Freschetta Frozen Pizza because literally it’s one of the best Frozen Pizzas and also the least expensive of the Frozen Pizza’s.
Best thing I ever bought for pizza is a screen. Allows air to flow to the bottom of the crust unlike a sheet pan. And it's easier to handle vs just baking it on the oven rack. And it's great for homemade pizza. Just build it on the screen and put it in the oven. No peel needed.
I always bake frozen pizza directly on the oven rack. Never had a problem handling it. Home made goes on a pizza steel. I wonder how well home made would work on a screen over the steel? Transferring the raw pizza to the steel has always been my least favorite part of making home made pizza.
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the Totinos. It is a distinct thing that isn't pizza, but I feel like people unfairly dump on it. When I was a broke college kid, it was either that, mac and cheese (if you had some milk and butter handy), or ramen. Splash it with some Tabasco and baby, you got a... well, it's not a stew or pizza, but it's highly edible.
You should adjust the scores based on the price of each frozen pizza. I would calculate an average of all their prices and then adjust the scores up or down depending upon how much above or below that average they are. Otherwise, this is an arguably unfair comparison as I am certain that DeGiornos or Tony's could make an amazing pizza if they had the price point of Roberta's.
Price points for the same pie can vary widely from week to week or store to store. In Portland right now, Newman's has a base price of $10 +/-.50 at every store, but Safeway currently has them "on sale" for $9.49 while Fred Meyer's has them truly on sale for $6. I've even seen Red Barron go on sale for as low as $2 a pizza, but that's like a once a year type of deal.
It wouldn't meet his metric of "must taste exactly like New York style or Neapolitan pizza" The rating system is pretty skewed in my opinion, but than again taste is subjective so 🤷🏽♀️
Maybe it’s the camerawork, maybe it’s the way Andrew prepared them but every single pizza I just saw in this video looked so much better than every frozen pizza I had here in germany
Table 87 and Roberta's appear to be NY regional, and are actual pizza restaurants that ship frozen to customers. Not a grocery store frozen CPG, so I wouldn't consider them part of the category. Weird that some of the highest selling brands like Jack's, Freschetta, Screamin' Sicilian are not included. Lot of other contenders too, like Classico, Bellatoria, and Lotzza Motzza (though that last one may be upper Midwest only).
Most of the pizzas youve tried here tell you to bake them direct on the oven rack to get the crisp bottom you were missing in this vid. Still a nice throwback.
agreed! A lot of those pizza were undercooked! which I'm sure affected the taste. Also, it would've been nice to get the price too. That should affect the score, in my opinion, If a pizza costs $20 vs $3, that should matter in comparison too!
Sure, but who does that? You put it on a pan so you have something to grab and bring it out. If you put the pizza directly on the rack, what now? Take the whole rack out? Try to get you oven mits under it? Eat directly off the rack? MADNESS!
@@MikeSchinlaub Who does that? Normal people? You don't have to take the whole rack out, you just slide the pizza off the rack lol It's not rocket science
I never ate it as a kid so I’m not nostalgic for it. So believe me when I tell you, Tostino’s is the most foul tasting “pizza-like product” I’ve had the displeasure of trying
My go-to frozen pizza has always been Home Run Inn, but from what I understand it can be hard to find it outside the Chicago area. Its worth trying if you ever do see it in stores.
ive found home run inn in socal and boise.... personally i like it more than pizza from most of the pizza places around .... i always scoop a few up when theyre on sale 2 for 10
I really like the Digiorno hand tossed crust. It’s really the only frozen pizza I like and cooks well every time. I struggle with the other digiorno crusts.
23:10 about nostalgia affecting your judgement: the Jolly boys have a friend, Z. He is an amazing, world-class chef, born and raised in Italy. Pizza is his favorite food, and he is incapable of recognizing several new evolutions of pizza, because they do not fit his nostalgic idea of pizza. Chicago Style is top of the list. About that pizza, in particular, I agree.🤗🤗🤗
As far as frozen pizza goes, I love some home run inn. Tastes exactly how it does at the restaurant (obviously the restaurant though is better cause it's made fresh) but Connie's is pretty fire too. They have a nice garlic seasoning on the crust that always gets me going haha
we're literally twins lol. home run inn and Connie's are my go to's for the frozen pizza. HRI is just a super high quality pizza and Connie's has a top tier thin crust.
having recently retried the Connie's frozen (they were on sale at Jewels with a digital coupon for like 5 bucks in December) they were really bad. I remembered the connie's being better. HRI is still the GOAT frozen pizza for me especially the 3 meat sausage, pepp, and uncured bacon. Babish would hate Aurelio's because of the cheddar cheese if he ever were to try it.
@@keiichi8191 May look bad to an American mind. You're probably used to those huge cheese loaded NY pizzas. Actual Italian pizzas do look like that, although I don't agree that it looks Neapolitan. Neapolitan crust is fluffy and full of air, and that looked like a combo of Roman and Neapolitan pizza
@danielcues idk how many times this conversation must be had, but "real italians" are the ones who immigrated to america and americanized the italian recipe. American pizza is just as "real" as Italian pizza. That's how the culinary arts work and have always worked worldwide forever
Hey I like this format…but if I could make a suggestion. I’d like to see more of these but with you and some others on your team and friends. It’s fun to see other foodies give their opinions and reviews. I’m a huge fan of your show and love when new Babbish content comes out. Love from Utah!
There's a special place in my heart for Ellio's pizza because I used to eat it as a kid. And I cooked it like a kid too. The cheese was still cold and the dough was soggy, but I still loved it.
I’m shocked the Baron ranks so low. Every time my friends and I go away, we do these taste tests and always find the Classic RB pepperoni to be the best of the bunch. Every time it’s ready we clear the runway for his landing, as the Baron is a classic. Accept no substitutes.
A shame really. Supreme Baron reigns supreme for me and my crew. At the end of the day, yes it's frozen pizza, but in no world is it worse than your standard-issue Tombstone. Objectively though, I've never had their four-cheese, and evidently the box directions didn't do it any favors here.
Deep Dish mini red barons are second to none, this team undercooked it purposely, then went on to put Robertas pizzeria vs frozen pizzas. I bet he wouldnt put Robertas vs Di Fara frozen lol. Dudes a chump.
To my fellow Canadians who can only find Red Baron and Amy’s, I suggest trying Holy Napoli, if you can find it. It’s expensive, but it may well be the best frozen pizza you’ve ever had.
