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Hot honey to cheese feasts: The best oven pizzas for when you fancy a night off
Tried and tested by the GHI, including hot honey, antipasti and margherita options
Tested by JoJo Anastasiou and Georgia Turnell
Whether dining alfresco, or enjoying a quiet Friday night in, the best oven pizzas make a great (and budget-friendly) alternative to ordering in from your local pizzeria.
With that in mind, the Good Housekeeping Institute worked their way through a whopping 55 pizzas from all the leading brands and supermarkets. Read on for the tastiest ones to try this summer, whether you’re a huge hot honey fan or love a classic margherita.
Best oven pizzas to buy 2025
Oven already pre-heated? These are our experts’ favourite pizzas in one handy list:
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Best cheese feast pizza
TGI Fridays Ultimate BBQ Loaded Cheese Feast Sharing Deep Pan Pizza 520g
Read review - 5
Looking for the perfect pairing with your chosen pizza? Read on for the best rosé, best prosecco, best white wine, best canned cocktails and best aperitifs. Did someone say Aperol Spritz?
How to cook an oven pizza
You may think you just need to pop it in the oven and your work is done. However, there are small things you can do during cooking to really maximise results. First, crank up the temperature a little to replicate the heat of a wood-fired oven. Just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Cooking it on a pizza stone or putting it directly on the wire rack will also ensure a crispier crust. And we suggest serving with a great chilli oil or one of our experts' best hot sauces, drizzling with a high-quality extra virgin olive oil or even runny honey (especially if it’s a pizza featuring lots of salty cheese) to finish.
How we test oven pizzas
Our tasting panel tried 55 different oven pizzas, including meat and veggie toppings.
They were looking for a well-baked pizza with a slightly soft base and crispy crust. The toppings needed to be generous and fresh with a good balance of seasoning. These are the ones worth staying in for.
Score: 87/100
When you fancy a night off, let this new restaurant-quality pizza from Crosta Mollica do the legwork for you. The thin, crispy sourdough base tasted “homemade” according to our testers, and they loved the high-quality pepper salami, smoked cheese and creamy buffalo mozzarella.
Aldi Specially Selected Mozzarella & Sun-Dried Cherry Tomato 485g
Score: 85/100
It’s hard to beat a classic margherita, but Aldi has successfully elevated it with a generous amount of creamy mozzarella, tangy tomato sauce and a drizzle of basil pesto.
Our testers loved the thin base and thick crust, but the dough is a little soft, so up the cooking time if you prefer a crispier pizza. A top choice the whole family will enjoy.
Score: 84/100
If you’re a fan of fragrant garlic (and let’s face it, who isn’t?), you’ll want to add this ‘za to your basket immediately. With a beautiful balance of oregano, sweet tomato sauce and buttery garlic, it was likened to an elevated garlic bread – yum!
Some would have liked to see a little more chicken topping, but the quality of the dough, and crisp crust was so impressive, they could overlook it.
TGI Fridays Ultimate BBQ Loaded Cheese Feast Sharing Deep Pan Pizza 520g
Score: 84/100
Featuring five different types of cheese (mozzarella, emmental, Montgomery Jack, Grana Padano PDO and cheddar) on a sweet, smoky barbecue sauce base – this is a real feast!
It was popular with our testers, who were fans of the crispy base, juicy sauce, and crunchy layer of cheese. A great fakeaway that’s packed with flavour.
Score: 83/100
Testers felt this was a deliciously indulgent choice for a night in. It’s a deep-pan style pizza stacked with cheese and toppings. The salty, full-flavoured pepperoni paired perfectly with the sweetness of the tomato, while the beef mince added rich, umami notes.
Chewy with a big fluffy crust, this is the ultimate choice for meat lovers.
Score: 82/100
Want a starter and main all in one? This Co-op antipasti pizza comes loaded with veggies on top of a thin and crispy base.
Testers loved the complex flavours of tart and herby tomato sauce, chunky sweet peppers, garlicky mushrooms, basil pesto and grilled cheese. The perfect fresh-tasting pizza for long summer nights.
