San Marzano tomatoes are often celebrated as the best canned tomatoes money can buy, but they can be a little pricey. According to Epicurious however, the best tasting canned tomato isn’t a San Marzano, and it’s a bit cheaper.




In a blind taste test of five different canned tomatoes, the US-grown Red Pack Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes beat out San Marzanos in terms of flavor (and price!):

This US-owned company (all of the tomatoes are grown on family-owned farms in Indiana) delivered on what we always wanted: a pure tomato flavor with a balance of acidity and sweetness. Senior writer Sam Worley loved that this variety was “sweeter than some of the others, but sort of a nice jammy sweetness.” They also happened to be the cheapest canned tomatoes we tried. You know that old saw about books and covers? Turns out that goes double for tomatoes and labels.


This is not to say that San Marzanos are bad— Muir Glen San Marzano Style Whole Peeled Tomatoes came in at a close second—but it’s nice to know that you can get a great tasting canned tomato at a super affordable price.

Are San Marzano Canned Tomatoes Really Worth It? | Epicurious