# Why is it so damned hard to make a good frozen pizza? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 23, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869 "2006-04-23T17:30:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/21 "2006-04-23T22:37:35Z")
> [@The Gaspode](#): > > but I’ve never found a frozen pizza in the supermarket that was even close to the worst fresh pizza. I have to disagree with this. Frozen pizzas are a bit meh, but I’ve never had an actively bad one. Which is more than I can say for pizzaria pizzas. Papa Gino’s cheese soup, Pizza Hut’s oily pan pizzas…those are actively bad. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/22 "2006-04-23T22:41:33Z")
You’re comparing spit to snot here. Both are kinda gross. I don’t think there’s a frozen pizza on the planet that can compare to even an Uno’s slab fresh and fresh out of the oven. And there are a Hell of a lot better pizzas out there than Uno’s. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/23 "2006-04-23T22:45:36Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > I actually rather like frozen pizzas, and in my opinion they’re getting better all the time. When I compare the frozen pizzas of today to the ones of 10-15 years ago, the difference is incredible. I second this. Frozen pizzas used to be soggy cardboard and tasteless sauce; now at least some are quite good. The good fresh ones are better, of course. > [@ITR champion](#): > > Freschetta is the magic word. I love all of their pizzas. They pile them with extra cheese, and the crust is soft and doughy and chewy. I second this as well. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/24 "2006-04-23T22:58:01Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I very much doubt there’s a big national Swedish frozen-pizza industry > [@The Gaspode](#): > > Actually, there is. Ha! In your _face_, monkeyboy! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/25 "2006-04-23T23:12:45Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Most homemade pizzas suck… At _your_ home, maybe. Mine kick ass. A pizza stone in the bottom of your 500 degree oven makes all the difference. 'Course, here in Brooklyn, world-class pizza is available on every street corner, so I only make my own when the Ukulele Lady is in the mood for a leek-and-feta pie, or some other such thing. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/26 "2006-04-24T00:16:54Z")
> [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > At _your_ home, maybe. Mine kick ass. > > A pizza stone in the bottom of your 500 degree oven makes all the difference… Um, yeah, like I said in the last half of my post. Putting brick or stone in your oven and cranking up the heat gives you good pizza. My pizza’s damn good, thankyouverymuch. I’ll smack you with a pepperoni, you…tomato pie maker, you! _mutter mutter_ Take on a Chicago girl 'bout her pizza skillz, will ya… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/27 "2006-04-24T03:41:53Z")
Well, he’s from Brooklyn; you know where they make real pizza ;). ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/28 "2006-04-24T05:36:36Z")
Next time you come to the US, indeed, try a Freschetta. They are very good. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/29 "2006-04-24T13:07:54Z")
Hmmm - Tombstone Pizzas are all sorts of better than Chuck E Cheese, or are they frozen as well? ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/30 "2006-04-24T13:52:32Z")
> [@The Gaspode](#): > > Some might disagree, but pizza isn’t exactly rocket science. Maybe not, but pizza isn’t easy, either. You’re trying to get a crisp crust with a cooked, possibly “chewy” interior, heat the sauce, and melt the cheese, while possibly warming meat and vegetable toppings. And you’re trying to do it from a frozen state. That’s not easy. I assume they have to add all kinds of weird chemicals to make it all happen at the same time. Even if you have a 500º pizza stone in your oven, the frozen pizza isn’t designed to be cooked on it. They have to build them to work across different ovens, and with and without cookie sheets. I’m actually surprised when they don’t taste like a turd. Even homemade pizza takes a lot of experience to find the right position/temperature/crust interaction in your oven to get it all to happen properly. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/31 "2006-04-24T13:59:21Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Well, he’s from Brooklyn; you know where they make real pizza ;). Now THOSE are fighting words. We here in the Pizza and Hot Dog capitol of the world will defend our deep dishes with our lives. Why, there’s at least 3 New York style pizzas inside of each and every Chicago deep dish. Why settle for one, lousy, floppy pizza when you can have exponentially more in a nice, thick tasty one? > [@pulykamell](#): > > Even the local Jewel (a Chicago-area supermarket) had a generic brand of frozen pizza that was quite nice. Are you referring to the Chef’s Kitchen ones? Those are rather good, and can be gotten for as little as $2 a pop when they’re on sale, but the regular “Jewel” brand ones are some of the worst frozen pizza offenders. I’m also going to guess that we have more frozen pizza options than some other locals. Does the rest of the world have frozen Gino’s, Uno’s, and Home Run Inn’s available in the freezer? Those Home Run Inns are really, really good frozen pizza. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/32 "2006-04-24T14:58:33Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > Are you referring to the Chef’s Kitchen ones? Those are rather good, and can be gotten for as little as $2 a pop when they’re on sale, but the regular “Jewel” brand ones are some of the worst frozen pizza offenders. Yep. Chef’s Kitchen is the one. