I Tried 7 Frozen Pizzas and Only One Tasted Like Real Delivery

Pizza night is the best night of the week! There's nothing easier than pulling a pizza out of the freezer, popping it in the oven and serving it up with a simple salad – voila! Dinner is done. But not all frozen pizzas are created equal. On the good side, some of them are so delicious they can pass for the kind you'd get at a restaurant with a wood-fired oven. On the bad side, the worst of them can taste like cardboard with synthetic cheese.

In order to find out which frozen pizzas are worth your hard-earned cash, we tasted 7 popular brands from the local grocery store and put them to the test. Each pie was baked according to the instructions on the box. If you don't already know this (as I didn't until recently) don't bake your pizzas on a pizza tray – put them directly on the oven racks for the best taste.

If you're shopping for some 'za, read this list before you buy. We've ranked the most popular frozen pizzas from worst to best so you can serve dinner with confidence – and enjoy!

Digiorno – Four Cheese Thin Crust $6.99

The Look: This pizza looked very cheesy, with very red sauce and had a mass-produced look about it.

The Taste: Biting in, this slice was super salty and reminded me of school pizza – salty, bland, not terrible, but nothing you'd go out of your way for. It's hard to pass up pizza but this one just isn't worth the calories.

Amy's Cheese Pizza $12.59

The Look: I have to admit, knowing the brand, I was a little wary that this was going to be a "healthy" pizza, and right out of the freezer the cheese looked a lot sparser than on the other pies I tried, and it was small in circumference.

The Taste: Surprisingly, this pie baked up cheesy and fluffy. But biting in something was off – the dough tasted super airy and fluffy, kind of like an imitation of pizza. But was it any healthier? When I compared the calories and other nutritional stats to the other pizzas there didn't seem to be a good reason to choose this pizza over any of the others. Next time I'll take a pass.

Talia Mozzarella Pizza $14.89

The Look: This was the most expensive pizza I purchased and when I pulled it out of the box, I had high hopes that it was going to meet my standards. It did have that homemade "artisanal" look about it, and I was excited to try it.

The Taste: This pizza baked up in a strange way, with the cheese looking a bit watery and the oil separating. It was not an appetizing look. Biting in, the crust was a bit gluey, as was the cheese. This pie was a major let down.

California Pizza Kitchen – BBQ Chicken $9.99

The Look: I'm not one for chicken on pizza, but I wanted to try this brand, and it was the only variety available. I have to admit, the combination of ingredients here – chicken, onions, BBQ sauce – looked pretty appealing and I was excited to try it.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The Taste: Biting in, I was surprised at how good this pizza was – a little salty, a little sweet and definitely savory. The combination of toppings all worked well together. The only downside was the crust – it was so thin and crispy, it tasted more like flatbread than pizza. And that was a big minus.

Newman's Uncured Pepperoni Pizza $7.99

The Look: Newman's is one of my go-to frozen pizzas. While the pie is not exactly exciting looking, I do like the plentiful pepperoni.

The Taste: This pie is very basic – the pepperoni lends the most flavor to it, but otherwise it's inoffensive at best. The crust isn't thick or thin, and the cheese is mild and bland. This is a decent pizza when there's no other choice (or if it's on sale).

Rao's Five Cheese Pizza $13.99

The Look: The crust on this pizza is slightly thicker and the sauce a little more luxurious looking. Rao's is known for their great sauce and their pizza is pretty appealing looking, as far as frozen products go.

The Taste: This pie has more zest than your average frozen offering. The crust has a nice bite to it and the cheese is thick without tasting synthetic. But it's the sauce that's the star here – this is the reason to pay a little more for a Rao's pie (and it's money well spent!).

Genio – The Bianca $12.99

The Look: I had never seen Genio on the shelves before this shopping trip, but I was excited to learn that it's from Anthony Mangieri, chef/owner of New York's Michelin-rated Una Pizza Napoletana. The pie looked handcrafted, and the cheese appeared plentiful and fresh.

The Taste: Biting into this crust was a dream. It was thick and flavorful and comparable to something you'd get in a restaurant, not the freezer case. The cheese lent a nuance to the pie as did the basil. I'm a convert and excited to try the other pies in the Genio line of offerings.

The Verdict: If frozen pizza is on the menu, Genio is the closest thing to restaurant quality you'll find in the grocery store!