I Tried And Ranked Every Aldi Pizza From Worst To Best

There are a few reasons people avoid shopping at Aldi. Among that list is that some people find the store has a limited supply of items. While that might be true in the case of things like ketchup or peanut butter, it definitely doesn't apply to its wide selection of frozen pizzas.

Aldi carries far more types of pizza than you'd likely expect, surpassing what you could count on your hands. Mama Cozzi's, one of the grocer's in-house private label brands, has an especially extensive lineup of offerings. In a quest to try all of the store-bought frozen pizzas available, it'd be unfair to leave the German market chain out of the conversation. That's why I purchased as many pizzas as I could get my hands on at my local Aldi. Because all of the company's pizzas are consistently affordable, I ranked them primarily based on a taste test. Here are the results.

Of the many frozen pepperoni pizzas there are on grocery store shelves, including the five I purchased at Aldi, Mama Cozzi's Pepperoni & Mozzarella Flatbread is the worst of them all. Right off the bat, the pepperoni pieces — which are made of pork and beef — can only be described as tasting extremely off and unlike any other pepperoni I've ever tried. Any bite without it in this pizza is better.

The edges of the pizza are crunchy, though the same can't be said for the rest of the slice's undercarriage. It's neither crunchy nor chewy underneath, offering a weird in-between of the two in which it can't decide what it wants to be. Because of that — in addition to the funky-tasting main ingredient — I can't say I'd pick this up again in the future.

Mama Cozzi's Rising Crust Chicken Spinach & Garlic Pizza is deceiving. At first look, it's one of the most presentable-looking pizzas of all the ones I tried for this article. Because despite the fact that there's hardly any chicken, the white cheese has a perfect gloss to it and a satisfyingly even spread.

As it turns out, that sheen atop the cheese alludes to the greasy mouthfeel you'll get with each bite. It won't give you a satisfying cheese pull, either; instead, you get an almost bouncy, rubbery texture that I'd imagine is not too far off from how slime might feel. It's a shame, considering the spinach is evenly scattered and has a noticeable flavor to it, unlike some of the other spinach-laden pizzas discussed later on.

This pepperoni pizza might not have come in last place as the other one did, but it's not too far off. That's for completely different reasons this time, though. While the pepperoni was a big fail in Mama Cozzi's Pepperoni & Mozzarella Flatbread, it was good here and brought about a pleasant smokiness. Unfortunately, however, some slices of the pizza only had one piece of the protein.

An even bigger issue was how thick its rising crust was. If you turn it to its side, you can literally see how tall the bread is and how very thin the layers of cheese and sauce atop of it are. Each bite is far too doughy because of this, making it an easy skip.

Another rather tasteless option, we have Mama Cozzi's Italian Style Spinach Mini Pizzas. Don't get me wrong — these pizzas are in no way lacking the leafy green. It just tastes like almost absolutely nothing, save for the smallest bit of herbs if you focus hard enough, according to my fellow taste-tester.

I wasn't able to detect any of that, but because someone else did, I couldn't knock it lower than the bland Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza. It's also just plain cute in size and convenient for on-the-go lunches. Even if the spinach doesn't do much flavor-wise, we can thank it for this pizza's ability to provide us with 20% of our daily recommended value of calcium, 8% of potassium, and 14% of fiber.

I am no fan of ranch, so I can't hide the fact that it plays some role in this pizza landing close to the bottom of the list. However, I also couldn't let it fall anywhere lower in the ranking than where it is now, as this pie has a strong taste to it. Just putting the slice into your mouth already fills your palate with a savory essence from all the titular ingredients.

It should be noted that even with these elements coming together to create a pretty potent flavor, they're all pretty dry — even the ranch. You're also dealing with a surprisingly chewy bread that has quite a bit of tug and pull to it, which I did not experience with any of the other pizzas. It felt disruptive to the experience as a whole.

Ranking side by side with the Chicken Bacon & Ranch Flatbread is the Thin & Crispy White Spinach Pizza. It, again, is a bit dry and not as saucy as I'm used to white pies being. The mozzarella and garlic cream sauce aren't as creamy as anyone would hope. However, it places a touch higher because despite it being dry, the cheese and garlic still taste good.

The spinach still has no luck here; it once again adds nothing to the experience and might as well have just been left off the pizza completely. The most it does is add a pleasant pop of color to the slice and the same welcomed nutrients, such as potassium and calcium.

I probably sound like a broken record now, but I still have to say it because it's the most prominent thing I noticed about this pizza — it's dry! Though not as dry as the lower-ranked pies, the biscuit crust itself is very doughy (as expected, I guess) and bland in some bites.

