Taste Testing Every Canned Pizza Sauce to Rate and Ranking Them
How do you determine what the best canned sauce for making homemade pizza with? Strolling through the grocery store canned food aisle near the tomatoes, you usually find a section of the store stocked with shelves of premade pizza sauces in cans and jars. As a blogger who makes pizza constantly, I routinely get asked, “Which pizza sauces are the best in stores or on Amazon?” I frequently make my own pizza sauce from scratch, but I couldn’t ignore the questions or the frequent sight of shelves of premade pizza sauces. So I began a journey to find out which sauces are the very best.
Did you know that 123 million Americans used pizza sauce in 2020?
The Best Pizza Sauce Taste Test
My experiment began by driving to local grocery stores to buy one of every brand that was available. I was amazed by how many varieties there were and the wide range of prices – some as low as $.75 cents, and some as high as $6 or $7. Seeking more sauces, I polled my readers for suggestions and cast a wider net including big box stores, Amazon, ebay, and other mainstream means of finding popular sauces. After a few weeks, I had accumulated over 50 different jars and cans to test!
Test Methodology
Controlling the test to limit variables was important so that preparation and cooking methods would not sway my opinions on the sauces. After much deliberation, I decided I would perform a 2 step test: 1. Taste the sauce directly out of the jar and record my findings. 2. Prepare a pizza and bake it to test how it would taste. I decided to control the taste test closely by keeping the mini pizza consistent using street taco flour tortillas, the same amount and brand of mozzarella cheese, baking at the same temperature, for the same amount of time.
Following each test, I recorded a score from 0-10 based on my opinion of the quality, taste, texture, and performance of the sauce. I also recorded a rationale of what I thought about each product and what types of pizza it might be appropriate to use on. I also took photos of each noting color and texture and in most cases did a video review to further document my findings.
Check out my Ultimate Gift Guide for the Home Pizza Maker for all of my top favorite pizza tools that I have personally purchased, tested and use regularly!
Pizza Sauce Ingredients
After examining each sauce’s ingredient label and noting the vast array of ingredients and preservatives used I decided it was important and interesting to record the ingredients in this test. The ingredients (particularly preservatives and artificial additives) became more interesting when I correlated my rating scores (below) to the ingredients inside the cans, I encourage you to check out the ingredient columns for some of your favorite sauces, and use those lists as a guide to developing your own homemade sauce recipe – just leave out the preservatives and artificial stuff!
Want to Make Homemade Pizza Sauce? Start With Great Tomatoes! Find Out Which Tomatoes are Best by checking out my Best Canned Tomatoes for Pizza Sauce Taste Test Results!
Ranking of the Best Pizza Sauces
| Brand/Type | Rating | Description | Ingredients |
| Bianco DiNapoli Organic NY Style Pizza Sauce | 9.4 | Extraordinarily well balanced, hearty rich texture, and vibrant fresh taste with just the right amount of herbs. You’d never know it was premade! | Tomatoes, Tomato Puree, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Basil, Oregano, Citric Acid |
| Mutti Pizza Sauce with Oregano and Basil | 9.1 | The freshest tasting and most vibrant of the pizza sauces tested. Simply seasoned and lets the quality tomatoes do the talking! | Tomatoes, Mediterranean sea salt, Basil, Oregano, Onion, Natural Flavor |
| Cento Pizza Sauce | 8.7 | Great fresh tomato taste, good texture, moderate viscosity, basil flavor, no metallic taste, low acidity, slightly sweet. | Water, Tomato Concentrate, Salt, Olive Oil, Basil, Garlic, Black Pepper |
| Campagnia Sanremo Pizza Sauce | 8.5 | Bold and rich flavors with generous chunks of garlic and shreds of fresh basil. Really robust flavor and a great sauce for Sicilian, NY and other styles which need a flavorful sauce with bite. | Tomato Pulp, Tomato Sauce, Olive Oil, Garlic, Basil, Salt Oregano |
| Pomi Pizza Sauce | 8.2 | Nice vibrant tomato flavor, thicker viscosity, moderate italian herbs, cooks wonderfully with some sweetness | Tomato juice, onion, salt, sugar, oregano, basil, pepper |