I like Home run inn but it’s about as expensive as buying a regular pizza. It’s also unconventional because the pizza is already cooked but they freeze it afterward and you’re basically reheating it.
Home Run INn has been constantly on digital coupon sales at JEwel and Tony's in Illinois since last year of buy HRI pizza 4.99 limit 2. I was feasting on HRI frozen pizzas because I'd use my account and have my mom load hers for me to stock up since they wont use those coupons. Im shocked HRI still doesnt have more of a national presence with their frozen pizzas because i think they got better from the 90s when we'd school fund raise with HRI frozen pizzas in elementary school.
@@GrindyMcGrindy I prefer it that way. It's our Illinois secret. I've read other reviews about frozen pizza, they all say HRI is the best but it can't be the best because it is only sold in Il.
To be fair, most boxes have the (ovens may vary) caviat, so..... you should be able to use a pizza oven AND your best judgement on time and temp. That is how you compare frozen pizzas. All at their peak.
yeah but he does, would be nice to see what these pizzas would look like at the top of their supposed game, maybe even compare it to a normal home oven.@@B_Bodziak
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If you guys dig this series, let us know what you wanna see me try next! We just filmed my tasting over 50 kinds of apples, and I've got my eye on boxed brownie mixes next...
I'd like to see a 120-minute movie where you set out to taste vengeance.
Potato chips, sparking water, ranch
frozen chicken nuggets
Do ramen
Fast food burgers
It never ceases to amaze me how DiGiorno managed to invent heat-proof, bake-proof dough - no matter how much or how long heat is applied, it never fully bakes through! Truly a marvel of science.
The only time i got a crispy bottom is by forgetting to put the pizza in the oven, i just preheated the oven with the pizza stone for like 30 minutes. Then threw the pizza on. i don't know why my family kept LOVING Digornos, so i hated frozen pizza, but look forward to eating Trader Joes pizza now
It goes from raw to burnt in like .000000048732885 seconds
Slap that stuff on the front of a space shuttle, it would make a great heat shield for re-entry.
😂
@@Heavens_Rejected😂😂😂
The real key to frozen pizzas of any variety is completely disregarding the factory recommended baking time and just baking it until its golden brown. The recommended time almost always produces no browning on the bottom crust or cheese.
This is the truth.
Yes exactly! He did the digiorno croissant crust dirty by not baking it golden brown!
@@iamdarcsidehe did say he was following box instructions. So he didn't do the pizza dirty, the company did with bad instructions
word
@@zTxMeta I don't know the other ones, but know literally the first one tells you to bake it directly on the rack, baking it until it's golden brown is listed as part of the instructions, so yeah, I feel like he's failed at what he set out to do. I saw it coming off a tray and looking like it was baked on a tray.
Unsure if it’s an editing software macro or not but respect to whoever edited in the chalk sound effect for being fully committed to an unnecessary thing.
Close your eyes and listen. Does he not sound and talk exactly like sam sulek
I also liked the angry cat screech when he tossed the offensive California Pizza Kitchen slice off camera. Well timed with Andrew's "oops!" flinch. 😄
@@contentdeleted4978 Sam Sulek & Andrew could do a very interesting collaboration, a lá Mike Israetel/Adam Ragusea.
@@contentdeleted4978not at all
The smallest of details matter a lot
I love Red Baron, if you bake it directly on the rack it gets browned and crispy since the crust is on the thinner side.
Yep. That's the only way to bake a Red Baron, tbh.
And you can’t have too much sauce!!
And I love the Red Baron French bread pizzas as well.
@@annfromma8456 I’ve never tried! I gotta go get one!
I really like the Brick Oven Red Baron cooked right on the rack. Wish he'd tried that one.
Red baron is great if you overcook it. The crust gets super crispy without burning the cheese
Red baron is the best hands down. Especially for the price.
Completely agree on the overcooking. I also use a pizza pan that has holes cut in so the crust gets extra crispy. Red Baron is my favorite frozen pizza brand!
Yep. Only overcooked. Or else it’s not that great. Haha
its a shame he got arguably the worst kind of red baron
Came here to say exactly this. The crust is what makes Red Baron's pizza and it's a shame that the box instructions betray that fact. Always leave Red Baron in for an extra minute or two.
Also, the pepperoni is solid. The cheese is easily the worst one.
I know it's been a rough long year, but I feel like especially in a video like this it seems like the fun and sillyness is really back for Andrew, and im so glad to see he's in a better place.
Wait what happened
@@venipunkture It was in the Last meals episode by mythical kitchen but he mentions being sexually assaulted.
@@venipunkturehe was almost sexually assaulted when he went to a mental hospital because he was having breakdowns
@@skimaskalxNot almost. He *was* sexually assaulted.
Bro the year just started
I’ll say it. Tombstone pizza is THE go to frozen pizza. To quote Keith from the Try Guys, “I used to eat an entire tombstone pizza- not as a meal, but as an activity.”
Ha ha lol😂
In the old days, when they made Tombstone Pizza in Medford, WI, if cooked in a pizza oven, it was the king of frozen pizza.
oh i love that video i watch it whenever im feeling down! frozen pizza party tour 2k16!
I prefer the blind taste test. I would like to see more tests where we know, but you don't know what brand or type you're being handed, until after final scoring. I just feel there's always going to be a bias whether you want there to be or not, if you know which pizza is which. I don't think our brains can help it.
Agreed. It was just too across the board black and white.
I agree 💯
Yes. He was definitely biased and influenced.
I think this guy is really full of it and I’m not talking Pizza
A blind taste test would have been better
I do think price should be mentioned since most people who are buying frozen pizza are doing it cause it's cheap and easy. And well, a Roberta's frozen pizza looks to be about $20-30 per pizza and unless you're near a store that stocks them you, you'll be ordering online where you can't order only one at a time, making it $60-80. Which at that point you can order local, so like-
Yeah its not even vaguely an option for most people at that price.
@@davidisonyt A 2-pack 10" pizza costs 70$ with free shipping in the US. A 4-pack costs $110... I don't think I've ever brought a frozen pizza over 5$!
