10 Costco Frozen Pizzas, Ranked Worst To Best

Among the many false facts about pizza is the one that you cannot find a store-bought frozen pie that is even remotely as satisfying as a homemade one. Believe it or not, many grocery stores sell a wide variety of frozen pizzas that are every bit as tasty and inventive as any you might get from your favorite pizza parlor. One such retailer is Costco.

While this warehouse megastore may be most well known for its iconic and beloved food court pizza, it also sells a wide cross-section of frozen pies that may be worth checking out and stocking up on. From recognizable brands (like DiGiorno and Kirkland Signature), to more obscure ones (like Roncadin and Bellatoria) Costco has a dizzying array of frozen pizza varieties that are sure to please even the most finicky member of your household.

In an attempt to help you decide which of the frozen pizzas at Costco might be a good fit for your family, I ran out to my local warehouse and stocked up my freezers with as many pies as I could get my hands on. I risked my gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health to sample them all for you, ranking them from worst to best so that you are armed and ready with information the next time you take a trip to Costco. Read on for the deep dish on the best frozen pies Costco that has to offer.

The frozen pizza that came in last on this ranking was the variety pack of singles from the Sabatasso's brand. This box of pint-sized, individual-serving pizzas is a great deal if you are striving to feed a family. The package contains six cheese and six pepperoni pizzas that are each separately wrapped for ease of preparation. At first, I was going to rank each flavor of pizza independently, but since you have to buy the whole box, that felt like it would be doing you as the consumer a disservice, so I'm going to address them both here.

While I think there is definitely a place for this item in your freezer, it may not be ideal for everyone. These pizzas are super basic. They are minimally seasoned and have an almost Hot Pocket-like quality about them. That said, if you are searching for something that is cost-effective, convenient, and not overly complex, these mini pizzas are perfectly serviceable.

My biggest issue with these pizzas was the crust. It never really browned and had an almost cardboard-like quality to it, despite the fact that it did crisp up fairly well. It also had little to no flavor to it, like a saltine cracker. This might work for soup, but it is not ideal for pizza. The cheese was rather flavorless and the sauce unremarkable. Though the amount of pepperoni was adequate, it had a highly processed taste and texture that was underwhelming.

Ranking next to last is the Kirkland Signature Cheese Pizza. This pizza didn't perform poorly, it was just among the more mundane and uninspired of the varieties I sampled. That said, it had a lot going for it and I would definitely purchase it again.

The best way to describe this pizza is simple and basic. It had a crust that was neither too thick nor thin, being crisp enough to withstand the toppings, yet not so doughy that it had an unpleasant mouthfeel. Additionally, I found the sauce itself to be well seasoned and it had a flavor that was reminiscent of fresh tomatoes.

Where this pizza was lacking was in the cheese department. Though the pizza had multiple types of cheese on it, the mozzarella dominated, making this pie rather bland in overall flavor. However, this pie would be a great blank canvas if you enjoy upgrading a frozen pizza with your own favorite ingredients, such as fresh veggies, meat, herbs, or even fruit.

Up next on this ranking was the Detroit-style deep dish pie from the Motor City Pizza Co. brand. This pie is Michigan-made and would likely appeal to those who grew up eating this type of pizza. That said, I am a Chicago-style deep dish pizza loyalist and couldn't get past the crust to really appreciate it.

The primary difference between the two is the texture and thickness of the crust. A traditional Chicago-style deep dish pizza crust is almost like a quiche. It is relatively thin, spreading along the bottom and up the sides of the pan, leaving plenty of room for the toppings, which are more like the fillings for a pie. Additionally, it has a buttery, flaky quality that is quite delicate despite the fact that the slices tend to be a bit of a belly bomb. This pizza crust was super thick and doughy, which I found unappealing.

Additionally, I thought the toppings, though adequate, were not evenly distributed across the top of the pizza, necessitating a bit of a rearrangement before sampling to ensure a balanced flavor. Lastly, the pizza ended up being quite greasy after it was baked, so I had to dab off some of the pools of fat that had settled atop the pie. That said, the taste of the toppings, including the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni, was good, which is why this pizza ranked slightly ahead of the bottom two.

