When it came to frozen pizza, the thin and crispy crust was pretty much the norm until a few years back, when the first "rising crust" and "delivery crust" pizzas came on the market.

The problem was that, while the crusts were certainly thin, precious few of them delivered on the "crispy" half of the equation. They ranged from hard and impenetrable to soggy and flavorless. One notable exception was the Totino's Party Pizza which, while it may not be everyone's idea of the perfect crust, at least got the crispiness in the ballpark.

Things have changed in the last few years, thankfully. There are some really tasty options out there. The prices may be a bit higher than you're accustomed to, but the quality has risen commensurately.

Perhaps the biggest improvement, though, has come with the toppings. Many of the most popular pies still use die-cut vegetables, but you'll find real slices of pepperoni just about everywhere now, some of it deli-quality in flavor.

In this test, we compared all the thin crust pizzas available at two major supermarket chains. We tried to compare apples to apples, going for the "supreme" version of each pizza, although that was not available for some brands.

Each pizza was evaluated by a panel of five testers on appearance, flavor of toppings, crust and overall impression. The testers could each award a maximum of 20 total points, for a possible perfect score of 100. Nutritional information is given for each pizza.

California Pizza Kitchen Crispy Thin Crust Sicilian: 310 calories, 14 grams fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 920 mg sodium, 30 grams carbs.

If all frozen pizzas were like this, you might be picking up stock in Domino's on the penny stock index. The crust is perfectly crispy -- not hard -- and the toppings each speak distinctly while presenting a pleasing whole. The sauce has a good oregano hit and is not overly applied. The salami was an especially nice touch. Final score: 96.

Palermo's Primo Thin Supreme: 350 calories, 20 grams fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 710 mg sodium, 26 grams carbs.

This was one of the more attractive pizzas in the test, but the taste did not equal the looks. The pepperoni was lifeless, the black olives had no body at all and the green peppers were almost soggy. The sauce was just about the only real flavor, and it was not remarkable in any way. Final score: 56.

Digiorno Ultimate Thin Crust Pizza Supreme: 360 calories, 17 grams fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 840 mg sodium, 34 grams carbs.

None of the testers were exactly sure where the "thin" part of the crust came in. Compared to other thin-crust pizzas in the test, this one was positively beefy. The sauce was fairly unremarkable, but the pepperoni, onions and sausage all contributed excellent flavor notes. The red and green bell peppers were largely ornamental, and the cheese was gooey but flavorless. Final score: 77.

Totino's Party Pizza Supreme: 350 calories, 18 grams fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 890 mg sodium, 35 grams carbs.

The Totino's pizza was the first frozen pie enjoyed by most of us over 30, with that insanely crispy crust and the toppings that looked as if they had been run through a Magic Chopper a few times. They are commonly sneered at by pizza snobs, but give it a fair test and you'll find that crispy crust is actually quite good. The toppings aren't anything tremendously tasty, although the sauce is one of the better in the test. And for the price, it's easily the best buy in the test. Final score: 86.

Red Baron Thin Crust Supreme: 340 calories, 17 grams fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 730 mg sodium, 33 grams carbs.

The pepperoni on this one was the high point, with really good flavor without a lot of grease. The red and green peppers were for decoration only, being largely devoid of any real flavor. The crust was fairly good, although not quite crispy all the way to the center. The sausage needed a bit more flavor, although there was a good amount of it. Final score: 83.

Tombstone Supreme Pizza: 375 calories, 17 grams fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 670 mg sodium, 29 grams carbs.

This was a great example of how excellent toppings don't quite balance out a sub-par crust. The pepperoni, sausage and veggies were all tasty, although not the best in the bunch, but the crust was soggy in the middle and gummy on the edges. It left a yeasty aftertaste that wasn't pleasant. Final grade: 72.

Chicago's Home Run Inn Classic Sausage & Pepperoni: 400 calories, 21 grams fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 980 mg sodium, 32 grams carbs.

"Home run" is accurate for this pie. The pepperoni is amazingly meaty and spicy, the sausage could stand alone as a dish and the sauce is a lightly sweet delight. The crust is excellent, with by far the tastiest edge in the test. If you like to eat the "bones" of your pizza, you'll love this one! Final grade: 96.

The Home Run pizza may be a bit hard to find, but it's definitely worth looking for. But if you can't find it, the old standby Totino's can help you feed a crowd on a budget.