$35 bucks for a pizza? Maybe down to $27.50 for 4? I can buy a large with whatever I want from any pizza joint in Chicago for that price.@@Founders_
Yeah that's the thing with this channel and other cooking channels like it. I'm not sure they (both Babish and the studio) are used to taking price into consideration for much of anything anymore, so they don't think to incorporate price as a metric in the ratings (or their recipes). Sure, Roberta's might objectively be the best tasting, but I can guarantee one of the mid-level pizzas would taste better to me simply because it's $5 instead of $25. Trader Joe's is really the unsung hero here. It ranked pretty close to Roberta's and sells for around $5.50
My mistake - I thought Roberta's was stocked nationally, seems like it's only available at grocery stores in this region. In stores, it retails for $9.99@@seisage
Tony's 3.33
Table 87 7.57
DiGiorno Croissant Crust 3.87
Rao's 6.9
DiGiorno Stuffed Crust 3.33
Newman's Own 6.97
CPK 3.76
Trader Joe's 8.07
Red Baron 2.63
Amy's 4.23
Ellio's 3.07
Tombstone 3.27
Totino's 3.6
Roberta's 9.4
Home made less than a dollar
Those aren't prices 🤔
someone didnt watch the video
Tony’s should actually be a 3. They forgot to update the score when he lowered its Appearance from 4.0 to 3.0
Roberta's is 89$ for 4-pack if you can get it. I don't mind paying premium for something well crafted but naaa... take the runner-up which is 6 bucks for a pie.
If your local store has them I highly recommend the Motor City brand frozen pizza.
Crust is crisp everytime with texture and flavor.
I highly agree. I love how their double pepperoni pizza has both cubed and sliced pepperoni which really enhances the texture.
I've gotten them from costco, they were pretty delicious
Assuming it's Detroit-style pizza, which I liken to a much better version of a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizza.
Costco for the win again! Love the Motor city za... and I'm literally eating it right now. On my second square while writing this.
As a die-hard totino’s pizza lover.
I’m honestly surprised you rated it so high.
Saaaaame!! I was ready for him to absolutely rip it apart and give it zeros across the board. 🤣 Love that he has the same nostalgia for it that we do!
Agreed, to me, best pizza out there with a ton of nostalgia.
My fave of all frozen pizzas😂
Absolutely same. Like, I love totino's party pizzas, but they're almost like the mcdonald's cheeseburger version of pizza. It doesn't even really taste anything like the real food proper version, but it has it's own unique flavor that you really can't get anywhere else. That being said, being objective, it's AWFUL when compared to actual pizza.
I know right? Him saying it doesn't taste like pizza, it tastes like something else, makes me giggle because... yeah. It doesn't taste like pizza. I call it my 'cardboard pizzas,' cause... that's what the texture is like! xD Also, Combination is where it's aaat~
The instructions say place directly on rack. I find the crusts are crispy when placed directly on rack as compared to a sheet pan.
exactly. all these frozen pizzas on a sheetpan and he complains that the dough is undercooked and chewy... i wonder why lol
Yep, didn't look like he actually 'followed the directions' for a lot of these pizzas TBH. But, let's be honest here, the whole video was probably all about the "clear winner" anyways...
Agreed…. And I use a hot oven with convection
I normally use a pizza stone or pizza pan. But not preheated.
Gotta be cooked on the rack 100%
I always go to red Baron as my forever Frozen Pizza. Other favorite frozen pizza's are the Screamin Scillin , can't go wrong with the Costco's Kirkland's Pizza, and lastly the Freschetta thin crust pizza.
Despite what the recommended timer says, I try to make sure that my frozen pizza is close to a golden brown, that fine line between not too little or too much burn.
Screamin Scillin "Bessies Revenge" cheese would have smoked most everything else in this list.
Screaming Sicilian is in fact the correct answer. Well done
Red Barons are a classic, but honestly I think Jack's takes the cake as the GOAT frozen pizza
my folks back home have decided to go gluten free for some Godforsaken reason, but Costco's cauliflower crust pizza actually slaps. The go-to was Screamin Sicilian before that
He really did Red Baron dirty here. Putting them below Tony's and Tombstone is crazy.
Constructive feedback: You just compared $3 frozen pizza to $15 frozen pizza... Consider listing the cost next time.
I love how despite its utterly horrible ranking the amount of nostalgic joy you get out of the Totino's pizza. I often buy them for the exact same reasons. An old staple from my childhood both in Party Pizza and Pizza Roll form.
They just haven't been the same to me since they started making them rectangle shaped. The round ones fit perfectly into my well used/seasoned cast iron skillet. The crust would get super crispy without burning, it wouldn't stick, and it'd be done perfect every time. Used to be one of my favorite super cheap guilty pleasures.
@@_Frank_the_Tank Honestly, how would you ever get a Totino's pizza to NOT be super crispy?
@@mage1439plus the rectangles are easier to eat fold up and eat like a taco 🤰
Totino's just has an inherent advantage there.
@@mage1439microwave
My girlfriend loves digiorno pizza, and the thing everyone seems to not read on the instructions is “bake directly on the rack from frozen” if you bake it on any kind of cold sheet it will never get cooked, anyway Totinos is and always will be my favorite frozen pizza type thing! This was a fun video to watch
It's the same with Red Baron, but you can tell from how the bottom looks that it wasn't cooked directly on the rack. It also helps to use a convection oven.
The Digiorno Rising Crust Pizza (their regular style pizza) is solid, but it has to be cooked directly on the rack to get a crispy bottom.
Do another test but this time bake all pizzas directly on rack instead of using baking sheet. I would guarantee all scores will drastically change.
This man told me I have trailer park taste buds in about 20 different ways. lol.
@@seattledubc9494 I came here to say the same thing. Who cooks a frozen pizza on a cookie sheet?😂
Hey man. Baking two pizzas at once (on separate racks) is probably why the some of the bottoms of the pizzas didn’t crisp up as much. The bottom pizza would be blocking the top pizza from getting heat from the bottom of the oven, no?
Convection helps a lot with this issue
Pretty sure it shouldn't matter in a fan oven.
@@SarahSynaIt shouldn't, but in my experience with my fan oven it absolutely DOES make a difference
Came here to say this.. "we followed the directions on the box -- except we baked them two at a time" and that leads to some undercooked pizza.
also steam from the bottom pizza could inhibit browning but I'm no frozenpizzologist
I couldn't do a pizza ranking because after every bite I'd just be thinking "mmm pizza"
Totino’s is its own creation and nothing else satisfies when you want one. We know it’s not ‘pizza’, but it’s awesome! It’s like Taco Bell for Mexican food.
They were also so much better when they were round. Square just make it more "not pizza" to me.
@@_stonhinge the round ones 😭 RIP
Unironically loved the bbq one...