The Kirkland Signature Pepperoni Pizza ranks next on this round-up. To be completely honest, this is not my first time eating this pizza. I have previously sampled it and thought it was a solid frozen pizza. In fact, it ranks among the top Kirkland brand frozen meals available at Costco, so you should definitely consider stocking up on a box of these. That said, it didn't land higher on this ranking because the other pizzas were either more unique in terms of the ingredients used or had something distinctive about the crust that appealed to me.

What this pizza had going for it was the thin crust, which was just the right thickness. It was crisp enough to withstand the toppings, but not so thick that it was dense and chewy. The sauce was flavorful, tasted of vine-ripened tomatoes, and just sweet enough to take the acidic edge off of it. This pizza had a generous amount of both mozzarella and cheddar cheeses on it, which were abundantly adorned with slices of spicy pepperoni.

Speaking of pepperoni, this pizza didn't skimp on the meat. In fact, there was so much of it that the pizza did come out a tad greasy. This was easily remedied by a quick blot with a paper towel. I also redistributed the pepperoni after it came out of the oven to ensure none of the slices overlapped and each piece had about the same amount of meat on it.

Let me be the first to say that in the past, I would have balked at a cauliflower crust pizza. They historically have underperformed, with the crust being overtly vegetable-y and having a mealy texture that hardly resembled a wheat-based one. That said, I was quite surprised to discover that cauliflower crust pizzas have markedly improved in quality and this one from the Kirkland Signature brand, in particular, fared pretty well on this ranking.

At first glance, I was incredibly impressed with the diversity of topping ingredients on this pizza. This was beyond supreme, containing multiple types of meats, a three-cheese blend, and a plethora of roasted vegetables, including mushrooms, peppers, onions, and zucchini. Additionally, I found the ingredients to be quite well distributed evenly across the pizza. Lastly, I greatly appreciated that this pizza is gluten-free and rBST-free.

Once baked, a modicum of my enthusiasm was dampened. While I thought the crust was well done in flavor and texture, I felt the whole pizza was somewhat under-seasoned. It desperately needed some herbs and spices to help bring the flavor of the vegetables out. I also thought the veggies themselves watered down the pizza crust a bit, though this improved as I allowed the pizza to sit for a while and cool. I'd recommend cooking this frozen pizza using the convection setting of your oven, if you have one, to help eliminate some of the excess moisture and give the pie a more robust, savory flavor.

The next product on this ranking of frozen pizzas from Costco is the Supreme Hand-Tossed variety from the popular DiGiorno brand. This brand makes a relatively regular appearance in my household due to its consistency and wide appeal. It has a restaurant-style quality that always delivers, even if it isn't especially distinctive in terms of ingredients. While it was by no means the best pizza I sampled, it earned a solid spot in the top five on this ranking.

What this pizza did well was the crust, which was relatively thin and crisp on the exterior and tender on the inside. It also had a decent quality sauce that was well proportioned, if not a tad acidic for sensitive stomachs. The toppings, which included pepperoni, sausage, peppers, and onions, were flavorful, though I found them to be a little haphazardly distributed across the top of the pizza, making each piece inconsistent. The mozzarella cheese, though tasty, was basic, and I felt that the pizza could have used more of it to help balance out the acidity of the tomato sauce. Overall, I enjoyed this pizza, I just wasn't blown away by it.

If you are a thin crust pizza lover, this next option is the one for you. The Ultra Thin Crust Sausage Italia from the Bellatoria brand lands in fourth place on this ranking and it has a lot going for it. First, let's talk about the crust. I will note that this crust was super delicate, so you have to be very cautious pulling it out of the package. A piece of it broke off as I unwrapped the pizza before putting it in the oven. I was willing to forgive this, however, as I really appreciated the super crisp, almost cracker-like texture.

The aroma of this pizza was also notable, with pungent Italian seasoning wafting through the air as it baked. Though the sauce was a tad acidic, it wasn't distracting, and, in fact, worked well with the more aggressive seasonings. It was also well balanced with the amount of cheese and sausage atop the pizza.

