You had us at pizza. Which brand is a freezer must-have?
At IN Food, all we’ve been thinking about is pizza (hey, Pizza Expo). Can’t say anything would be different if we weren’t going, we love this staple favorite. So, inspired by our love of cheesy, saucy goodness, we decided to compare a few frozen pizza brands to determine which is the absolute freezer must-have.
The criteria
We purchased 4 brands of frozen pizzas (all cheese only) and tested them based on overall taste, cheesiness, and sauce. After revealing the brands, we reviewed the packaging.
The contenders (price: low to high)
JACK’S
Price: $4.19
Overall Taste: 2.2/5
Cheesiness: 2.4/5
Sauce: 2.4/5
Notes:
- Overall, we enjoyed the sauce, the crispy crust, and an even melt of cheese. However, compared to the other pizzas it left us feeling uninspired. When it comes to improvements, we wouldn’t say no to more cheese!
Packaging:
- We found it interesting that Jack’s was the only brand that used photography of an enticing cheese pull on their packaging. They effectively matched packaging with their target audience (younger male, college students).
HEGGIE’S (local)
Price: $7.99
Overall taste: 3.5/5
Cheesiness: 3.2/5
Sauce: 3.7/5
Notes:
- This local pizza offers a nice, cheesy flavor that’s rich and satisfying. It has a favorable amount of cheese and tangy sauce with notes of fresh tomato.
Packaging:
- We like the smaller label that shows off the cheese and pizza goodness. A less-sophisticated design provides that ‘local brand’ appeal.
KOWALSKI’S (local)
Price: $7.99
Overall taste: 3.5/5
Cheesiness: 3.1/5
Sauce: 3/5
Notes:
- Authentic ingredient flavor profile, topped with two cheeses and seasoning. The sauce leaves something to be desired – we wish there was more!
Packaging:
- The busy design distracts from the pizza itself. The illustrated ingredients give an artisanal feel, but overall it doesn’t have us craving pizza. Compared to other brands, it has us wishing we could see some of the pizza.
BREW PUB- LOTZZA MOTZZA (local)
Price: $11.99
Overall taste: 4/5
Cheesiness: 4.25/5
Sauce: 4.2/5
Notes:
- When they say Lotzza Motzza, they mean it. We LOVED the abundance of cheese on this pizza. Brew Pub perfected the cheese pull with great coverage and texture. Accompanied by a full-bodied and flavorful sauce, this pizza left us wanting another slice (or two!).
Packaging:
- Again, we love the smaller label that shows off the cheese. Especially when this pizza has so much! The circular label works well with the shape of the pizza. We thought Brew Pub did the best job showcasing their pizza and brand with their packaging.
The results
Lotzza Motzza is the winner on all fronts. Though its regular price is most expensive, our taste test confirms that, in this case at least, you get what you pay for!