Bingo! I know it's not real pizza by any stretch of the imagination, but I still buy some occasionally.
It also costs like 2 dollars, I can have it cooked in like 15 minutes, and it takes me back to my childhood. Comes out great in the air fryer, too
@@scottmpieper try it in the air fryer with fresh chopped mushrooms, if you're into that. I love it.
The Totino's cheese doesn't just stick to your teeth, it sticks to your heart.
That's not their tagline, but it should be.
You said it, brother.
They use fake cheese anyway.
what cheese lol? Totino's is the absolute stingiest when it comes to cheese. but i agree with the reviewer, not a bad tasting pizza at all...
The only one that stands out, TOTINO’s. Party Pizza. “Flakey Pastry Crust.”
Crispy flakey. 2 bucks. Not really pizza. It is what it is. You know what you’re getting.
The way that you describe Totino's is exactly how I've described them to my wife who questions why I would ever enjoy such a "fake" pizza. It really is a delicious pizza flavored snack square.
it is Pizza Adjacent, and for some reason i love it. Not my favorite pizza or anything, but i just can't help but love it.
Pseudopizza
I like the three minute Kroger pizza that's really similar in taste, I just think it tastes slightly better for my tastes. There's nothing like folding one of those bad boys up and just devouring it
It's so weird. I remember going and getting a Totino's pizza for nostalgia's sake. The weird thing about it is, I could've sworn that they were round when I was a kid. I wasn't mad about this, it was just an odd change. Didn't affect the flavour at all, and I still appreciate one for a convenient snack on occasion. Still wouldn't put it up with homemade or actual pizzeria pizza, though.
@@justmutantjed I do remember it being round many many years ago, but I'm very glad the flavor hasn't changed
Interesting story about Tombstone, so it was started in the 60s by Pep Simek and named after a tavern across from a graveyard. It was later bought by Kraft and sold to Nestlé, where the recipe was changed and the pizza didn't even taste like the original.
So years later Pep's Drafthaus was released, and it's definitely one of my favorite frozen Pizzas.
Wisconsin in general has great frozen Pizza.
that Red Baron needed another 10 minutes. I put a foil ring on about halfway through so the edge won't overcook, and the underside can get well done, as well as the middle can brown up and completely melt.
People really don't listen to what is in the video. It's the company's responsibility to have better directions. He said he would follow what they directed
if you're doing that to a frozen pizza, just make real pizza, lol.
@@chemicalhapthis! I’ve seen so many comments completely ignoring that part of the video it’s infuriating 😵💫
@@chemicalhap yes we should have them make directions for every single oven available on the market
@@chemicalhap directions say to place directly on rack as preferred method. He didn't do that.
Not having Screamin’ Sicilian on this list is a crime. I absolutely love their pizzas, one of the only brands I’ll get.
This was an ad for Roberta's pizza. It needed to be a clear winner.
@@evelynn4273I think ur right. Although, I have looked and see nothing where he indicates this is a sponsored post or an ad. But, why have all pizzas you can readily get anywhere and then BAM! This one pizza only located in Brooklyn. A bit disappointing that he wouldn’t be upfront about this. Especially with 10 mil followers.
It’s my favorite also. I was surprised it didn’t come up.
They sell Roberta's at whole foods
@@evelynn4273clearly not, as ads need to be clearly stated on TH-cam. If not, it’s against TOS. Just from watching the video you can clearly tell it’s the best anyway. It’s not like he over exaggerated or anything.
I just looked up the price for ordering Roberta's pizza online and it's $70 for 2 pizzas... I think this clearly makes the Trader Joe's pizza the winner because why would anyone spend $35 on a frozen pizza?
They sell Roberta's at my Whole Foods. They're about 12 or 13 dollars, I think.
Who orders frozen pizzas online?
The Newman's own sourdough peperoni pizza with ricotta is my favorite frozen pizza. But you have to put it in the oven until the peperoni starts to blacken at the top.
I know he said they're following package directions, but most frozen pizza says to bake directly on the rack now. And some of those pizzas looked pale like they were on pans.
They probably were on a pan
Bit late to the game here, but just want to say that I think cooking them all on a pan, and not directly on the rack (which most do say on the package). really makes a huge difference to the crust. Otherwise enjoyed the video :D
Thats what I was going to say too, it was funny when he says directly as the package says, when they are all on baking sheets with parchment paper, and sometimes even 2 at a time which also can affect baking times.
i agree with this also it would have been better if cooked on the rack as most packages do say and cooking them one at a time as Max said below makes it different as well.
This so much. No surprise the thin crust pizzas got somewhat brown and crunchy, but all the thicker ones were doughy. Gotta bake it directly on the rack.
Totinos is my favorite cheap frozen pizza. I recognize it for what it is, and take that into account. I do miss that they used to be circular instead of rectangular, because now I have to cut them instead of just folding the whole thing in half. As a lifelong poor person, they are tasty and they are filling.
You should check out Freschetta's sometime. Also, always skip "rising crust".
The point of a frozen pizza is to eat all of it and immediately be ashamed of yourself and your careless actions. It is a regretful act that repeats itself like once a month
Should have had a 4th criteria... price. To compare a $2 frozen pizza to what i bet is a $12 frozen pizza is a little ridiculous without accounting for the price.
This applies heavily to Red Baron. It's like $4 cheaper than DiGiorno and makes (I think) a better product. It's basically like getting a name brand pizza for the price of a store brand and it delivers a quality product.
That would make sense if this were a shopping guide
For $12 you might as well get a dominos or pizza hut pie
doesn't matter because this is a tier list based solely on the quality of the pizza
@@snangoboman2111 The Screamin' brand makes decent frozen puzza
I'm a big fan of the Newman's Own line of frozen pizzas. Especially great if you add some extra mozzarella yourself, but that's a hack for almost any pie.
Especially since the cheese is where most frozen pizzas slack off.
It appears to be the top scorer for a frozen pizza you can find at just about any grocery store. The Roberta's looks great, but I've never even heard of it before, let alone seen it in a grocery store near me.
I normally don’t get offended, but he rated my favorite(tombstone), a 3.6. That will always be my favorite. Not surprising he likes Italian style pizza. 😑
@@Southernguy41 tombstone is garbage tier pizza, lol. it's extremely processed and falls short in every category. 3.6 was generous.
Extra mozz and some garlic powder was how I doctored up many a cheap frozen pizza and even some chain store pies. Little Caesars, I'm gesturing in your direction.