| Primal Kitchen Unsweetened Pizza Sauce | 8.1 | Fresh sauce with punchy natural flavor and plenty of seasonings. Smooth with some small chunks of onion. | Organic Tomat Puree, Avocado Oil, Sea Salt, Organic Dried Onions, Organic ONion Powder, Organic Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Organic Basil, Organic Oregano, Organic Black Pepper |
| Bove’s Traditional Pizza Sauce | 8 | Smooth sauce a little on the watery side, but holds together nicely. Fresh tasting with a zip of heat from the crushed red pepper. Bold and enjoyable. | Crushed tomatoes, olive oil, fresh onions, fresh basil, fresh farlic, salt parsley, oregano, crushed red pepper |
| Mid’s Pizza Sauce | 7.9 | Smooth with some texture, full-bodied flavor with some pleasant bite. Low acidity and no noticeable preservatives. | Tomato Puree, Sugar, Sea Salt, Olive Oil, Onions, Garlic, Citric Acid, Spices and Oregano |
| Paesana Classic Pizza Sauce | 7.8 | Super robust sauce bursting with onion, garlic, and fresh tomato flavorings. Plenty of texture and complexity. Very interesting for NY style, Sicilian, or Grandma Pizza | Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste, Water), Sugar, Vinegar, Onion, Food Starch, Salt, Olive Oil, Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavors, Honey, Caramel Color, Molasses, Dry Garlic, Spices. |
| Fiorella’s Pizza Sauce | 7.8 | Fresher tasting sauce with a punch of garlic. Some crushed tomato texture and shreds of fresh basil give it plenty of character. | Tomatoes, Basil, Water, Salt, Garlic, Spices |
| Cucina Antica La Pizza Sauce | 7.7 | Really rustic amd fresh tasting sauce, bright vibrant color and a ton of flavor. Would recommend for a wide variety of pizza types. | Imported Italian San Marzano Tomatoes, onion, extra virgin olive oil, salt, basil, garlic, white pepper, black pepper |
| Rao’s Homemade Pizza Sauce | 7.7 | A ton of flavor. moderate viscosity with some chunks. similar to a spaghetti sauce. | Italian Whole Peeled Tomatoes, Italian Cherry Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Carrots, Onion, Salt, Oregano, Garlic, Basil |
| Wegmans Amore Pizza Sauce | 7.6 | Fresh tasting, natural sweetness, great for Margherita, NY Style pizzas. very nice sauce by private label or any brand name standard | Italian Tomatoes, San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes, Sea Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
| Mutti Parma Pizza Sauce | 7.5 | Very similar texture and flavor to Mutti’s pizza sauce with oregano and basil but with a rich punch of parmesan. | Tomato Puree, Chopped tomatoes, carrot, parmigiano reggiano cheese, extra virgin olive oil, shallot, sea salt, black pepper |
| Pirro’s American Old World Style Pizza Sauce | 7.6 | Pastier sauce with heavy seasoning and some heat from black pepper. Really enjoyed the black pepper flavor and it made the sauce stand out from the others. | Tomatoes, salt, spices, black pepper, garlic powder |
| Pastorelli Pizza Sauce | 7.5 | Thicker sauce with some bite. very smooth consistency and pleasant flavor. ideal for thicker pan pizzas which need a flavor punch. | California Tomato Puree, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Sea Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Imported Pecorino Romano Cheese , Oregano, Garlic, Pepper, and Citric Acid |
| Urban Slicer Pizza Worx Pizza Sauce | 7.5 | Intense herb flavor with bite, smooth and heavy sauce with no added sugar. Would be great on thicker pizzas. | California Tomato Puree, Canola Oil, Sea Salt, Imported Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Imported Pecorino Romano Cheese, Spices, Garlic, Citric Acid |
| Mezzetta Pizza Sauce | 7.5 | A little on the watery side, some chunks in sauce, very herby with lots of basil and oregano flavors, moderate acidity, | Italian plum tomatoes from Italy’s San Marzano Region, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Spices, Fresh Garlic, Citric Acid, Black Pepper |
| Vesper Bros. Foods Pizza Sauce | 7.4 | Moderate viscosity, slight acidity, fairly heavily seasoned, solid sauce. | Peeled Ground Tomatoes, Tomato Puree, Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Onion, Dehydrated Garlic, Salt, Basil, Spices |
| Pastene California Pizza Sauce | 7.4 | Thick, smooth, and rich sauce with neutral flavors and some acidity. Customizable with your own seasonings. | Crushed Tomatoes, Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Sea Salt, Olive Oil, Spices, Garlic Powder |
