Are Italian Canned Whole Tomatoes Better Than American? | America’s Test Kitchen
Jack Bishop returns to the test kitchen to share big news: Italian canned whole tomatoes are his new favorite. Jack has Bridget Lancaster and Julia Collin Davison taste their way through various American and Italian brands of canned whole tomatoes, to see which brand made the smoothest, best-tasting red sauce.
The Best Whole Canned Tomatoes:
Discover more recipes through the America’s Test Kitchen App:
Get exclusive access to every recipe, review, and more via our homepage:
Buy The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001–2026:
Discover the latest recipes, tips, and tricks from Cook’s Insider:
Subscribe to Cook’s Illustrated:
Subscribe to America’s Test Kitchen:
Watch full episodes of America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country for free on our new YouTube channel:
Watch More!
In The Test Kitchen:
The Taste Test:
Techniquely With Lan Lam:
Most Popular:
Follow America’s Test Kitchen:
Instagram:
Pinterest:
TikTok:
Facebook:
Twitter:
At America’s Test Kitchen, we investigate every aspect of cooking—recipes, equipment, ingredients, and techniques—with a goal to empower and inspire home cooks. Since 1992, our team of 50+ cooks, editors, and culinary creatives ask a lot of questions—and do a lot of testing—so that you get dependable, delicious recipes, comprehensive guidance, and thorough and unbiased equipment and ingredient reviews. You can find us in the pages of Cook’s Illustrated magazine, on our television shows America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country, in dozens of best-selling cookbooks, and via the 14,000+ recipes, reviews, and classes available on our website and app. Whether you’re in search of a great weeknight meal or an impressive dinner-party dish, we’ve done the testing to deliver reliable recipes and comprehensive cooking info to your home kitchen. Bring your curiosity, and we’ll make you a better cook.
#AmericasTestKitchen #CookingTutorial #FoodScience
When you choose to purchase our editorial recommendations from the links we provide, we may earn an affiliate commission.
source
Excellent question 😊
Can you test titanium pans?
if anyone thinks that a U.S. tomato processing plant makes a better tomato than Italian factories, just check the ingredients. thats like comparing Ketchup to a fresh Roma tomato.
Was the goal of the introduction of this video to completely discredit ATK? Mission accomplished. You don't even have Bianco Di Napoli on the table. This is not a video people should use to choose canned tomatoes.
We garden and I can lots of tomatoes: homemade catsup is our favorite. Found the San Marzano plants last year. They took my catsup up another level! I haven't tried the Cento yet. Need to get some!
Buy American!😊
Cento is not DOP! Read the can; it says 'certified,' but by a third party. Don't pay extra for a non-DOP product. You can find better for the same price and is DOP.
Why are they adding all of that to American tomatoes?!?! A lot of American products are too focused on appearances, like the apples covered in wax. Nobody wants an acidic tomato sauce.
Del monte tomatoes and all other products are the best for price 😊
It's ok Jack, ATK makes plenty of bad ingredient choices.
Not nearly as bad as someone making the decision to take Ozempic.
Style has been around for 20 or so years. Big deal. Everything grown in the ground is all about the soil. California tomatoes are way too acidic. DOP is the way to go.
Cento is my go to brand for canned tomatoes. They’re high quality without being overpriced.
I've been using Cento since I started cooking. Excellent in my view.
why are the women continuously eating? Who thought that was a good idea?
I grew San Marzano last year and to tell the truth, could barely tell the difference. BUT the real issue is home-grown vs store. ALL home grown tomatoes tasted far better than canned. Maybe that's self-evident.
lol can just use fresh tomatoes. blend and cook by yourself..
Nope. CA tomatoes are the best tasting.
Hasn’t this been well understood by most casual American cooks for some time now or am I missing something? Like we’re talking about Italian tomatoes here, people really thought US tomatoes were better, or just this guy?
Echo the other comments. To not include Bianco Dinapoli here is crazy. Since that would completely change the premise of US vs Italy – it’s more about brand than nationality IMO
Mutti brand canned whole or pulp. Also Mutti bottled Passata. You'll never go back to other brands.
Bianco di Napoli even over Cento
Most American products are sprayed heavily with chemicals. I'd vote Italian because Europe has stricter standards.
Yes.
Yeh but ALL tomatoes are American. Italy didn't have tomatoes before Columbus. 🙂
Just more proof the AMERICAN FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN IS GARBAGE!
As far as making tomato sauce for pizzas, people are very opinionated about that. Plenty of misconceptions that some are you you want a raw sauce for pizza, well you got news for you any tomatoes that come out of can they are not raw, they have been cooked to make them safe.
Charlie Anderson on YouTube has done a bunch of testing himself on the difference and taste of Italian versus American versus San Marzano tomatoes. He did a lot of research and eventually has his own pizzeria.
American tomatoes look ok but are rubbish….
Where's the Mutti brand?
I love these episodes, I like the taste testing and product testing and I trust your recommendations.
Yes, but you just posted a video comparing tomatoes in the can and then in the sauce. Of course, we put tomatoes in the sauce and do not eat them out of the can.
Been using Cento tomatoes for years now. Found them when we couldn’t get a vodka sauce to work. Switched to Cento and bingo!
Stanislaus, California, tomatoes are what are in a huge amount of real Italian restaurants. Alta Cucina is one of their products. 7 in 1, tomato magic
Cento tomatoes are not D.O.P. and contain citric acid. You got mislead. Cento tomatoes already cost 300% more the U.S. tomatoes while D.O.P. San Marzano tomatoes cost 500% more than U.S. Is it really 5 times better tasting?
Why all the additives
Forget consumer level tomato products. Go with the ones they have at Restaurant Depot or Wholesale Club. Go with Stanislaus and or Heinz 5 in 1
Assume all American "food" is poison.