If you do more pizzas I suggest “Screamin’ Sicilian,” some of the best frozen pizza I’ve had in a while
You made the comment about Elios being like school pizza- back when I was in elementary school, it literally WAS the pizza they served there :P I even asked the lunch ladies so we could try and buy it at home cause I really loved it. I still eat it today- it's not anywhere near gourmet, but it's filling and nostalgic for me.
The B-roll showed you guys cooking all these in pans. Are they supposed to be? When I make a frozen pizza I just throw it directly on the oven rack. Maybe that's why so many of the crusts were so pale and undercooked.
Yeah, or at least a hot pizza stone.
I know for a fact many of those pizzas say not to put it on a pan, but maybe some of them say to do it. I know newman’s, cpk, and red baron say not to specifically
If you ever did a follow up video, I'd love to see how Katie and Alvin could improve each pizza with different spices, cooking methods, or minor ingredient upgrades (no toppings still). There's only so much you can do but that's the challenge.
+1000
Absolutely a top idea. You already have your baseline as well, so the fun would be to let Andrew try them without telling him what they did first, then seeing his reaction.
Love this idea! When we we're broke, the gf and I always would do this to make our frozen pizza a bit more special rather than ordering delivery or whatever.
add hot sauce, dont put too much thought into a cardboard pizza its not worth it.
I get little Caesars or something, take apart the pieces and freeze them. Then if I want pizza I take out whatever slices I want, add fresh cheese and heat.
Wow, Tombstone actually comes in a box now? Back in my day, we didn't get a box, it was shrinkwrapped with a paper cover (showing a picture that the pizza would never live up to) and a cardboard circle you had to remember not to slide into the oven. Of course since that was 40+ years ago, maybe Tombstone couldn't afford boxes in those days. It did the job but I'm pretty sure if I bought one today, its only value to me would be nostalgia.
Love this series! Now I'm wondering what it would be like if you ranked salisbury steak TV dinners.
I was saying the same thing…when did they start putting them in boxes?
The Tombstone we buy always comes in that shrink wrap to this day lol. I have no idea where he got those in the box.
@@Autumn_SunrisePublix sells them in the boxes iirc
Even I remember that from like 10-15 years ago
Same here. Don't think I've ever seen a Tombstone in a box.
I like Dr. Oetker's which are apparently the most popular frozen pizza in Italy. They're made in Canada but the company is from Germany.
I feel like there was something wrong with your Red Baron pizza, because none that I've ever had look like that. Also, are you cooking any of these directly on the oven rack? Because I know at least a few of these brands call for that, but none of the bottoms looked like you did.
He definitely didn’t, which makes me question the whole video cuz he said he read the directions 😅
Robertas paid advertisement gang
@@SifuMig Comment section bot gang
They show footage of pizzas cooking and they are ALL on pans! no wonder so many have soft lame crusts!
Yeah I was about to say this. The Red Barron one is undercooked by at least 2 minutes.
I think some of the issues Andrew has with the real frozen ones would be addressed by following the "for crispier crust" instructions on the box.
Yeah it seemed like he was just pulling them out two minutes too early. Following the specifications is fine, but every oven is different, so you need to know that and adjust accordingly.
For years I’ve just put the pizza directly on the rack, an unheated pan/tray or pizza stone will ruin any chance at a crispy crust.
@@SpiralSine6 most unheated pizza stones will shatter if you put it into a pre-heated oven. I know from watching the failures of others breaking $150 pizza stones 😅
Agreed. I’m usually pushing my frozen pizzas up to 5 minutes longer than what the package says to get the crust how I want it. I recently picked up a carbon steel pizza tray that I preheat with the oven and get an even better result. That can’t fix the flavor of some of these, but definitely addresses the “doughy” issues. I even do this with some takeout pizzas if they show up chewier than I want.
@@jmcmonster a carbon steel pizza stone, at that point you can make your own za cmon
This was really enjoyable. Do frozen dumplings next.
Pierogi🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤
nuggies
Ling Ling brand all the way. I love them and do the little cornstarch skirt on them, too.
Nah
Say please
15:06 I got a DiGorno ad at this part
Would absolutely love for this to become a series.
Totino’s party pizza is the pizza I grew up eating! I love cooking it until it’s super crunchy and dark, definitely probably overcooked. Folding it like a taco and just munching on a whole pizza. 👌🏻
Yeasssss do that will all them and it makes them so much better
Yup. Personally I never get the he got but the meat party I think it’s called I think it tastes best. Torino’s was and kinda still is one of a either lazy dinner or a broke dinner which was both in my case. It’s looks can sometimes be deceiving but it always tastes great.
not one original experience 😭😭
stouffer's french bread is one of my favorites that wasn't here. It's crazy how crispy and soft the center of the bread is for a frozen piece.
It’s the goat honestly
You gotta really let those bad boys cool down before you eat them though.
They come out of the oven like nuclear rods.
@@palestalemale8831you’re not lying. I toasted one after drinking all night. Was too dumb to wait like I usually do. My skin melted off the top of my mouth 😂
yes. Also Jack's wasn't here.
I grew up in the same town as one of their factories and grew up on Stouffers French bread pizzas along with their lasagnas. they used to have an outlet store that you could go to where they would sell the products that were slightly off and couldn't be sold in a normal store so we would go pickup a giant box of the pizzas for a fraction of the price and keep them in our deep freeze and have them as a meal after school while doing homework or having friends over.
I used to be a huge fan of the frozen California Kitchen pizza. Slapped on a ton of provolone cheese before heating it in the oven.
This is a series I'd love to see more of; a quality chef ranking consumer-grade products.
Gordon Ramsay ranking boxed mac and cheese
I know you’re following the rules on the boxes but it’s killing me how undercooked these pizzas are 😂
Especially the Red Baron and the Tombstone tastes wayyy different when it’s actually crispy and the cheese is melted
Red Baron always takes less time than needed in my oven, it's 60 years old too!
Yeah, that is entirely on them. These pizzas are not like this. Not when I bake them, anyway. And are we to believe that I am better at baking oven pizzas than the professionals?
Yep. A lot of those pizzas had directions for baking directly on rack. I bet he didn't do that, there's the problem.
@@Krysdavar I suspect this as well. They probably used a stone, or a sheet. And maybe they did a combination of that, and tweaking the bake-time.
Some of them were even over cooked. And I have had a majority of the pizzas shown here. NONE of them would look for me like they looked for them.