The overall flavor is fine. It's savory and carries a strong taste of black pepper. What's odd, though, is that even with this pizza's plethora of toppings, from pork belly to bacon and onion, it's difficult to distinguish them from one another. I picked some of them off individually to get a feel of what ingredient was contributing what and found that all the components are subtle. The pepper surprisingly had the strongest presence and brightened the deepness of those heavy meats.

With a name like Cheese Stuffed Crust Seven Cheese Pizza, you'd naturally expect this to be, well, cheesy. I honestly couldn't tell that the crust was stuffed in any way. Aside from it being pillowy soft, I didn't taste anything special coming from it. Still, the cheese sitting atop the slice — which consists of provolone, mozzarella, fontina, white cheddar, smoked Gouda, Parmesan, and Romano — somewhat makes up for it. The cheese is still not as strong in flavor or velvety in texture as I'd anticipate, but it'll do.

What's more notable about this option is the bread's texture. Just on the fingers, upon picking up the slice, you can feel how super soft this pizza is. However, it still manages to have a very light crisp in its undercarriage so that it doesn't feel like it has zero structural integrity.

Growing up in Jersey, sampling Mama Cozzi's Original Thin Sausage Pizza reminded my boyfriend (who tasted some of these pies alongside me) and I of the huge slices you'd find along the shore on the boardwalk (And a bit of Pizza Hut, too, now that I think of it).

The sausage on this adds a nice savory, peppery flavor, but it's unfortunately not generous enough in amount. Every bite of this pizza needs some of the protein to taste good — you sadly don't get that, though. Because of this, it's a pretty below-average pizza that I wouldn't care to grab a second slice of. I have a higher chance of getting seconds of any of the higher-ranked items to follow.

We know a Bloody Mary to be an iconic breakfast cocktail, and now we have it in the form of a pizza. Inspired by the drink, Mama Cozzi's Thin Crust Supreme Bloody Mary pizza is made of a Bloody Mary style sauce, mozzarella cheese, chicken, olives, onions, bacon, and celery. That sounds like a whole lot of ingredients, but the only thing worth noting is the black olives. They taste strong, and somehow — even as someone who doesn't typically like olives — they don't throw me off (probably because there are only a few small pieces per slice).

Minus the shared ingredients, not much about this actually tastes like a Bloody Mary cocktail. It tastes like your standard pizza, though I must say the thin crust is beautifully crispy and elevates the whole experience compared to the lower-ranking pies.

Specially Selected's Mushroom & Truffle Pinsa Flatbread sounds bougie, consisting of a mushroom truffle sauce, three types of cheese, and roasted mushrooms. The mushrooms, in particular, dominate this pizza, as they're abundant and provide a pleasant earthy flavor.

I was disappointed to learn that the same can't be said of the truffle, which is what lured me in. There's no trace of the ingredient in the slightest, meaning I couldn't bump this item up any higher in the ranking, even if the mushrooms did taste good. Plus, it wasn't as saucy as I would've wanted, especially considering another big part of the appeal is the mushroom truffle sauce — a pretty unique ingredient to find on frozen pizza. It's more like a cheesy bread than anything and therefore earns a middle-of-the-line spot in the ranking.

At any pizza joint, I'm always gravitating toward the pies with the most meat. I was expecting this Take & Bake Mega Meat pie to hit the spot. While it certainly was loaded with copious amounts of sausage, pepperoni, and salami, I can't recommend this for people looking for a good meat lover's pizza.

It's just not satisfying the way a pie from Domino's or Pizza Hut would be. The pepperoni and sausage are pretty standard, but very surprisingly, the salami (which basically just tastes like ham) doesn't meld well with the taste of the other proteins. I can't place my finger on why that's the case; all I know is you can definitely find better elsewhere.

Placing higher than the previously mentioned Biscuit Crust Breakfast Pizza with pork belly and bacon is the Sausage & Cheese version. This is for a few reasons — first of all, there is a whole lot of sausage. There's no shortage of protein, and each bite has some meat on it, meaning this product delivers on what it promises. It offers a very peppery flavor similar to the sausages you'd eat at a hotel continental breakfast.

I'm usually not one for breakfast sausage, though I can't let that stop me from acknowledging that this should be a go-to for those who do like it. The meat is accompanied by a sharp, bright yellow cheddar cheese — the combination makes you feel like you're really eating breakfast food, as opposed to Mama Cozzi's other breakfast pizza, which didn't feel distinct to the morning time.

