11 Pizzas From Costco, Ranked From Worst To Best

On days when dinner seems like an overly complicated set of steps, the prospect of going out makes you squirm, and the idea of DoorDash makes your bank account weep, a simple, pop-in-the-oven meal is just what you need to get out of that meal paralysis. My favorite go-to? Frozen pizza. Thankfully, that most beloved of warehouse stores, Costco, has several options for frozen pizza, though the selection is admittedly less significant than most grocery stores. Like any supermarket, there is a range of quality in these pizzas. Not to mention, there are even fresher pizza options if you are more in the mood for something less frozen. For these you'll need to venture to the cafe, dry food aisles, or the deli.

To figure out which Costco pizzas are worth your time, I devoted a week to trying all the Costco pizzas I could. Ultimately, I discovered that there are some real standouts, and a couple that are nothing short of disappointing. My hope is that this week of delicious pizza tasting will serve you and your family well. Let's get your freezer stocked to help ease any dinner paralysis that may come your way.

My least favorite pizza was easily Sabatasso's pizza singles. The box came with pepperoni and cheese pizzas that are sized to be personal pizza servings. They were honestly pretty small, more child-sized. The directions on the box have instructions intended for the microwave and the oven. I tried both, and though the different methods produced wildly different results, neither was enjoyable.

When I cooked these in the oven, they came out too stiff, and the cheese browned, but not in a way that was pleasing. Instead, it was more hard, brown, and just shy of being burnt. I can imagine these offering a convenient pizza option for those summer days when you want quick lunches for kids by the pool, but if you're looking for something even mildly flavored, these pizzas won't do it. You'd be better off cooking some larger pizzas and serving them party style.

Since the oven produced less than desirable results, I wondered if the microwave would make up a better pizza. It did not. The cheese melted in a more pleasing way, but the pizza and crust was too soft and chewy, even though it had been cooked. I can't recommend these in taste or texture, and I even made the decision to get rid of the extra pizzas rather than keep them around for future lunches. Honestly, the pizza you remember from elementary school that came in those little rectangles that perfectly fit your tray were miles ahead of these pizzas.

Though it was a little better than the pizza singles, the gluten-free pizza from Sabatasso was also at the bottom of my list. In this case, the offender was still texture and flavor, though to less of an extent. For texture, I found this crust far too chewy and needed a lot more crispiness. Not only that, but it cooked very unevenly in a way that none of the other pizzas did.

Upon taking my first few bites, I wasn't offended by the flavor, but it wasn't very special, either. However, after a few more bites, an aftertaste began to develop that had all the feel of a food that is trying (and failing) to mimic something else. In this case, it was gluten-free pizza trying to pass itself off as fully gluten pizza. Honestly, gluten sensitivity is difficult enough; those who suffer just deserve a better product. Thankfully, I tried other options that were far better.

Most of the pizzas that I tried from Costco were frozen, but when I stumbled upon this pizza kit, I knew it would be a good one to try and include. Please be sure you pay closer attention than I did to this pizza and note that it is a starter kit. Meaning, it is missing some necessary ingredients you'll need to make a full pizza. For our case, I wanted to keep it simple and just make a cheese pizza so I could really assess the flavor of the crust and sauce (the two included items). If you were wanting to make a specific type of pizza, you would also need those toppings.

This starter kit came with enough to make three pizzas, making it the perfect start for a make-your-own pizza night. I could imagine a few specific cases when a pizza kit like this one would be the ideal option, but I didn't think the flavor of the crust or the sauce was anything too extraordinary. It tasted fine, but it wasn't something I would seek out over some of my favorite frozen pizza options. 

If you want a specific arrangement of specialty toppings or need some specific ingredient (like a dairy-free cheese, for instance), these would make a good replacement for some of the other pizzas. However, if you're just wanting a cheese or pepperoni option, Costco has some better pizzas that require less assembly.

In general, I've had great success trying out Costco's affordable Kirkland Signature products. From baked goods to snacks and even some absolutely fantastic ice cream, I find them to be pretty consistently great. That said, that quality takes a little dip in pizzas. Instead of blowing away many name-brand versions, I found them to be pretty average and middle of the road, especially the thin crust pepperoni pizza. This pepperoni pizza placed a little lower than the cheese pizza because I enjoyed the feel of the crust slightly less.

