DiGiorno 12 Inch Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza

December 21, 2007 | Reviewer: Abi

DiGiorno 12 Inch Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza Price: $4.79
Serving: 1/6 pizza, 4.7oz.
Calories: 330
Fat: 20%, 13g
Cholesterol: 8%, 25mg
Sodium: 38%, 920mg
Protein: 15g
Carbs: 13%, 39g
Fiber: 8%, 2g
Weight Watchers Points: 7 Points

DiGiorno says: Whether you are looking for a soft, delicious RISING CRUST or a thin, crispy crust, there is a DIGIORNO pizza for you. And all of them come with mouth-watering toppings - crisp vegetables, wholesome meats and delicious cheeses!

Abi says: DiGiorno will always be a third place pizza for me, firmly behind Freschetta and Amy’s Kitchen and way, way ahead of Domino’s. Domino’s wasn’t always in third place in our house. Instead, we’d take advantage of the 5-5-5 offer and get three medium, one-topping pizzas for five dollars: pepperoni, onion, and bell pepper or sausage. Have you ever had an onion pizza? It doesn’t sound that great, but it is delicious!

Anyways, the 5-5-5 deal from Domino’s is dead here in Palo Alto. I first learned of this about two weeks after moving here. There were no frozen pizzas in the apartment and we wanted pizza but we didn’t want to go out. Calling Domino’s yielded a new, startling price on a medium pepperoni pizza: $15.00.

Sure, that includes taxes and delivery charges. But Domino’s has not yet produced a pizza that I’m willing to pay that much money to enjoy. For me, Domino’s is a way to stock up on a bunch of pizza and eat pizza for multiple meals in a row until 36 hours later I am pronouncing that don’t want any more pizza for a month.

Since realizing that I’d have to pay an arm and a leg for otherwise cheap pizza, I’ve made sure that there is some form of frozen pizza in the house at all times. I just buy whatever is on sale or at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is always cheap, but they only stock two types of pizza: Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza and DiGiorno’s (this is not a Super Wal-Mart is it just a Wal-Mart this a freezer case).

You can tell that the folks at DiGiorno really care about their pizza crust. This pepperoni pizza rose up beautifully, with a crust that was perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They must have a lab full of crust scientists continually experimenting in an effort to create the most perfect crust in existence. Unfortunately, that degree of care that is taken with the crust doesn’t quite make it to the toppings (except for the pepperoni count, which is a precise 18, meaning there are exactly three slices of pepperoni per serving).

There’s a ton of sauce (a bonus for all of you sauce-lovers out there), and lots of single-note mozzarella cheese, and plenty of pepperoni rounds. It is just too bad that the pepperoni is so greasy I go through multiple paper towels when blotting each slice of pizza. Let’s face it, some people can deal with pools of orange oil on their pizza and some cannot. I cannot.

But, for all of the people like me who think that DiGiorno pizza is too greasy (the entire pizza is 42 Weight Watchers Points) and lacks a full flavor pallette, there are people like Sylvia, who write to me thinking that HeatEatReview.com actually produces DiGiorno pizzas:

Tried your new DiGiorno Ultimate Pizza for the second time. Will no longer be ordering delivery-style pizza. Deelicious! Keep up the good work.
PS: Packaging is superb! Thanx. Sylvia

I have to agree that the packaging is superb. It was super-easy to remove this pizza from the plastic wrap. Really, where did pizza producers get the idea that a plastic-based set of swaddling clothes was necessary for each pizza? It is a freaking pizza, not the baby Jesus. Sadly, not every DiGiorno pizza produces a success story:

I got the DiGiorno Ultimate and the directions for a “crisper crust, said to place the pizza right on the rack of the oven.” So I followed the directions and about ten minutes later my house was smoked out, because the cheese had melted off of the pizza onto the rack and started to burn. I suggest that instead of putting the pizza directly onto the rack that you put the pizza onto a cookie sheet or pizza stone. Thank you. J Swackhamer.

It also seems that I’m doing a poor job of supplying California grocery stores with their needed pizzas:

I cannot find your digorno wheat pizza anywhere. I used to always get it at the store. Is it discontinued? If not where can I get it? I live in Valencia Ca. Mindy

Dear Mindy: I have no idea. And finally, has anyone out there tried the DiGiorno Garlic Bread Pizza? Linda seems to like it . . . . . and ellipses.

I would just like to make a comment on your new “GARLIC BREAD PIZZA” it is excellent-thanks for your scrumptous [sic] product……It’s the best pizza I have purchased ever……………… Linda

So, what’s your favorite brand of frozen pizza?

comments

12 Responses to “DiGiorno 12 Inch Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza”

Beth on December 21st, 2007

If you have access to an Albertsons, you really need to try an Essensia pizza - my favorite is the Supreme with Roasted Vegetables. I don’t know what they do, but the sauce is the best I’ve EVER had on a pizza, frozen or delivery, and the sausage is really, really good…and normally, sausage on a pizza makes me want to vomit.
Rose on December 21st, 2007

I’ll give it this, it looks nice. I don’t like pizza, delivery, frozen, or at some pizza joint. it actually makes me sick. but this pizza looks pleasing.
Jill on December 21st, 2007

I’ll second that, the pizza is beautiful. This may be due to the fact we cannot see the orange grease, but if I ate pizza - it makes me sick as well - I would want something as picture perfect. Also, have you tried Newman’s Sockarooni? It’s the best ever, I may even prefer it to my homemade sauce… as it involves much less work.
Crow on December 22nd, 2007

I can’t say I buy frozen/refrigerated pizza often (I bought some earlier this week for the first time in years, Mama Rosa’s, cheap, slightly over a dollar a pound, and tastes like it), but from what I can recall, DiGiorno’s is my favorite frozen pizza.
Royal on December 22nd, 2007

The Garlic Bread Pizza is simply orgasmic. It’s quickly become my personal frozen go-to pizza. It’s so good.
Janette on December 23rd, 2007

You are evil… all of these pizza posts made me go out and buy one! And of course it was digiorno, I love their crust
Crow on December 23rd, 2007

Are we making Janette fat?
Tiff on December 24th, 2007

I just got a Presto Pizzazz as an early Xmas present, and after reading your review, I think it will be the first frozen pizza I make on it. If you like, I will let you know the results. Thanks for the review!
Amy Marie on December 25th, 2007

My favorite has to be either the plain cheese or spinach Amy’s pizza. I love them to death, could eat a whole one myself.
liz on January 2nd, 2008

California Kitchens… the BEST
slimeyapple on January 20th, 2008

I love this pizza! We cook it on a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven. About half way through cooking time, I have added sliced mushroom and more skim mozzarella. (It is good with or without the additions, I just had some extra mushrooms that I wanted to use).

THIS is the best frozen pizza ever!
chris on February 1st, 2008

Don’t get me wrong I like your pizza and I think it is one of the best that is out there. But I al so have to say WHAT HAPPEN? I remember when this pizza first came out it was so much bigger and taste even better. I don’t know what you have done diffirent, but what I do know is if you have made it smaller and not as tasty just to save on cost. I would rather much pay more money for the org. pizza that you started out with then what it has come to today… Please bring back the best Frozen pizza I have ever taste