The Best Canned Tomatoes We've Tasted — And Why They're Worth Every Penny

A mediocre can of tomatoes won't break your next Italian cooking night, but an exquisite can of tomatoes will surely make it. That's why we at Food Republic put in the time and work to rank the best and worst canned tomato brands. Flavor, including the balance of saltiness and acidity, price, and non-tomato ingredients were all included in the grading criteria. After factoring all of those variables in, there was only one conclusion to be made: Cento All Purpose Crushed Tomatoes came in first place. 

While it might not be crowned the winner when ranking by affordability (at $5.69 a pop, it was the most costly brand that our tasters tried), where it really shines is in the simplicity of ingredients. If you check the label, you'll see that the ingredients printed under nutrition facts show a short, lonely, list of one: vine-ripened crushed tomatoes. It's hard to get better than that! According to our taste tester, Cento's tomatoes had a cleaner, brighter taste than other brands, along with a well-layered flavor profile. Worse-performing brands, such as Signature SELECT Petite Diced Tomatoes, were much more acidic while lacking the bright, sweet-yet-savory flavor of a high quality canned tomato. 

If you can't find the suggested Cento brand in store (or the price point is a little high for your budget), Delallo San Marzano Style Petite Diced Italian Tomatoes is a great alternative that ranked second on our list. It's a slightly sweeter option than Cento, but contains a perfectly balanced flavor and a simple ingredients list of tomatoes, tomato juice, and citric acid. Just remember that diced and crushed canned tomatoes are not entirely interchangeable in recipes, and to swap one for the other might mean a few textural adjustments.

When you are looking for the best canned tomato available on shelves, look past packaging or lofty claims and get straight to the ingredients. The flavor variance between these brands is relatively low, all things considered, so the companies like Cento and Delallo that let the tomatoes stand alone and shine show confidence in the quality of the fruit. That said, there are things you can do if you end up underwhelmed by the quality or taste of your can of tomatoes. One way to make canned tomatoes taste gourmet is to simmer them for a bit on the stovetop. As they reduce, they lose some of that metallic flavor that can turn a delightful dish into a dreadful disappointment. Not only will your tomatoes emerge sweeter, it will also be less liquidly, which can make for a more intensely flavorful sauce.