Score: 81/100
Fancy a slice of Franco Manca’s hand-stretched, stone-baked pizza in the comfort of your own home? Well now you can, with this sweet and spicy combination of smoky salami, caramelised onions and a drizzle of chilli-infused honey. It’s all piled onto the brand’s signature sourdough base, which some testers felt had a ciabatta-like texture.
Score: 81/100
Recreate the feeling of summer holidays, with this premium seafood pizza from the Waitrose No.1 range.
It’s topped with plump king prawns, on an enjoyable full-flavoured sweet tomato sauce, with salty cheese and a good level of seasoning. The fragrant coriander, basil and parsley complements the seafood and crisp sourdough crust, while the pieces of fresh chilli gave a little spicy kick.
Score: 81/100
With creamy, soft cheese, plenty of chunky veg and herby basil pesto, this veggie-friendly pizza proved popular with our panel. Our testers described it as “well-balanced” and “delicious”, but found the dough a little chewy and felt it would benefit from a little longer in the oven.
Score: 81/100
Testers felt this was a really authentic-tasting pizza with high-quality ingredients. They enjoyed the homemade flavour of the tomato sauce, the sweet onion and baked cheese, all served on top of a pleasingly smoky, crispy base and soft-centred crust.
Score: 81/100
This was one of the only pizzas we tried that didn’t have a tomato base and our testers were big fans, finding it expertly seasoned and well-balanced.
Creamy goat’s cheese is paired with walnuts, spinach and a hint of honey on a chewy, crispy base that proved popular with our panel. A simple summer flavour combination, well-executed.
Score: 80/100
This is a definite crowdpleaser with a sweeter tomato sauce balanced by mixed Italian herbs and distinctly salty flavours from the cheese. Testers were also fans of the meaty chicken and thin, crispy base.
Score: 79/100
This has a really nostalgic flavour. It’s a classic meaty pepperoni pizza with sweet tomato sauce and hints of garlic. The tiger bread crust added an interesting twist, offering punchy flavours reminiscent of sesame.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Napoli Salami & Rec Chilli Wood-Fired Pizza with Chilli Honey Drizzle 460g
Score: 79/100
Get ready to spice up your pizza night with this fiery number from Sainsbury’s. Featuring salty salami, sweet, bready dough and a pleasing pickled flavour from the chillies, our panel really enjoyed the level of heat. Pair with your favourite iced summer drink or a light red wine.
Alternatively, Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Spicy Chicken & 'Nduja Wood Fired Pizza scored 78/100 with our panel.
Score: 78/100
The ideal pizza for those who like a thin base and crust, this delivers pleasing flavours of tart tomato and milky mozzarella with hints of smoky paprika, basil and parsley. Testers particularly liked the appearance of this pizza, too, with red tomato, white mozzarella and green pesto topped with cherry tomato.
Score: 78/100
The hot honey was a highlight of this pizza – sweet and spicy with a heat that gradually builds with every bite. With punchy salami, salty cheese and a nicely chewy crust, this is another great pick for those who like their pizza on the spicier side.
These also passed...
- Tesco Finest Salsiccia Piccante with Hot Honey Wood Fired Pizza, £4.75 for 410g, Score: 75/100
- Pizza Express Margherita, £2.25 for 245g, Score: 74/100
Joanna Anastasiou is our Food and Drinks Tester, and has completed certifications in Sensory Foundation and WSET Wine Level 2 training. Prior to this she studied geography with conservation biology at the University of Exeter and trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland. Through this she has developed a passion for sustainability within the food and agricultural sectors. Joanna also volunteers in kitchens with FoodCycle, as well as on multiple wildlife conservation projects, where she formed a particular love for bees!
Georgia has been part of the hospitality industry for the last nine years. Her starting point was the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu culinary school where she gained a Diplôme de Pâtisserie. She has worked at a number of well-known restaurants and bakeries including The Club at the Ivy and Ottolenghi, Notting Hill where she was the head pastry chef. Most recently, Georgia worked at The Clink Bakery inside HMP Brixton, which aims to reduce reoffending through teaching. She is an expert in all things baked goods and holds a WSET level 2 in wine.
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