Like that Tony's pizza? Yeah, I suspect they even added some cheese to it.
Did you notice, too, that they never showed the opening of the boxes?
@@danielduncan6806possibly they didn't show the box opening cuz the video was long enough already?
I’m counting this as an unofficial Community Babish episode. Leonard would approve
Would you say Andrew is streets ahead?
Shut up Leonard, I found your TH-cam page, what's the point of reviewing frozen pizza!!
@@DisplacedDragon Hey, you're talking about it!
That's a buy!
@@SympleSynif you have to ask you're streets behind
0:34 All of these pizzas except Table 87 and Roberta's are supposed to be baked directly on the rack according to the directions, not on a baking sheet. That's why the bottom crust on most of these was bad and ngl this was a bit frustrating to watch.
>fast forward to the end
>the top 4 tiers are all brands I've never seen in my life
You’ve never seen Trader Joe’s frozen pizza?
@@Hrbb1no. I've never been to a trader Joe's
They might go by Aldi’s if you’re out of the states. The chain is all about small stores with little variety but very high quality. I actually recommend it, I don’t think I’ve really had anything of theirs I outright disliked.
We’re gonna have Robertas and not California Pizza Kitchen? Insanity
@@spartanhawk7637 I've lived in the states my entire life I also have never been to a trader joes. Never even seen one. It's not just a out of states thing
Having worked in a Tony's Pizza plant, I can confirm that Tony's makes Red Baron. It is the same sauce and ingredients between the two. IIRC, it was only the crust and perhaps the amount of toppings that was different.
Tony’s has been my favorite since ever and I remember enjoying the Red Baron deep-dish too lol makes sense
Yeah Tony's, Red Baron, and Freschetta are all Schwan's brands.
Totino's is the only one that still gets picked up. It is just pure joy and childhood on a frozen roof shingle.
What is it about Totino's. It's wrong on so many levels but it's 💯 right all the time.
@@rumbleinthekitchen_Amy I believe the crust is fried which is what gives it that unique flaky crunch
The nostalgia has so much power for me. I love it so much.
And somehow they've been 3 for $10 for like 30 years.
Totally agree. I have a pizza oven and make all my own and yet still buy totinos haha. Side note, GFS sells the old Mexican pizzas the used to serve in elementary schools. Add on top shredded lettuce and taco sauce and it is amazing!
I was a poor college student and tombstones were on sale for $2 so I bought 30 of them. Now I'm dead.
So Roberta's from GoldBelly is $25 each IF you order 6. Not sure what the price is in a store. But that's insane.
Could get 20 Totinos for that.
$14.99 at C-town supermarket
I think an often underrated pizza is Freschetta. Their self-rising crust is the closest thing to fresh that I’ve ever found in a frozen pizza.
I bought it on sale once. The entire family said never again. It just tasted... weird.
I love their sauce and the way their cheese crisps in that weird way! One of the biggest things I miss after becoming allergic to milk
The cheese freschetta is my absolute favorite.
I was coming here to say the same thing! Also one of the very few brands that offer a Hawaiian pizza.
@@jeppinatoryes! I love Hawaiian pizza!
Babish be like... im Babish
babish be like. “it’s binging time”
I hope this comment blows up so simple.😂
He's babish
Hes babishing
Babish
My trick to frozen pizza is finish it in a hot pan so you can brown up the crust. 1-2 minute letting it sit there helps a lot 😊
I would also like to see Stouffer's French bread pizza in this competition especially since Elios is in there.
Screaming Sicilian is my go to for frozen pizza. Think it's pretty solid.
Wholeheartedly agree.
It still has that frozen pizza taste (not that that's necessarily bad, just different), but yes it's probably the best. I like the Ultimate Deluxe.
In my area we have one called Home Run Inn pizza. I think that is the best, doesn’t have that frozen pizza taste to it.
Same
@@mr.e2136 this. it isn't even close; shame they don't distribute nationwide
I like Red Baron. I grew up with them as a kid so it's got me on the nostalgia factor. Plus I have a small oven and baking on the rack cooks it perfectly. And I can eat a whole Red Baron cheese pizza by myself off the cutting board with minimal clean up. Plus they cost like $5 at my local Dollar General, that's the cheapest meal near me lol
My kids love Red Baron over the Trader Joe's pizzas. I think frozen pizzas are just subjective.
The red baron deep dish pizzas that are meant to be a single serving are AMAZING and there's nothing else like it in my grocery store
Red Baron brick oven crust is way better than the classic crust. Would have liked to see it represented here
Yeah, that one surprised me. I don't really do plain cheese, but I could have sworn I remembered Red Baron used to spice their cheese pizza.
The French bread boat looking pizzas are my fave! Supreme life!
haven't had Ellio's in years since i was a teenager but i grew up on that stuff, i particularly liked the dotted pattern to cut the slices into 3 that was on the underside of the crust. i remember it being bright red saucy and delicious for my taste (again i was a kid and was what we could afford) it broke my heart to see what it looks like now lol
Entertaining! My suggestion is that it should’ve been a blind taste test. Really would’ve been fun to see if you could identify the Totinos without knowing it going in for the bite.
Couldn't work cause of the Roberta paid advertisement
Did any of the instructions suggest putting the pizza directly on the rack? It's been decades since I've had a frozen pizza, but that was common among the ones I bought and following that always yielded a crisp crust.
Most of the ones they made usually say rack OR pan/sheet. So not sure why they went with the pan/sheet method. Source: I just made some Red Baron a few days ago. It says put it on the rack.
It's definitely the way to go. Says to do that on the box for a reason, I imagine baking 2 at a time on sheet pans & parchment paper was to save time
Tony's specifically says rake, that's why his was soft.
I think they all recommend putting them right on the rack. Babish should redo this video! 😂
@@bdshort Botched by Bonus by Babish lol
Freschetta with a trusted premix of Italian seasonings is a pretty great frozen pizza option 👌🏽 love it
Please do more of these series!!! I love seeing a chef rate everyday things
Maybe they don't carry Freschetta where he is, but I find it to be the absolute best frozen pizza.
I agree. I wish he included it here. I can only find it in select stores near me.
Came here to say this. Sauce is second to none and the crust is amazing. Also dig their “brick oven” style pizzas. Went from living in NY to New Zealand and the frozen pizza game is waaaaaaack here
I was about to type this in the comments! I remember growing up they had a version with sauce in the crust that i desperately trying looking for in stores and searching online but to no avail.