This pepperoni pizza was generously pepperoni-ed, but the crust was just a little strange. It was too thin to be considered pan pizza and still too thick to be considered a thin, cracker-style or tavern pizza. Other than this gripe, however, this was a solid pepperoni pizza. Though I prefer my pizzas to be more veggie-heavy, my pepperoni pizza-loving husband enjoyed the overloaded toppings on this Kirkland Signature pizza, so pepperoni lovers will most likely enjoy this one. It's a solid basic offering to keep on hand.

There's certainly little chance I could review Costco pizza without trying the offering in the food court. At all Costco locations I've been to, you'll find the food court right at the front of the store, normally just beyond the checkout. Here, you can purchase one of Costco's legendary hot dogs (which far outrank Sam's Club hot dogs, in my opinion), stop by for a sweet snack, or even grab a piece of pizza. The slices are generous, melty, and hit the spot.

I put these slices ahead of the pepperoni pizza from Kirkland but below the brand's cheese pizza, because as much as I enjoyed the melty cheese on this pizza, it was perhaps too cheesy. I know; I was surprised I felt this way, too. Even still, the flavor was enjoyable and it hit the spot. I liked the cheese pizza variety better than the pepperoni one, though both were decently good. 

Perhaps the best part of these pizzas is the sheer fact that the slices are very large, so it feels like quite the bargain at just less than $2 per slice. Even still, there are several food options I'd go for at the Costco food court before a slice of pizza.

I enjoyed the frozen Kirkland Signature cheese pizzas more than the fresh pizza in the café because they were cheesy without going overboard. When it comes to balance between sauce and cheese, these strike just the right balance. I did, however, find it to be a very pillowy crust. It wasn't as substantial as some of the other crusts I tried that were intentionally thick, but this pizza was pretty thick anyhow. As someone who grew up on thicker pan pizza styles, I didn't mind this thickness, but I can imagine it seeming like a little too much for some.

At $11.79, this was the least expensive of any of the pizzas I purchased. For that price, you get four whole pizzas. These are good-sized pies, too, so if you're looking to stock some basic cheese options or even use your own toppings to elevate frozen pizzas, these would be ideal. The only reason I didn't rank these higher is because the other pizzas were a little more enjoyable, mostly because of the different toppings included. All told, I prefer these over any other basic supermarket frozen cheese pizza.

One of the first pizzas I tried from Costco was the ever-popular Kirkland Signature supreme cauliflower crust. I'll admit that I was skeptical. Cauliflower crust? I've certainly tried crusts made from cauliflower in the past, and to say they were a failure would be putting it mildly. This crust, however, is very good. There is a slight cauliflower taste to it, but if you already like the vegetable, this won't bother you, and I found it enjoyable.

I liked the toppings on this supreme pizza, but I can imagine the fact that it's made with meat alongside the veggies being troubling for vegetarians. It seems strange that a crust so focused on a veggie would include toppings meant for an omnivore. In any case, the pizza is delicious, delightfully crunchy, and a much better gluten-free choice than the gluten-free cheese pizza from Sabatasso's. However, Milton's cauliflower crust was even better than this one. Plus, it's a veggie pizza, not a supreme pizza.

Most frozen pizza directions recommend that you place the pizza right on the center rack of your oven. Bari's Sourdough Crust Cheese Pizza, however, requested that I cook it on a sheet pan. Since the crust came out with a tender bite that was soft but not too soft, I think the recommendation panned out.

The cheese mixture itself was a pleasing mix of different varieties and felt more elevated than most frozen cheese pizzas do. This pizza clearly intended to set itself apart from other cheese pizzas both in look and texture, and I thought it accomplished this task well. Though there appeared to be a lot of cheese here, it didn't come out overly cheesy, which was a nice surprise. In general, I found this pizza reminded me more of a cheese bread than a typical pizza. Though I didn't mind that here, I can imagine that being a problem if you're aiming for consistency and a basic cheese pizza experience.