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/33 "2006-04-24T15:08:54Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > Now THOSE are fighting words. We here in the Pizza and Hot Dog capitol of the world will defend our deep dishes with our lives. Why, there’s at least 3 New York style pizzas inside of each and every Chicago deep dish. Why settle for one, lousy, floppy pizza when you can have exponentially more in a nice, thick tasty one? Cause the New York style pizzas are infinitely better ;). Why have thick and merely good, when you have thin (but not too thin) and heavenly :D. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/34 "2006-04-24T15:24:40Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > My husband likes the frozen pizza from Schwan’s better than my homemade pizza. I put some extra spices and a dab of extra cheese on 'em, but hubby would probably like the Schwan’s pizzas just as much if they were right out of the box. Well, right out of the box and warmed up a little. 😛 FYI: Schwan’s also makes Tony’s, Red Baron, and Freschetta pizzas. I really like the Tony’s pizzas. I buy plain cheese and then add my own toppings. We also have a pizza oven, which I finds improves frozen pizzas considerably. I’d definitely have a frozen pizza than a pizza from some of the chains (Pizza Hut, Domino’s). Those are just nasty. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/35 "2006-04-24T15:32:41Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve had some really good frozen pizza–here, in particular, Palermo’s thin crust frozen is quite good. California Pizza Kitchen–if you’re into that sort of thing–can be quite delectable. Even the local Jewel (a Chicago-area supermarket) had a generic brand of frozen pizza that was quite nice. There’s plenty of frozen brands, in my opinion, that beat places like Domino’s, Little Caesar’s, and Papa John’s. > > That said, all the frozen pizzas I’ve had in Europe sucked (I’m assuming you’re in Europe, based on your location), while most restaurant pizzas have been quite good. One thing I’ve always done to make them taste better is to add a bit of freshly grated cheese, and a sprinkling of thyme and hot pepper flakes. Cook them up in a very, very hot oven. My problem with most frozen pizzas are the instructions ask for a fairly cool oven (I like mine at 225-250 C (approx 450-500F). The cool oven makes the crust all soggy and soft. Yuck. Pizzeria Uno is now doing frozen pizzas at Jewel. They rock. In fact ever since our favorite local pizza joint sold to a loser, we haven’t been happy with parlor pizza at all. We’re doing Uno all the time now. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/36 "2006-04-24T16:03:31Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Even the local Jewel (a Chicago-area supermarket) had a generic brand of frozen pizza that was quite nice. There’s plenty of frozen brands, in my opinion, that beat places like Domino’s, Little Caesar’s, and Papa John’s. Jewel Chef’s Kitchen Thin and Crispy. It is the absolute best frozen pizza in our area, period. Then again, it’s not hard to beat Domino’s, Little Caesar’s and Papa John’s. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/37 "2006-04-24T16:09:13Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Cause the New York style pizzas are infinitely better ;). Why have thick and merely good, when you have thin (but not too thin) and heavenly :D. You may want to put that mason jar\* away now 😃 \*vague moonshine reference ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/38 "2006-04-24T16:26:50Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > Now THOSE are fighting words. We here in the Pizza and Hot Dog capitol of the world will defend our deep dishes with our lives. Why, there’s at least 3 New York style pizzas inside of each and every Chicago deep dish. Why settle for one, lousy, floppy pizza when you can have exponentially more in a nice, thick tasty one? As a born and bred Chicagoan, I must say, I do prefer East Coast thin crust pizzas (although Chicago does have a couple decent places for thin crust, like Pat’s and Vito & Nick’s). Deep dish/stuffed is a twice-or-thrice a year treat for me–way too heavy for week-to-week consumption. At any rate, I think Chicago-style pizzas are a category of their own, and should be considered separate from what most people call pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/39 "2006-04-24T16:48:23Z")
> [@mike1dog](#): > > There are two frozen pizzas I find okay. One is Stouffers French Bread pizza. The other is Digiornos. Neither is as good as take-out, and they take almost as long to cook as it takes to get a carry-out, but they are cheaper. Seconded – I buy those two brands regularly. But I don’t buy the microwaveable DiGiorno’s, only the kind that goes in the oven: frozen pizza might be a second-class citizen, but microwaved pizza is an abomination! > [@Tengu](#): > > Pizza Hut’s oily pan pizzas…those are actively bad. Oh man, I love Pizza Hut’s pan pizza. It’s totally greasy as hell, but when I order pizza that’s almost always what I get. 🙂 > [@Kalhoun](#): > > Pizzeria Uno is now doing frozen pizzas at Jewel. Uno has small, refrigerated (“fresh”) pizzas at my local grocery stores. I tried one, and wasn’t impressed enough to switch – there’s something about the sauce/cheese that just didn’t thrill me. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869/40 "2006-04-24T17:38:15Z")
Our Florida supermarkets are finally carrying frozen Pizzeria Uno’s pizzas, which are quite good. However, we in Orlando are lucky to have two actual Uno’s locations, for actual fresh Chicago pizza any time we want (a rarity in FL, where New York style rules). I’ve had Lou Malnati’s in Chicago, which I think is superior deep-dish, but Uno’s is still awesome (and so much better than any of the big chains). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-damned-hard-to-make-a-good-frozen-pizza/353869.md?page=3)