Fr every food review I seen with frozen pizzas no one carries Freschetta. Absolutely my favorite!
Would love to see Babish review American MRE’s
Chili Mac sweeps the competition
Babish and Steve1989 crossover?
That would be awesome
@@PartyRockProfessional Chili mac with jalapeno cheese spread mixed in was my favorite when deployed.
Babish should make steve a mre to review
Great vid Babish! Could you do a video where you make frozen pizza better? Some little tips that most anyone could do to the pizza to make it a better experience.
Nestle corporation owns CPK, DiGiorno, and Tombstone.
Schwann's makes Tony's and Red Baron
@@KLondike5 I couldn't tell you. Google isn't giving me any specific answers yet.
@@KLondike5
Schwans had always tried to process their own products
Ice cream. Pizzas. Etc
They have different lines of products for different markets.
Hot stuff pizza often found in convenience stores is an example of this
Who owns the company today.
The family still runs the delivery as a separate thing. Believe is now known as yelloh.
Whether the family has any interests in processing side idk.
Red Barron. Tony’s. Freshetta are among the brands of schwans
Freshetta has an interesting origin story to go with it.
tombstone is the best
@@thelunatick1993I was gonna say that too. The Schwan’s family sold the frozen foods side to CJ group along with the Schwan’s name. Which is why the home delivery has changed to Yelloh.
They flash freeze most of their products. Also did you know that they are also the company that supplies Costco with their pizza? A lot of schools pizza too.
They also own a ton of Asian food brands and even supply Panda Express with their noodles.
Would love to see the price of each at the end rankings
same
I’m somewhat surprised you didn’t try the Freschetta Frozen Pizza because literally it’s one of the best Frozen Pizzas and also the least expensive of the Frozen Pizza’s.
so so true i’ll always champion this pizza
Came here just to say that - Freschetta is my go - to.
They did Digiorno better than Digiorno and they should advertise themselves exactly that way
And not exactly a secret. It’s commonly known to be a fan favorite
I lived off of these in grad school lol I was disappointed to see them left out!
Red Baron meant to be cooked on the rack in the oven, not on a pan... That bottom looks like it was cooked on a pan.
Best thing I ever bought for pizza is a screen. Allows air to flow to the bottom of the crust unlike a sheet pan. And it's easier to handle vs just baking it on the oven rack. And it's great for homemade pizza. Just build it on the screen and put it in the oven. No peel needed.
this is genius
I use my cookie cooling rack. Easy!
I always bake frozen pizza directly on the oven rack. Never had a problem handling it.
Home made goes on a pizza steel. I wonder how well home made would work on a screen over the steel? Transferring the raw pizza to the steel has always been my least favorite part of making home made pizza.
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the Totinos. It is a distinct thing that isn't pizza, but I feel like people unfairly dump on it. When I was a broke college kid, it was either that, mac and cheese (if you had some milk and butter handy), or ramen. Splash it with some Tabasco and baby, you got a... well, it's not a stew or pizza, but it's highly edible.
You should adjust the scores based on the price of each frozen pizza. I would calculate an average of all their prices and then adjust the scores up or down depending upon how much above or below that average they are.
Otherwise, this is an arguably unfair comparison as I am certain that DeGiornos or Tony's could make an amazing pizza if they had the price point of Roberta's.
Price points for the same pie can vary widely from week to week or store to store. In Portland right now, Newman's has a base price of $10 +/-.50 at every store, but Safeway currently has them "on sale" for $9.49 while Fred Meyer's has them truly on sale for $6.
I've even seen Red Barron go on sale for as low as $2 a pizza, but that's like a once a year type of deal.
Place Directly on Center rack... not on cookie sheet.
Very shocked Motor City Pizza didn't make the cut, easily one of the best if not the best-frozen pizza available to the masses.
Never heard of her.
@@TheVerucAssault Was going to post this. Picked up some at Costco. EASILY the best frozen pizza I've ever had. The family agreed.
💯 they popped up in our Walmart a few years ago and I've been buying ever since
Might not be available where he shops.
It wouldn't meet his metric of "must taste exactly like New York style or Neapolitan pizza" The rating system is pretty skewed in my opinion, but than again taste is subjective so 🤷🏽♀️
Maybe it’s the camerawork, maybe it’s the way Andrew prepared them but every single pizza I just saw in this video looked so much better than every frozen pizza I had here in germany
Probier mal die von Gustavo Gusto! Das sind die besten :)
Idk but they look undercooked to me
wth? What kind of Pizzas are you eating here? Most of them looked like the cheap Ja! Pizza or budget Aldi ones tbh
@@Motti22 kp dann wars vielleicht wirklich einfach die Beleuchtung oder der Hunger aus mir xD
You must have atrocious frozen pizzas in germany because these looked awful to me xD
Motor City Pizza in the frozen section is legitimately phenomenal
Probably best frozen pizza ive tried ( never eat frozen pizza thou)
Never heard of it... or Table 87.. or Roberta's. Must be regional.
Bought at Costco. Tastes just Little Caesar's lunch combo special to me.
it's fine
Became my favorite Frozen pizza last year! Fantastic
Table 87 and Roberta's appear to be NY regional, and are actual pizza restaurants that ship frozen to customers. Not a grocery store frozen CPG, so I wouldn't consider them part of the category. Weird that some of the highest selling brands like Jack's, Freschetta, Screamin' Sicilian are not included. Lot of other contenders too, like Classico, Bellatoria, and Lotzza Motzza (though that last one may be upper Midwest only).
Most of the pizzas youve tried here tell you to bake them direct on the oven rack to get the crisp bottom you were missing in this vid. Still a nice throwback.
agreed! A lot of those pizza were undercooked! which I'm sure affected the taste. Also, it would've been nice to get the price too. That should affect the score, in my opinion, If a pizza costs $20 vs $3, that should matter in comparison too!
Thank you! lol He says that they cooked them according to the instructions, but apparently then never actually bothered to do that
Sure, but who does that? You put it on a pan so you have something to grab and bring it out. If you put the pizza directly on the rack, what now? Take the whole rack out? Try to get you oven mits under it? Eat directly off the rack? MADNESS!
@@MikeSchinlaub Who does that? Normal people? You don't have to take the whole rack out, you just slide the pizza off the rack lol It's not rocket science
Passive aggressive
For how cheap Totino's pizza is the taste/vibe of it is perfect. It really is just that perfect cheap pizza tasting snack.
