Best frozen pizza for the $

[Exterous]

Since I can get Red Baron brick oven pizza on sale for $2-2.50 fairly frequently that's my vote.

 

[lxskllr]

Something from aldi I guess. I don't like any of the supermarket semi premium pizzas. I like the bottom end cheapies, or the deluxe gourmet. The stuff in the middle doesn't do anything well.

 

[Zanovar]

I usually end up raking mild cheddar over frozen pizzas these days.They have become stingy with the cheese ive noticed.What is more annoying is that its not even spread out evenly.Should make my own i suppose.

 

[Zanovar]

chicago town tiger crust are nice.Not 3 pound nice though.2 quid again ill bite.

 

[Maxima1]

Since I can get Red Baron brick oven pizza on sale for $2-2.50 fairly frequently that's my vote.

Oh wow. Red Baron brick oven pizzas are rather mediocre. If they didn't discontinued them (extremely foolish and whoever decided that should have been fired on the spot), I would have said Red Baron rising crust and Red Baron pan pizza (I can't recall the former -- I think I was getting the pan but probably both similar). They were VASTLY better than the typical Red Baron pizza. Inside the same brand, the french bread are decent (for some reason, you really can't go wrong when it's french bread).

For dollar value currently from the one's I've tried in the past, probably Jack's pizzas and french bread pizzas. A little more expensive I would say Sweet Earth. Newman's is like an upgraded Jack's but also more expensive.

 

[stargazr]

I have been getting Red Baron lately although not that cheap. We also like Jack's from Wal-Mart. Not real crazy about Tombstone anymore.

Tried a Midtown pizza, really good but a few more dollars. Different than the usual frozen pizza. Also for a more expensive pick Paul Newman pizza is pretty good.

 

[ElFenix]

Tried a Midtown pizza, really good but a few more dollars. Different than the usual frozen pizza.

those were better when they were central market brand

 

[ponyo]

Tostino's Party Pizza. Used to be able to get it for around $1 a pizza. I haven't bought one in years so I don't know if that's the case.

I grew up eating this so I have soft spot for it.

 

[UsandThem]

When I want a cheap frozen pizza, it's either Tony's or Tombstone when they are on sale (which one always is). Truthfully, I like those two brands better than DiGiorno pizzas.

 

[OccamsToothbrush]

I have been getting Red Baron lately although not that cheap. We also like Jack's from Wal-Mart. Not real crazy about Tombstone anymore.

Tried a Midtown pizza, really good but a few more dollars. Different than the usual frozen pizza. Also for a more expensive pick Paul Newman pizza is pretty good.

Jack's, Tombstone, Digiorno and California Pizza Kitchen are all Nestle's. They're pretty much the same ingredients arranged slightly different ways to pretend that they're unique items. Kind of like the entire Taco Bell menu.

I don't really like any of the frozen pizza's and it always comes down to the crust. The regular thin crust pizzas are like eating a pizza stone and the rising crust pizzas are like trying to choke down a dough bomb. A pizza crust should be slightly crisp while still being slightly chewy. NONE of the frozen pizzas get that right. I think the rising crust like Digiorno *could* be decent if they started with a lot less dough. The way they are now the ratios are all wrong and the crust overwhelms everything else, it's like a loaf of bread with pizza sauce on it. If they used the same formula for dough, but cut the volume in half and increased the toppings they might get close to real pizza.

Best bang for the buck? None of them are good, so buy whatever is cheapest.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Honestly, I eat a lot of the Red Baron personal-sized pan pizzas, the thicker crust, that's micro-wavable. Works for me, at least. Tasty enough, filling enough, cheap enough, and they stock it down the street from me.

Edit: The OP did ask for "best FROZEN pizza".

I get Pizza delivered, rarely these days, from local shops, and it's like 100% better freshly-made.

 

[Maxima1]

Jack's, Tombstone, Digiorno and California Pizza Kitchen are all Nestle's. They're pretty much the same ingredients arranged slightly different ways to pretend that they're unique items. Kind of like the entire Taco Bell menu.

Have you tried any of those? It would be so easy to guess what you're eating if you were blindfolded.

I don't really like any of the frozen pizza's and it always comes down to the crust. The regular thin crust pizzas are like eating a pizza stone and the rising crust pizzas are like trying to choke down a dough bomb.

Agreed. There's a big problem with the crust with a lot of them. Freschetta fits the dough bomb, though despite this I think their rising pepperoni is decent in comparison to a lot of other choices. Red Baron pan pizza did it great for thicker crusts. A lot of the thinner crusts are just awful.

Best bang for the buck? None of them are good, so buy whatever is cheapest.

This isn't that bad of advice as it's sad to say that Celeste, Totino's, etc. at the bottom taste better than the Tony's, Tombstone, Red Baron, and other more expensive choices.

 

[daveybrat]

This is my current favorite:



It's not cheap at $7.99 MSRP but it comes in it's own baking pan and tastes almost identical to a pizza chain's deep dish....and lot's of cheese!

 

[VirtualLarry]

It's not cheap at $7.99 MSRP but it comes in it's own baking pan and tastes almost identical to a pizza chain's deep dish....and lot's of cheese!