| San Merican Tomato Pizza Sauce | 7.4 | Nice texture with some chunks of tomatoes, sweeter flavor profile with a little bit of bite from seasoning. Taste feels a bit muted and processed for the premium price. | Tomato Puree, Tomatoes, OrganicSugar, Imported Olive Oil, Salt, Spices, Garlic |
| Trader Joe’s | 7.35 | Great throwback sauce with some old school Pizza Hut vibes. Smooth and sweet with a vintage taste! | Water, Tomato Paste, Corn Starch, Salt, Sugar, Oregano, Onion Powder, Citric Acid, Basil, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper. |
| Delgrosso New York Style Pizza Sauce | 7.3 | Thicker sauce with moderate seasoning, rich, full bodied flavor, good for NY style pizza | Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Tomatoes, Sugar, Imported Olive Oil, Salt, Spices, Garlic |
| First Field | 7.3 | Definitely has that distinct fresh jersey tomato texture and flavor. Has some Don Pepino vibes by comparison but with greater depth of flavor, and less acidity. Really versatile sauce that you can customize to your liking. | Tomatoes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Spices |
| Tallarico’s Pizza Sauce | 7.3 | quite neutral with no acidity, no aftertaste, smooth consistency and a hint of pepper | Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Ground Tomatoes (Tomatoes, Salt, Citric Acid, Calcium Chloride), Pizza Sauce Seasoning (Salt, Maltodextrin, Sugar, Spices, Garlic Powder), Sugar, Imported Pecorino Romano Cheese (Pasteurized Sheep’s Milk, Cheese Cultures, Rennet, Salt), Soybean Oil, Imported Olive Oil, Sherry Wine. |
| DelGrosso Deluxe Pizza Sauce | 7.25 | Smooth consistency with some texture, intense bold flavor, zesty with some acidity, would be good on thicker pan pizzas. Reminds me of “sunday sauce” that simmers all day. | Tomato puree, celery, onions, diced green peppers, diced mushrooms, garlic, lemon juice concentrate, sugar, olive oil, ground pork, salt, spices. |
| Casa Visco Pizza Margherita Sauce | 7.2 | Fresh and vibrant flavor. Moderate basil taste really pops. A really good sauce for making margherita pizza. | Tomato Strips, Crushed Tomatoes, Water, Olive Oil, Fresh Garlic, Dehydrated Garlic an Onion, Fresh Onion, Citric Acid, Fresh Basil, and Dried Oregano |
| LaRosa’s Pizza Sauce | 7.1 | Super sweet sauce – among the sweetest tested. Smoother sauce with a bit of texture to it. Some herbs punch through the sweetness to make this a very interesting sauce. | Crushed Tomatoes, Sugar, Salt, Spices, Garlic Powder |
| Stonewall Kitchen Classic Pizza Sauce | 7.05 | Super rustic and chunky with plenty of garlic and onion. Fresh tasting and interesting addition of balsamic vinegar gives sauce a unique taste. | Tomatoes, Pure Cane Sugar, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt, Canola Oil, Dehydrated Onion, Dried Garlic, Garlic Oil, Spices, Red Chili Pepper Flakes |
| Bavaro’s Neapolitan Pizza Sauce | 7 | Thin and watery sauce like other neoplitan sauces, smells fresh when you open the jar. Relatively fresh tasting and a little on the salty side. Simple ingredients. Cooks out light in taste but pleasant and fresh. | Thin and watery sauce like other neoplitan sauces, smells fresh when you open the jar. Relatively fresh tasting and a little on the salty side. Simple ingredients. Cooks out light in taste but pleasant and fresh. |
| The Meatball Shop Sicilian Pizza Sauce | 6.95 | Thicker viscosity and uniform smooth sauce with some mildly fresh flavors and some herbs providing a bit of contrast to the pasty tomatoes. | California Tomatoes,Tomato Paste, Water, Pure Olive Oil, Basil, Salt, Garlic, Oregano |
| Casa Visco Organic Pizza Sauce | 6.9 | Casa Visco’s lightest and freshest tasting sauce. Lightly seasoned and pretty vibrant. If you like sweet sauces, this isn’t the one for you. Customize to your taste. | Organic Crushed Tomatoes, Water, Organic Canola Oil, Organic Dehydrated Garlic and Onion, Organic Fresh Onions, Citric Acid, and Organic Oregano |
| DelGrosso Old Style Pizza Sauce | 6.8 | Basically a marinara sauce with acidity and bite. Chunky sauce with basil flavoring. Would be good for a grandma or marinara pizza. | Italian Plum tomatoes, tomato juice, basil, salt, citric acid, concentrated crushed tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, onions, sea salt, spices |
