Sales of frozen pizza are surging — here are the 5 best, according to our tests

This Red Baron pie costs just $4, but it represents the upper crust of frozen pizzas as far as our testers are concerned. It tastes just like how you imagine frozen pizza should, but in the best possible way. As one tester put it, "Solid — this is cafeteria pizza! Reliable, no frills."

Though it didn't outrank any of the other frozen pizzas we tested for cheese, crust or overall enjoyment, it had the highest score overall. While some pizzas soared in certain categories and nosedived in others, the Red Baron pie earned strong ratings across the board.

Despite not seeing the box, most of our panel easily identified that this pizza is topped with a multi-cheese blend, which they enjoyed. "Rich!" remarked one tester. Another said it was "really flavorful." Some wished there was more cheese.

The crust also won out, thanks to its crispy texture. "Crunchy and then soft. Enjoyed it," noted one fan, who also praised the flavorful sauce. 

This wood-fired pie is the closest you'll get to high-end, restaurant-quality pizza in the freezer aisle. It's no surprise: Since opening in Brooklyn in 2008, Roberta's has become one of New York City's most beloved and prolific pizzerias. 

Unlike most frozen pizzas, Roberta's is sold in a clear plastic sleeve, all the better to see the slightly charred sourdough crust and rounds of fresh mozzarella sitting atop bright-red tomato sauce.

Of all the non-pepperoni pizzas we tried, it earned the highest ratings for crust and overall enjoyment. Where this pie struggled was the cheese — most testers wished there was more. "Saucy, not a lot of cheese. Basil is a nice touch," wrote one tester. As for the tomato factor, our resident pizza tour leader had this to say: "Best sauce! Tastes the most fresh." 

This pie also received possibly the highest praise of all: "Doesn't taste frozen!" another tester exclaimed.

When I was gathering frozen pizza picks from my colleagues, Costco shoppers raved about Motor City. Many thought the brand was exclusive to the warehouse store, but good news for non-members: You can also find it in some Walmarts and Targets, plus many grocery stores around the country. 

It's worth the trip, wherever you buy it. Our testers enjoyed taking this rectangular pizza for a spin, gushing about its flavorful cheese, hint of garlic and juicy, well-spiced pepperoni. But where this pizza really stood out is its crust, which is thick, pillowy and brushed with garlic butter. 

Motor City's frozen pizzas come in their own baking pan to help you achieve the crispy edges that are a hallmark of Detroit-style deep dish, and most of our testers loved them — this pizza earned the highest marks for crust of any option we tried, cheese and pepperoni. (That said, a few testers thought the crust was too thick, so if you prefer something thin and crispy, this might not be the right pick for you.)

You might have seen Rao's tomato sauces in the supermarket — they've earned a devoted following for their rich flavor that includes none other than Ina Garten. No surprise that the brand's pies, which are slicked with Rao's Homemade Pizza Sauce, are just as good. "More complex flavor than the others," declared one tester.

Our panel also gave Rao's high marks for its crust, which they described as "thin and crunchy, with good fluffiness" and "chewy but still crisp on the outside." 

Most also enjoyed the pepperoni, which is uncured. "It had a kick, which I like (but others may not)," wrote a taster. "Good flavor — thin and a little crispy," noted another.

Attention, cheese lovers: This is the pie for you. It was one of our highest scorers for cheese quality, second only to our top pepperoni pizza pick, Motor City. 

The five-cheese topping includes mozzarella, provolone, fontina, romano and parmesan, which our panel called "rich" and "gooey in a good way." Despite the generous scattering of cheese, some testers wanted even more. 

But the pie made up for anything it lacked with its crust, which our panel mostly loved. "It's the star of the show here," remarked one taster. "If you're into a soft, doughier crust, this is for you! A little sweet too," noted another.

We've been writing about this countertop pizza cooker for a while now — it gets five-star ratings from more than 6,000 Amazon shoppers, and it's often on sale. (When a shopper proclaims that a gadget is "Way better than [the] oven," we listen!)

Because it's so well-loved — and we don't have an oven in the office — we used three of these pizza makers to cook the round pies for our test. They heat up in three minutes, so they were perfect for serving a crowd. In fact, they impressed us so much, our resident kitchen writer and cookware tester decided to take one for a spin at home. Curious how it fared during weeknight dinner duty? Here's her full review. 

For the rectangular pies in our taste test, we used this highly rated toaster oven. Its generous interior gave us plenty of room for baking — it even fit the ginormous Motor City pies, which weigh in at nearly 26 ounces each, more than any other pizzas we tested.

More than 4,000 saucy shoppers gave this appliance a five-star rating. "I have been using it mainly to reheat pizza and it works great!" wrote this dough nut. 

Instead of slicing our pies the traditional way, with a pizza wheel or rocker, we cut them with these high-quality kitchen shears. You should be doing the same: The sharp blades on these scissors sliced cleanly through even the thickest crusts. 

Plus, they work the first time, unlike many wheels, which require you to make the same cut over and over, leading to messy cheese and toppled toppings. FYI, this pair is a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon with nearly 70,000 five-star reviews.

Most frozen pies can be baked directly on your oven rack, but if you want to take the experience up a notch, place them on a pizza stone first. This tool has a porous surface that absorbs moisture to keep crusts crisp.

Culinary Couture's 15-inch stone can withstand temperatures of up to 1,000°F, so you can use it on the grill too.

Ridges make this pick look like the paper plates you get at a slice shop, but it's dishwasher-safe melamine, so you can use it over and over again. The breezy blue stripes scream "pizza party," don't they?

If you prefer solid white, try these — at $20 for 12, you can easily serve a crowd.

On the off chance you end up with leftovers, don't just wrap them in foil or toss them in a resealable plastic bag. There's a better way to store your slices: This expandable silicone container.

You may have seen it on Shark Tank or listed on Amazon as one of its top-selling food containers. Shoppers love it almost as much as a slice of pepperoni, awarding it more than 4,000 five-star ratings.