As far as the sausage was concerned, it was extremely flavorful and juicy. I often find the sausage on pizza to be something of an afterthought, with many brands using the lowest common denominator of crumbled sausage. This was not the case here, as the meat was quite delicate and had a good amount of spices. The only reason I didn't rank this pizza higher was because the top three varieties had something truly unique about them.

In third place on this ranking of frozen pizzas from Costco is Milton's Meat Lover's Cauliflower Crust Pizza. This is another case of being completely shocked by the quality of a cauliflower crust pizza. Though I wasn't completely convinced that I was eating a conventional pizza crust, this was a really well produced pie with a lot of great flavor and texture. Also, it is gluten-free.

The crust itself was thin, crisp, and crunchy on the exterior with a tender inside. While at first, it tasted convincingly bread-like, as I continued chewing the pizza, the distinctive sweetness of cauliflower emerged ever so slightly. I happen to love cauliflower so this didn't perturb me, though it may be slightly off-putting to some. As far as the sauce is concerned, this was a relatively mainstream tomato-based sauce, but it had a decent amount of spiciness to it that really paired well with the lingering sweetness of the crust.

Perhaps my only complaint about this pizza was the meat. The combination of meats was fantastic. This pizza had pepperoni, sausage, and uncured bacon pieces, each of which had a great taste and texture. I just wish there was more of it and that the meats were slightly more evenly distributed across the pizza. That said, overall, this pizza was a virtual home run for me and my palate.

Though I can hardly believe it, a gluten-free pizza landed in second place on this ranking. The Gluten-Free Four Cheese Pizza from the Sabatasso's brand is perhaps the single best gluten-free pizza I have ever eaten and it rivals any conventional cheese pizza I have tasted. The biggest issue I typically have with gluten-free pizza is that the crust is chewy, doughy, and often has a lingering aftertaste that is chalky, owing to the many starches that are usually added to gluten-free flour mixes to help give them elasticity. This was not the case here. The crust was thin, crisp, and had a marvelous flavor that was so tasty I never would have suspected it was gluten-free.

And, for as great as the crust was, the cheese was even better. Where other cheese pizzas falter this one excelled. Not only did it have a lot of cheese on it, but the cheese was really well distributed so that every slice had that gooey texture that made it super satiating. What's more, the combination of cheeses was exceptional. In addition to mild mozzarella, this pizza was loaded with fontina, parmesan, and asiago cheeses, giving it fantastic complexity and a superior mouthfeel. I honestly cannot say enough about how good this pizza was even if you do not need to eat gluten-free.

The top-ranking frozen pizza from Costco was the Mushroom Truffle Pizza from the Roncadin brand. While this pizza wasn't without its flaws, including toppings that were slightly unevenly distributed and mushrooms that were just a tad spongy, this pie was so unique and had such a sophistication about it that it won me over.

First off, I would be remiss in not recognizing the aroma of this pizza as it baked. It was a fungal fantasy of smells that really made my mouth water. The crust of this pizza was slightly thicker than I typically like. However, it was suitably crisp on the exterior, had a nice elasticity about it, and it didn't get soggy under the mushrooms — which can often leave a pie water-logged.

The garlicky sauce of this pizza was like the most spectacular cream of mushroom soup you have ever tasted. This was topped with a healthy amount of cheese, which was then followed by a generous quantity of mushrooms. The only thing that could have enhanced the umami-richness of this pizza was a drizzle of truffle oil to garnish it. Despite the fact that mushrooms are not everyone's cup of tea, I think this pizza deserves its position on the top of this ranking, thanks to its quality, uniqueness, and execution.

To sample and rank these frozen pizzas from Costco with some degree of fairness, each pie was prepared according to the packaging directions. I tasted them over the course of a couple of days to distribute the amount I ate and allow me to taste each one with a relatively unsaturated palate. While I attempted to set some of my personal preferences aside and be objective in this tasting, this is not entirely possible to avoid, and I noted this where applicable.

My primary criteria for determining where to rank each pie was texture and overall taste. That said, I also took great interest in the distribution of the toppings, noting the amount and balance of these across the entire pizza. Pizzas that had a particularly unique combination of ingredients that were well executed got bonus points, as did those with alternative crusts that held up well against more conventional ones. Overall, I think it is safe to say that there is no such thing as a bad pizza, only ones that are better than others.