| Dei Fratelli Pizza Sauce | 6.75 | Moderate to thick sauce, lots of seasoning and notably cooked and processed. Enjoyed the flavor but lacked any trace of natural tomato taste. | Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Cane Sugar, Sea Salt, Olive Oil, Dehydrated Onion, Corn Starch, Basil, Dehydrated Garlic, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Smoked Paprika, Oregano, Citric Acid |
| Delallo Margherita Style Pizza Sauce | 6.7 | Quite watery, but was not runny during or after baking. sweet flavor and fresh tasting with a bit of sugary aftertaste | Cherry Tomatoes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Carrots, Onion, Basil, Sugar |
| Casa Visco Italian Style Pizza Sauce | 6.7 | Generally smooth and moderately thick sauce with a bit of texture here and there. Some acidity and bite. good for NY style and more. | Crushed Tomatoes, Water, Canola Oil, Dehydrated Onion and Garlic, Fresh Onion, Citric Acid, and Oregano |
| Don Pepino Pizza Sauce | 6.65 | Versatile, value-priced sauce that can be modified, not chunky, but has significant texture with some seeds. Zesty and hearty flavor. | Tomatoes, Corn Oil, Salt, Spices, Garlic Powder |
| Bove’s Sweet Basil Pizza Sauce | 6.6 | Unique sweet sauce with some maple flavor. It’s smooth in terms of texture and flavor. I think a lot of people will like this, especially those who like a sugary-sweet sauce. | Crushed Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Fresh Onions, Fresh Basil, Vermont Maple Syrup, Fresh Garlic, Salt, Parsley, Crushed Red Pepper |
| DelGrosso Pepperoni Flavored Pizza Sauce | 6.5 | A smooth and meaty pizza sauce with some pepperoni flavor and tiny chunks of pepperoni. Interesting sauce that is smooth and zesty. Good for after school snack pizzas like bagel pizzas. | Tomato puree, pepperoni, salt, water, dextrose, natural spices, oleoresin of paprika, lactic acid starter culture, garlic powder, sodium nitrate, BHA, BHT, Citric Acit, Celery, Onions, Green Peppers,Garlic, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sugar, Olive Oil, Salt, Spices |
| Godfather’s Pizza Sauce | 6.4 | Smooth sauce with heavy seasoning and plenty of bite. Meaty taste without any meat ingredients. Good for NY style and sicilian style pizzas. | Tomato Puree, Salt, Basil, Onion and Garlic Powder, Oregano, Citric Acid, Spices |
| Walmart Great Value Pizza Sauce | 6.3 | Smooth and slightly watery sauce with some surprisingly natural flavors and balanced spice profile. As the brand indicates, this sauce is a great value. | Tomato puree, Soybean Oil, Salt, Spices, Natural Flavor, Citric Acid |
| Ferrera New York Style Pizza Sauce | 6.2 | smoother sauce with some chunks. Pronounced acidity and bite. Decent sauce that can be used in a variety of ways. | Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Water, Salt, Garlic, Basil, Onion, Black Pepper, Citric Acid |
| Yo Mama’s Keto Classic Pizza Sauce | 6.1 | Vegan, gluten free, keto friendly with no sugar added. Fresh tasting, reminds me of Jersey Fresh or Don Pepino sauce. Very subtle and light flavor. | Non-GMO Tomatoes, Fresh Onions, Fresh Garlic, Olive Oil, Oregano, Basil, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt, Black Pepper and Natural Spices |
| Fretelling Manitoba Italian Pizza Sauce | 6.05 | Understated flavor with no added sugar. Some garlic and basil notes and the ability to be customized. Pastier sauce with some texture. | Tomato Pulp, Tomato Sauce, Olive Oil, Garlic, Basil, Salt, Oregano |
| Casa Visco Garlic Lover’s California Style Pizza Sauce | 6 | Flavorful sauce with large chunks of garlic without having a strong garlic flavor. | Tomato Strips, Crushed Tomatoes, Water, Olive Oil, Fresh Garlic, Dehydrated Garlic and Onion, Fresh Onion, Citric Acid, and Oregano |
| PICS Price Chopper Tomato Pizza Sauce | 5.9 | basic value sauce that’s smooth and a bit bitter but cooks out more mild. a solid value priced sauce for basic pizza and snacks. | Tomato Puree, Soybean Oil, Salt, Spices, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid |
| Muir Glen Organic Pizza Sauce | 5.8 | Smooth and pasty, disappointing considering the high quality of their tomatoes, reminds me of delgrosso, not a lot of tomato flavor | Organic Tomato Puree, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Organic Dehydrated Onion Powder, Citric Acid, Organic Oregano, Organic Basil, Organic Black Pepper, Organic Garlic Powder |