It is a unique product. Wonderful, but not quite pizza.
I agree. I'm not sure it's pizza, but it's super nostalgic and delicious in the right setting.
I think the fact it's cheap and you know it is makes it taste better.
I never ate it as a kid so I’m not nostalgic for it. So believe me when I tell you, Tostino’s is the most foul tasting “pizza-like product” I’ve had the displeasure of trying
My go-to frozen pizza has always been Home Run Inn, but from what I understand it can be hard to find it outside the Chicago area. Its worth trying if you ever do see it in stores.
ive found home run inn in socal and boise.... personally i like it more than pizza from most of the pizza places around .... i always scoop a few up when theyre on sale 2 for 10
Yes, it’s easily my favorite
the only frozen i’ll buy. love it ❤
Home Run Inn - Sausage pizza is our absolute favorite. We fix it up with basil, oregano, garlic, extra cheese, olives, and mushrooms. 😙👌🏻
Last time my wife went out of town, I bought one Home Run Inn Meat Lovers Pizza, and it was all I ate for the whole weekend.
I really like the Digiorno hand tossed crust. It’s really the only frozen pizza I like and cooks well every time. I struggle with the other digiorno crusts.
23:10 about nostalgia affecting your judgement: the Jolly boys have a friend, Z. He is an amazing, world-class chef, born and raised in Italy. Pizza is his favorite food, and he is incapable of recognizing several new evolutions of pizza, because they do not fit his nostalgic idea of pizza. Chicago Style is top of the list. About that pizza, in particular, I agree.🤗🤗🤗
As far as frozen pizza goes, I love some home run inn. Tastes exactly how it does at the restaurant (obviously the restaurant though is better cause it's made fresh) but Connie's is pretty fire too. They have a nice garlic seasoning on the crust that always gets me going haha
Homerun inn is great. Approved
Literally my favorite 2 options as an Illinoisan, in fact, I just got done eating a Connie's .
we're literally twins lol. home run inn and Connie's are my go to's for the frozen pizza. HRI is just a super high quality pizza and Connie's has a top tier thin crust.
@@Sun.ce.214 honestly, a huge fan of the sausage Connie's uses. Probably not the most accurate for pizza, but has the most flavor to me
having recently retried the Connie's frozen (they were on sale at Jewels with a digital coupon for like 5 bucks in December) they were really bad. I remembered the connie's being better. HRI is still the GOAT frozen pizza for me especially the 3 meat sausage, pepp, and uncured bacon.
Babish would hate Aurelio's because of the cheddar cheese if he ever were to try it.
Babish: Roberta's pizza looks amazing
Me: THERE IS AN ENTIRE PEICE WITH NO CHEESE ON IT!
He’s clearly biased
IKR I thought it looked like the worst pizza by far.
@@keiichi8191 May look bad to an American mind. You're probably used to those huge cheese loaded NY pizzas. Actual Italian pizzas do look like that, although I don't agree that it looks Neapolitan. Neapolitan crust is fluffy and full of air, and that looked like a combo of Roman and Neapolitan pizza
Yeah we're used to pizzas being fully covered not half assed @@danielcues
@danielcues idk how many times this conversation must be had, but "real italians" are the ones who immigrated to america and americanized the italian recipe. American pizza is just as "real" as Italian pizza. That's how the culinary arts work and have always worked worldwide forever
Yeah Red Baron Supreme is my go to frozen pizza
Hey I like this format…but if I could make a suggestion. I’d like to see more of these but with you and some others on your team and friends. It’s fun to see other foodies give their opinions and reviews. I’m a huge fan of your show and love when new Babbish content comes out. Love from Utah!
There's a special place in my heart for Ellio's pizza because I used to eat it as a kid. And I cooked it like a kid too. The cheese was still cold and the dough was soggy, but I still loved it.
I’m shocked the Baron ranks so low. Every time my friends and I go away, we do these taste tests and always find the Classic RB pepperoni to be the best of the bunch. Every time it’s ready we clear the runway for his landing, as the Baron is a classic. Accept no substitutes.
A shame really. Supreme Baron reigns supreme for me and my crew. At the end of the day, yes it's frozen pizza, but in no world is it worse than your standard-issue Tombstone. Objectively though, I've never had their four-cheese, and evidently the box directions didn't do it any favors here.
I like Red Barons as well. It sounded like he had some grudge against it tbh
Deep Dish mini red barons are second to none, this team undercooked it purposely, then went on to put Robertas pizzeria vs frozen pizzas. I bet he wouldnt put Robertas vs Di Fara frozen lol. Dudes a chump.
I love Red Baron so much. Just had the brick oven pepperoni today!
Yeah, red baron is my favorite too. Although I like the singles on french bread and sometimes the "brick oven" kind.
To my fellow Canadians who can only find Red Baron and Amy’s, I suggest trying Holy Napoli, if you can find it. It’s expensive, but it may well be the best frozen pizza you’ve ever had.
Its crazy how much Red Barons little pizzas are improved with pepperonis, at least to me.
I'm sure cooking them properly would also be an improvement 😂
Suddenly I would like to see Andrew make his own pizza rolls
I like Home run inn but it’s about as expensive as buying a regular pizza. It’s also unconventional because the pizza is already cooked but they freeze it afterward and you’re basically reheating it.
Home Run INn has been constantly on digital coupon sales at JEwel and Tony's in Illinois since last year of buy HRI pizza 4.99 limit 2. I was feasting on HRI frozen pizzas because I'd use my account and have my mom load hers for me to stock up since they wont use those coupons. Im shocked HRI still doesnt have more of a national presence with their frozen pizzas because i think they got better from the 90s when we'd school fund raise with HRI frozen pizzas in elementary school.
@@GrindyMcGrindy I prefer it that way. It's our Illinois secret. I've read other reviews about frozen pizza, they all say HRI is the best but it can't be the best because it is only sold in Il.
Red Baron goes hard... something about it makes me think of my childhood, lol. I get the combo one
It is fantastic pizza for sure!
To be fair, most boxes have the (ovens may vary) caviat, so..... you should be able to use a pizza oven AND your best judgement on time and temp. That is how you compare frozen pizzas. All at their peak.
Most people don't have a "pizza oven" in their homes
yeah but he does, would be nice to see what these pizzas would look like at the top of their supposed game, maybe even compare it to a normal home oven.@@B_Bodziak
@B_Bodziak do you know what "vary" means?