Calling all gluten-sensitive eaters — Aldi has the pizza for you. Little did I expect that the pie with a cauliflower crust would make it this high in the ranking, but here we are. The grayish hue its cheese takes on is admittedly off-putting, though you shouldn't let it ward you off. It's not bland as the dull color might suggest and actually has a more solid flavor than a majority of the pizzas that fall to the bottom of this list.

It's good enough that I would suggest it to those without gluten sensitivities, too. Not only is the flavor good, but it's a healthier alternative, thanks to its veggie-based crust with decent amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium. Just be prepared to do some rearranging before popping this into the oven, as I found most of the pepperoni slices were in the center of my particular pie.

This pizza is kind of as fancy as it sounds. The Garlic Provola Wood-Fired Flatbread has a tall crust that surrounds the entirety of a pie that has an otherwise very thin, almost flat undercarriage (as its name suggests). Also, this crust shatters white you bite into it, which I can't say I loved and is the reason this pie doesn't breach the top five on the list.

As for the flavor, it does in fact deliver in providing a strong garlic taste. The sauce on this can be best described as tasting like Alfredo sauce, though not as heavy as it usually tastes when it's thrown onto fettuccine noodles. This basically just switched out the carb that the sauce is paired with, and I'd say it works out nicely.

Of the many frozen margherita pizzas on the market, I'm torn on where Mama Cozzi's Italian Style Margherita Mini Pizzas Fall. I can't say it tastes quite like a margherita pizza you'd buy freshly made, with distinct tastes of basil and tangy tomato.

Instead, this tastes like an elevated Bagel Bite. It's like the pizzas of your childhood, and it's a nostalgic flavor I really enjoyed experiencing during this taste test. I'll admit that much of the novelty of this product lies in its mini size. If it were in the form of a usual 12-inch pie, it'd be less special. Because it does come in palm-sized circles and reminds me of the pizzas I ate growing up, it easily makes it onto the better half of this list.

If you're looking for an aesthetic-looking pie that's appealing enough to bring to a function, the Thin Crust Lemon Pepper Chicken Bruschetta Pizza is a good bet. It's an especially tasty option to bring to something like a brunch or tea party, which is where I felt transported to while sampling a slice.

This pizza tastes heavily of pesto sauce, though it doesn't actually use any. It has a strong herb flavor that I'll largely attribute to the chicken's garlic seasoning. I didn't taste any lemon while eating this. However, this pie still takes the honor of fourth place because it's rare that a pizza tastes and looks fancy enough to consider serving at a more elegant occasion.

I suppose I have the taste buds of a toddler because anything that brings me back down memory lane has ranked favorably. Mama Cozzi's Rising Crust Four Cheese Pizza is so reminiscent of the pizza I enjoyed eating in the school cafeteria over the years. It also reminds me of the pizza you'd get at a Hibachi buffet, and I say that as a compliment. Basically, that just means this is a reliable crowd-pleaser.

The bread on this is very soft, but not in a way that it's limp or soggy. The mixture of mozzarella, Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses is nice and silky. I can see many people (especially kids or those looking to scarf something down quickly) liking this pie's overall comforting texture.

This supreme pizza regularly finds a spot on my kitchen counter, and it's for good reason. It might not taste exactly like Costco's cult-favorite, discontinued Combo Pizza, but it's comparatively affordable and just as loaded with similar ingredients, including sausage, pepperoni, red onions, peppers, and black olives.

Similar to Mama Cozzi's Rising Crust Four Cheese Pizza, this is yet another reliable option that could please a wide range of people. It would work especially great for something like a football game or a casual night in with friends — it's highly satiating and costs under $9 for a 16-inch pie that's ready within as little as 17 minutes in the oven.

Coming in at No. 1 we have Aldi's French Bread Pepperoni Pizza. This product is a winner in every way possible. For starters, it has an incredibly soft, thick bread that manages not to taste too doughy. It doesn't overpower the pizza's sauce and toppings the way it did with many of the low-ranking pizzas.

The tomato sauce is robust and has a real presence — exactly the way a good pizza should be. Best of all, there's nothing bad to say about the pepperoni, either. Sure, it might be a little oddly cut and placed, but there's plenty of it. It's also lightly seasoned with garlic, paprika, and other spices, in turn giving off a pleasant, light heat.

I purchased all the pizzas I could from my local Aldi. After popping them into the oven, I sampled a slice of each pie on two separate days so that I wouldn't unfairly rank certain pizzas while affected by taste fatigue or being overly full. 

The order was based primarily on flavor and texture as well as if the product contained and tasted of the ingredients it was advertised to. In very few cases, I also considered nutritional value.