I didn't think cauliflower pizza crust could get better than the way Kirkland Signature did it, but Milton's proved me wrong. Milton's veggie pizza on a cauliflower crust is crunchy in all the right ways, flavorful, and will have you completely fooled into believing it is a gluten-heavy crust. When I was a vegan, I frequently encountered allergy-friendly breads at restaurants. These breads were the gluten-free and vegan offering at the same time, so I've had my fair share of gluten-free breads. This pizza was completely different.

Of all the pizzas I tried, this was easily my favorite gluten-free pizza. The crust took on a tavern sort of style and was crunchy but not too much so. The roasted veggies maintained an appealing appearance and also had a nice roasted taste and feel. My husband, who did not like the crunchiness of more raw veggies (like those on the Kirkland Signature veggie pizza), found the texture of these veggies much more enjoyable. 

If it weren't for two pizzas that absolutely blew me out of the water, this would have been ranked as my favorite. But Milton's just can't quite hit the gold and silver medalists here, even if I never imagined bronze would go to a gluten-free pizza.

Of the non-frozen pizzas, Kirkland Signature's take-and-bake pizza definitely takes the cake. You'll find the take-and-bake pizzas near the bakery and deli area. There, they'll be in the cooler cases alongside the other ready-to-bake meals, like meatloaf and stuffed peppers. During my time as a Costco member, I've seen a few different varieties of take-and-bake pizza. On this visit to gather items for this ranking, I found a four-meat pizza. 

Once cooked, this pizza was flavorful, tasted fresh, and obviously had quality ingredients. Since I am more of a veggie pizza person, the fact that I enjoyed a four-meat pizza is more than a little surprising. However, I must admit that this pie won me over in terms of both texture and flavor.

One of the benefits of frozen pizza is that you can stick it in your freezer and take it out when you are ready for it, even if it's been a couple of weeks. I didn't have the same luxury with this take-and-bake pizza, and it needed to be made pretty quickly after purchase. If this is a pizza you're planning to purchase, be sure to make it within a couple of days so it doesn't go bad sitting in your fridge.

The crown jewel of the frozen pizza aisle at Costco is the Motor City Pizza Co.'s Double Pepperoni pizza. Detroit-style pizza is rectangular in shape and is typically cooked in a steel pan. It makes sense, then, that a Detroit-style pizza brand (even a frozen one) would take special care to include a pan for cooking. While it isn't made of steel, the included pan still does an admirable job. Before cooking, you'll notice there's plenty of cheese around the edges of the pan and even below the pizza. Don't make the mistake of trying to clean up these shreds — they're some of the best parts about this pie. The cheese crisped up all golden and delicious and formed something of a crispy cheese halo around the outside of the pizza.

After sitting for the five recommended minutes after cooking, I dug in and found that the pizza was soft on the inside with an incredible crispiness outside. The perfection in this pizza came from its fluffiness and crispiness working together to complement a highly flavored pizza. There are two pizzas in the box, so after you fall in love the first night, there's another one waiting for you the next night. 

Simply put: Don't sleep on this pizza. I should mention that this wasn't my first opportunity to try Motor City Pizza Co. — I have sampled the brand's supreme pizza before this pepperoni offering, and it was as delicious as the meaty pie I tried here. If you happen to see the supreme option at Costco on your pizza pickup, go ahead and grab a box of those, too.

Over the course of about a week, my husband and I cooked and ate pizza for lunch and dinner. Over the course of those meals, I ranked these pizzas according to how enjoyable they were, taking into account texture, taste, and just how much we liked eating each one. The pizzas that ended up as my favorites were ones that had a nice texture for what the pizza was aiming for and a taste I enjoyed eating. In some cases, a particular pizza was outshined by another because even a good pizza can be overshadowed by one of the best frozen pizzas I've ever had. 

To ensure that the pizzas performed as the different brands intended, I closely followed directions for preheat temperature and cook time (even though defrosting your frozen pizza may really make a difference), generally selecting a time somewhere in the middle of the range if there was one. With the pizzas we enjoyed, we grew something of a stock pile in our freezer. However, the ones that were our least favorite ended up in the garbage pretty quickly after tasting and photographing.