| Bobby T’s Pizza Sauce | 5.7 | Deep dark sauce, moderate to heavy seasoning bursting with flavors. Plenty of garlic. | Crushed Tomatoes, Water, Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic, Olive Oil, Spices |
| Colavita Pizza Sauce | 5.7 | Simple sauce with diced tomatoes, onions and light seasoning. Natural sweetness and some acidity provide nice balance and the opportunity to season to your liking. | Chopped Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Onion, Salt, Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Oregano, Natural Oregano Flavor, Citric Acid |
| Botticelli Traditional Pizza Sauce | 5.6 | Very hearty with chewable chunks of fresh onion and a significant amount of herbs and spices. | Cherry Tomatoes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Carrots, Onions, Basil, Oregano, Garlic, Sea Salt |
| Furmano’s Pizza Sauce | 5.5 | Thick and slightly pasty. heavily seasoned, acidic with a bite and moderate aftertaste | Tomato Concentrate, Sugar, Sea Salt, Olive Oil, Salt, Spices, Dehydrated Onion, Dehyrated Garlic, Citric Acid |
| Happy Belly Pizza Sauce | 5.4 | Smooth texture, moderately seasoned. Good sauce for pizza bagels and french bread pizza for after school snacks. | Crushed Tomatoes, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Sea Salt, Olive Oil, Spices, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid. |
| Weis Quality Pizza Sauce | 5.4 | Basic, ordinary, value brand sauce. lots of herbs and spices but nothing resembling a fresh tomato. You get what you pay for in this case. | Tomato Puree, Soybean Oil, Salt, Spices, Dehydrated Garlic, Parsley Flakes |
| Due Amici Pizza Sauce | 5.3 | If it looks like marinara sauce and tastes like marinara sauce, it might just be marinara sauce. Lots of flavor and bite good for a grandma or marinara pizza. | San Marzano Tomatoes, Fresh Garlic, Exra Virgin Olive Oil, Fresh Basil, Sea Salt, Oregano |
| Contadina Pizza Squeeze Sauce | 5.2 | Super smooth and “ketchuppy”. A bit salty with some zest and with a fairly strong aftertaste. Convenient bottle. | Tomato Puree, Corn Syrup, Salt, Modified Corn Starch, Soybean Oil, Onion Powder, Natural Flavor, Carrot Fiber, Spices, Citric Acid, Garlic Powder, Potassium Sorbate |
| Classico Fire Roasted Pizza Sauce | 4.8 | Heavily seasoned with intense flavor, medium texture and viscosity, moderate to high acidicidy | Tomato puree, diced tomatoes in tomato juice, sugar, olive oil, salt, spices, granulated garlic |
| Prego Pizza Sauce | 4.7 | Smooth sauce that’s very similar to Prego’s Traditional pasta sauce. Very sweet flavoring and good value price. | Tomato Puree, Canola Oil, Salt, Sugar, Dehydrated Garlic, Dehydrated Onions, Spice, Citric Acid |
| Francesco Rinaldi Pizza Sauce | 4.6 | Smoother and sweeter sauce reminiscent of value brand spaghetti sauces like prego or ragu. Similar to Francesco Rinaldi spaghetti sauce. | Tomato Puree, Citric Acid, Water, Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Spices, Dried Garlic, Dried Onion |
| Ragu Pizza Sauce | 4.6 | Interesting sauce, great for quick snacks. wouldn’t use on a fresh pizza. Convenience item for bagel pizzas and dipping sauce. | Tomato puree, soybean oil, salt, spices, natural flavor |
| Gia Russa Pizza Sauce | 4.4 | Sugary sweet sauce that cooks out to be more acidic. A good convenience snack-sized can for things like bagel and french bread pizzas. | Tomatoes, Sugar, Salt, Corn Starch, Olive OIl, Dehydrated Onion, Spices, Dehydrated Garlic, Citric Acid, Peppers, Natural Flavors |
| Target Good & Gather Traditional Pizza Sauce | 4.2 | Thicker and smoother sauce with muted flavors and a preserved and processed profile. For the price, it will get the job done. | Tomato Puree, Citric Acid, Soybean Oil, Salt, Sugar, Dried Basil, Dried Garlic, Dried Onion, Dried Oregano, Dried Parsley, Spices |
| Delallo Pizzeria Style Pizza Sauce | 3.5 | Strong sour taste that is pervasive both straight out of the jar and after baking. Smooth sauce and quite bitter. Comfortably before expiration date, but possibly a bad batch? | Water, Concentrated Crushed Tomatoes, Sugar, Garlic, Spices, Pepper, Salt, Onion Powder, Citric Acid |
| Scarpetta Ghost Pepper Pizza Sauce | 3.4 | Chunky and slightly spicy sauce, but lacks flavor otherwise. Interesting sauce with a unique niche, but not exceptionally well executed. | Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Citric Acid, Water, Garlic, Olive Oil, Salt, Oregano, Ghost Peppers |