Is that a full-size (more or less) pizza, or a single-serve size? I'd like to try it, but I have a relatively small microwave. (Was thinking of getting a newer 1.1 Cubic Foot 1100W model, from Walmart for $69.99. Current model is an older .7 Cu ft 700W unit. Hey, it was only $30 at BestBuy on some Hot Deal at the time, and I needed a new microwave oven.)

Also, bolded is very important, but you will pay more for that.

 

[IronWing]

For cheap pizza, I prefer Jack's. The thin crust is better than the others.

 

[OccamsToothbrush]

This isn't that bad of advice as it's sad to say that Celeste, Totino's, etc. at the bottom taste better than the Tony's, Tombstone, Red Baron, and other more expensive choices.

Yep. Celeste, given its size and its price is actually a better bang for the buck than Tony's or Tombstone or the other big names. They're all so remarkably similar. The sauce is always too sweet, the cheese tastes like plastic and the crust is either thin and rock hard and completely unlike real pizza or thick and bready and completely unlike real pizza. If you're eating Jack;s or Tony's or DiGiorno you might as well be eating Celeste, Celeste isn't any worse.

 

[daveybrat]

Is that a full-size (more or less) pizza, or a single-serve size? I'd like to try it, but I have a relatively small microwave. (Was thinking of getting a newer 1.1 Cubic Foot 1100W model, from Walmart for $69.99. Current model is an older .7 Cu ft 700W unit. Hey, it was only $30 at BestBuy on some Hot Deal at the time, and I needed a new microwave oven.)

Also, bolded is very important, but you will pay more for that.

Larry, it's a full sized pizza that has to be cooked in the oven. Totally worth the time it takes to make it though!

 

[Atreus21]

When I want a cheap frozen pizza, it's either Tony's or Tombstone when they are on sale (which one always is). Truthfully, I like those two brands better than DiGiorno pizzas.

+1 for Tony's.

 

[lxskllr]

I like Celeste. Actually like it, not just tolerate it. My only complaint is the size of their personal pizzas. Seems like they get ever smaller. I wonder what's gonna happen when they run out of stuff to remove?

 

[BudAshes]

Amy's pizza from Costco isn't that bad.

 

[jpiniero]

I actually tried the Walmart brand pizza, haha. Had to throw it out, couldn't stomach it. Red Baron is OK.

 

[Brainonska511]

Our local grocery store - Star Market - has a decent store brand pizza of spinach and mushroom. Usually costs about $3-4 and it's the same size as your standard DiGiorgnio pizza. We don't usually get them, since they're so salty, but sometimes, they're nice for a quick dinner.

 

[Fritzo]

Since I can get Red Baron brick oven pizza on sale for $2-2.50 fairly frequently that's my vote.

SCREAMIN' SICILIAN - Hand down.

 

[zinfamous]

Trader Joe's Wood-Fired Sicilian

+

package of pepperonis (package is good for like, 4-7 pizzas, I guess, depending on your preference for the meat sweats or not)

= good eats. The pizza is something like 5 bucks, I think, and pepperoni is maybe $3-4, so divided over pizzas/pepperoni package, that's like $5.70 for a pizza. ....not that cheap, but still not bad compared to others in that price range.

The glory of the TJ's Wood-fired Sicilian:

--it's all veggie, so doesn't suffer from "blech, frozen meat-on-pizza syndrome!" yeah, you know what I mean
--those veggies are red pepper and ...cheese (cheese is a veggie, right?). so the red pepper is more sweet than bitter, but a mild bitter. no real sugar in this thing
--the frozen chili oil pacakge that comes with it. Yes, this comes with a garnish of chili-infused oil. You thaw that sucker in the warm water and then drizzle over the pizza before you put it in the oven--especially the crust, but generously across (And on top of you pepperonis....maybe...if you decide to add them)
--the pepperoni factor: I just love pepperoni on pizza. screw the haters. It's the only meat I really want on there. ...it's just perfect to me. So, if you want simple meat + veggie, this is the best way to do it on the cheap. ....and the way you do that is by tossing fresh pepperonis on a frozen, thinner crust veggie pizza that you cook fast (~10-15)min, at 400-425 F. That is the key, my friends. The fresh, uncooked pepperonis will get nice and crispy, not too greasy for the frozen pie, and cook at perfect texture compared to the quick-heating pizza. ..and depending on how cooked you like them, you can control that by maybe removing the pizza midway, and quickly arranging the pepperonis on, then quickly tossing back in. Sometimes, this is the way to go, indeed.

The chili oil, of course, adds a nice browning, ~nutty richness, and of course a tiny tiny beat of noticeable heat at times, especially with some decent pepperoni. ...and to that end, do this with all of your frozen pizzas: a couple of spritzers of olive oil over the surface--especially the crust.

It's versatile, and it is how to do frozen pizza like a pro.

 

[Iron Woode]

I haven't had frozen pizza going on 3 decades now. I just can't stand it anymore.

I did find some decent store brand fresh pizza that was actually good. I bought that at Sobey's (Canadian grocery chain). They did a good job considering.

I usually just make my own pizza unless I am feeling lazy.