I would not put too much weight on average Joe tasting tests. They are slanted by the person's individual taste experiences, palate, or lack thereof. I would go with objective tests on acidity and sweetness. For me, San Marzano does the trick. Others not so sure are as good. IMHO.

I'm definitely in the IMPORTED San Marzano tomato camp. There is a domestic label in a white can. Avoid that! They don't taste even close. For other purposes Muir Glen tomatoes are pretty good.

imho, the best canned tomatoes come in a jar. That way the tomatoes don't taste of the can, and there's no problem with the chemicals in the can (I can't recall which ones they are) tainting the food inside.

The Hotline has discussed this issue a few times. Here are a couple of those discussions:

http://food52.com/hotline...

http://food52.com/hotline...

Personally, I've never warmed to Muir Glen, but maybe that would change in a blind tasting.

Pomi is a brand that's widely available, but not universal. They actually come in a box, not a can, but I think they taste much fresher and less adulterated than any canned brand I've tried.

Any tomato that is from Italy is far superior to anything in a can or jar or tin from America. Check the salt content and you will see it is much lower. Italians pick the tomatoes when they are perfectly ripe and full of flavor and then package them. In the USA you get what you get.