| PICS Price Chopper Premium Pizza Sauce | 3.3 | Very strong, bitter, and unpleasant taste and aftertaste. May have just gotten a bad jar, but I can’t be sure. | Crushed Tomatoes, Water, Canola Oil, Dehydrated Onion and Garlic, Fresh Onion, Citric Acid, Oregano |
| Chef Boyardee Pizza Sauce With Cheese | 2.8 | Very Runny like tomato juice, tastes just like the sauce in spaghetti-o’s and beefaroni. After school snack pizza material. | Tomato puree, water, soybean oil, less than 2% of: Cheddar Cheese, Salt, Modified Corn Starch, Spice, Enzyme, Modified Cheese, Cream, Water, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Carotenal (Color), Natural Flavorings |
| Mama Mary’s Pizza Sauce | 2.2 | Looks like bbq sauce, very smooth and liquified. Basically watery ketchup. Note that water is the first ingredient listed in this sauce. One reader compared it to the sauce that you get in the squeeze pouch in Lunchables. | Water, tomato paste, sugar, salt, food starch-modified, soybean oil, distilled vinegar, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, spice, onion powder, garlic powder, citric acid |
Also check out my Canned Tomato Taste Test to Find the Best Tomatoes to make your own homemade pizza sauce!
Still To Come
The game isn’t over yet! I still have a bunch more sauces to review so check back often for updates!
Findings
This taste test was fascinating in many ways. First, I noticed a strong correlation between my rating scores and the ingredients (or lack thereof) in each sauce. I tended to favor simpler, more fresh tasting sauces with less preservatives or additives. Interestingly, although not all that surprisingly, the more expensive sauces tended to rank higher than the value priced sauce. There was generally a correlation between ingredient quality (i.e. extra virgin olive oil vs. soybean oil) and my rating.
I noticed that my lower rated sauces tended to have things that I couldn’t easily identify like Xanthan Gum, Sodium Phosphate, and natural flavor. Some unique ingredients that I’ve never tried in my homemade pizza sauces like Balsamic Vinegar, honey, and carrots were also listed on the labels. I’ll definitely be conducting some experiments with those ingredients.
Subjectivity
Although I have attempted to make this a quantifiable experiment in using numeric values to rank and rate pizza sauces, these are all subjective opinions on what I believe are quality sauces. I did personally try each product directly from the jar as well as making and baking a pizza with each which provided a great baseline for taste testing. The test was qualitative, and I stand firmly behind my unbiased ratings and encourage others to try some different sauces to find their favorites.
Conclusions on the Best Pizza Sauce Taste Test
Research from Statista suggests that the two most popular brands of pizza sauces among Americans by a wide margin are Ragu and Prego. Notably, I ranked these as some of the lowest rated in this experiment. Popularity of these sauces likely has more to do with price, brand recognition, and ubiquitous availability in stores than it does with quality,but people are clearly buying this stuff! The premade pizza sauce market is expected to continue to grow going forward.
Ready Made is Here to Stay
For those (like myself) who tend to favor making their own pizza sauce at home using homegrown or canned tomatoes because of its ease, simplicity, and ability to customize – I hear you. Inevitably some will say my findings are invalid because premade pizza sauce is also invalid. There are more than 100 million people who disagree with that assertion! Ready made pizza sauce is a huge market in the United States and globally, so not recognizing that consumers enjoy using canned and jarred sauce is a mistake. Sure, you can probably make a better sauce in less than 5 minutes, but others prefer the convenience, speed, and reliability of their favorite premade pizza sauces.
There is strong demand for these products, and I had a lot of fun figuring out which ones I thought were best and why people buy them! Consider this experiment as ongoing, so if you are aware of more that you’d like me to try, or if you’re a company who would like your product evaluated and rated against the rest and would like to send a can or jar, please email me.
