Canstar Blue’s frozen pizza review sees ALDI Casa Barelli, Dr. Oetker Ristorante, Dr. Oetker Papa Giuseppi’s, Coles, McCain and Woolworths compared on their taste & quality of ingredients, ease of preparing, variety, value for money and overall satisfaction.
Aussies have rated ALDI’s Casa Barelli best in Canstar Blue’s 2021 frozen pizza review, giving it five stars for variety, value for money and overall satisfaction.
Frozen pizza is often an underrated addition to the shopping list, with the tasty option a handy meal for households that are rushed off their feet, or those who aren’t confident in their culinary abilities. With the versatility to feed a small army, frozen pizzas are also generally cheaper than most takeaway pizzas, making them easier on the budget as well. Luckily, when it comes to choosing the pizza to stock up on, consumers aren’t short of options and flavours. But where can you find the best quality and value? That’s where Canstar Blue can help.
For our latest ratings, we surveyed nearly 600 Aussies for feedback on the frozen pizza(s) they bought and ate within the last six months. Respondents rated brands on taste and quality of ingredients, ease of preparing, variety of meals available, value for money and overall satisfaction. Those that received at least 30 responses are featured in our ratings.
Our latest survey found ALDI’s Casa Barelli is the frozen pizza Aussies ‘knead’ to satisfy their cravings, rating it five stars for variety, value for money and overall satisfaction.
Here are the best brands of frozen pizza in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s 2021 review:
ALDI’s Casa Barelli is the new hot favourite, receiving the only five-star review for overall customer satisfaction. Dr. Oetker Ristorante and Dr. Oetker Papa Giuseppi’s crunched four stars overall, while Coles, McCain and Woolworths got three stars for overall satisfaction.
It’s also worth mentioning that Coles rated best for value for money, carving out five stars, with Dr. Oetker Ristorante and Dr. Oetker Papa Giuseppi’s also scoring five stars for variety. Dr. Oetker Papa Giuseppi’s additionally earned top marks for taste & quality of ingredients, alongside Dr. Oetker Ristorante which got the same result for ease of preparation.
ALDI Casa Barelli is just one of many popular private labels from the German discount supermarket. Aside from other Italian-style dishes like Ricotta & Spinach Capellaccio, Casa Barelli also spins a variety of stone-baked frozen pizzas that are available for just under $4. Some flavours to expect include Spinach, Mozzarella and Vegetable.
Want the “real Italian pizzeria taste at home”? You might want to try heading to your local supermarket before booking a ticket to Rome because Dr. Oetker Ristorante claims to have a frozen pizza range that’s just as good. Dr. Oetker Ristorante offers a variety of tasty flavours such as Ristorante Funghi, Ristorante Gluten-Free Mozzarella, Ristorante Hawaii, Ristorante Pepperoni, Ristorante Quattro Formaggi and who could forget Ristorante Spinaci?
The second frozen pizza range under the Dr. Oetker brand, Dr. Oetker Papa Giuseppi’s features a variety of deep pan pizzas, stuffed crust pizzas, pizza pies and paninis. The Rising Stuffed Crust range includes a tomato sauce stuffed crust and several topping flavours like Four Cheese, Pepperoni and Supreme. For a slice that’s crispy on the outside and soft inside, the Deep Pan line offers BBQ Meatlovers and Hawaiian flavours.
Not to be outdone by ALDI, Coles also has its own range of frozen pizzas, each available for a similar price of $3.30. It offers slightly more flavours to choose from, including classics such as Hawaiian, BBQ Meat Lovers, Supreme, Margherita and Pepperoni. Most pizzas weigh 500g, except the Margherita which weighs 470g.
A Canadian company, McCain has long been a favourite for Australian households, with the catchphrase ‘Ah McCain, you’ve done it again’ a common saying in the early 2000s. Offering anything and everything within the frozen food section of your local supermarket, McCain’s frozen pizza range includes plenty of options for a busy household. With Family Pizzas, Ultra-Thin Pizzas, Rustica, Slices, Singles, Pockets and even Pizza Bases, McCain does it all. Family Pizzas (500g) will cost you $7, while both the Ultra-Thin and Rustica options will scan through for $7.50.
As with most grocery lines, Woolworths offers Aussies its own range of frozen pizzas. The brand offers flavours including Hawaiian and BBQ Meatlovers, with the size of each pizza being 500g. A Woolworths pizza will set you back just more than $3 at the checkout, which makes the supermarket among one of the most affordable options.
The brands mentioned above aren’t the only options worth picking up. After all, the list of delicious frozen pizzas available in supermarkets is as long as, well; a piece of stringy cheese ─ never-ending! Here are a few to check out:
Besides flavour and crust base options, nutritional information is perhaps one of the most important things to consider. It’s important to know what’s going into your body, especially if you’re prone to food sensitives like with gluten or eggs. Although, only a handful of consumers (13%) look at the ingredients list on the packaging of their pizza. As a general rule, avoid pizzas that contain hydrogenated oils and if you want to save some calories, opt for thin-crust bases instead of the thick-crust style.
Frozen pizzas are a popular option for many households – but it seems fewer people are taking a slice, with the number of Aussies who say they eat it at least once a week dropping to 20%, from 31% in 2020.
One in four (27%) consumers admit to enjoying a frozen pizza when they don’t have time to cook, despite a handful (14%) feeling guilty for not cooking. Additionally, 22% say they only grab a slice when they’re dining alone.
While frozen pizza may not be the first thing you think of when you do the grocery shopping, there’s no doubt it can be a lifesaver when it comes to getting dinner on the table in a hurry. There’s certainly a convenience factor when it comes to frozen pizza. But which brand and flavour you end up putting in your shopping trolley will come down to your personal preference, as some prefer the cheap and cheerful pizza and garlic bread combo from the supermarket chains, while others may prefer a bit more substance to their pizzas, and are happy to fork out a bit of extra cash for a larger meal.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s home & lifestyle journalist, Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito. She’s an expert on household appliances, grooming products and all things grocery and shopping. In addition to translating our expert research into consumer-friendly ratings reports, Tahnee spends her time helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services, while highlighting the best deals and anything you need to be aware of.
Online Grocery Shopping Reviews
Picture credit: Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com
Our latest frozen pizza review saw various brands rated best across different research categories:
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 3,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have purchased and eaten a pre-made frozen pizza (i.e. from the frozen section of the supermarket) in the last six months – in this case, 590 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then alphabetically. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
2020
2019
