Looking for tomato inspiration this gardening season? This post covers my 21 best tomato varieties to grow in your home garden with rankings for taste, productivity and plant health. The list includes larger slicers like Brandywine, cherry types like Barry’s Crazy Cherry and paste tomatoes like the Korean Long.
The list of tomatoes is organized in order by taste, as this is what is most important to me personally. I’ve also graded each variety based on the productivity of the vines as well as health and vigor. Keep in mind that growing conditions differ from garden to garden, so a plant that was productive and healthy in one garden may not be in another.
This list of the best tomatoes to grow is quite subjective and based on my personal experience. I’ve grown tomatoes for 10+ years and always try to incorporate some new and interesting varieties every year. I hope to continuously update this list year after year.
Let me know in the comments below if there’s a variety that you truly love! I’m always looking to expand my tomato repertoire. Confused about some of the terminology in this post? There’s a glossary of terms at the end of the page.
My book, Seed to Table, includes a Tomato Growing Guide as well as some recommended varieties and delicious recipes that feature tomatoes.
Looking for more support this growing season? Enrol in my Garden-to-Table Master Class.
Striped German
Might just be my favorite variety yet, maybe even the best tomato variety. This slicer tomato is perfect on sandwiches, in salads or roasted in a tart of a galette. The fruits are large, with shades of yellow and orange.
The flesh is deep apricot. Like other yellow varieties, the Striped German has a sweet and juicy interior that is not too acidic. Pair with fresh herbs like basil.
- Type: Slicer, Indeterminate, Heirloom
- Taste: 10/10
- Productivity: Very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Yellow Brandywine
Another beautiful yellow variety, the Yellow Brandywine works well in sandwiches, toasts and many other recipes. The fruits are large with a deep yellow interior. They were very quick to mature, one of the first slicers to be ready for harvest in my garden. Not too acidic and perfectly balanced.
- Type: Slicer, Indeterminate, potato leaf, Heirloom
- Taste: 10/10
- Productivity: Very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Brandywine
Classic for a reason, the Brandywine tomato is an excellent all-around variety. It might just be the perfect red slicer (some fruits tend to look more pink than red).
- Type: Slicer, Indeterminate, potato leaf, Heirloom
- Taste: 10/10
- Productivity: Very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Pink Berkeley Tie Dye
A stunner. The Pink Berkeley Tie Dye tomato is part of a collection of tomatoes including the Green Berkeley Tie Dye. The colors are enticing and reminiscent of tie-dye. As a slicer variety, it can be used in many of the same ways mentioned above including sandwiches, salads, galettes and more.
- Type: Slicer, Indeterminate, Open Pollinated
- Taste: 9.5/10
- Productivity: Very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Black Krim
A classic heirloom variety from Crimea, the Black Krim tomato is divine. The fruits are bi-colored (green/purple shoulders and deep red/maroon bodies) with a deeply red and juicy interior. They are sweet, sour, and savory… all the things you want a homegrown tomato to be. I grow them in my garden year after year.
- Type: Slicer, Indeterminate, Heirloom
- Taste: 9.5/10
- Productivity: Very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Blue Beauty Tomato
This variety, as well as its sister variety (Black Beauty) below are quite similar. I personally prefer Blue Beauty with its sturdy fruit clusters. Because the fruits are firm, they tend to have a longer shelf life. The shoulders of this tomato variety are blue/purple, thanks to the anthocyanin antioxidant present in the fruit.
My experience seed starting this variety has been mixed. Oftentimes, the seedlings start their lives as spindly weak plants that often lose their foliage indoors. But when transplanted outside, the plants simply take off and produce an abundance of fruit.
If you experience the same thing, don’t worry about it. Try to keep the seedlings as happy as possible and transplant them out when the time is right.
- Type: Slicer, Indeterminate, Open Pollinated
- Taste: 9/10
- Productivity: Very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Somewhat healthy
Black Beauty Tomato
Social media darling, the Black Beauty tomato has been around for a short time and is growing in popularity every year. I have been growing this variety for over 5 seasons in my backyard and allotment garden. Unlike its sister (Blue Beauty listed above), this variety’s seedlings are typically healthy and thrive indoors or a greenhouse before being transplanted outside.
The fruits are softer than those of Blue Beauty and they tend to be darker. If the fruit is exposed to the sun as it matures, the final color will be darker and the anthocyanin is more pronounced. If the fruit is sheltered from the sun by leaves, the fruit will usually only have dark shoulders. To get that beautiful completely black look, you will have to prune away some foliage and expose the fruits to the sun.
Word of caution, there are some bootleg Black Beauty seeds floating around from what I have seen and heard. Always purchase your seeds directly from the supplier.
- Type: Slicer, Indeterminate, Open Pollinated
- Taste: 8.5/10
- Productivity: Very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Somewhat healthy
Costoluto Genevese
An Italian heirloom from the 19th century, Costuluto Genovese literally translates to “ribbed one from Genoa”. It’s a beautiful tomato variety, and in my view, quite architectural in its appearance. It’s a must-grow for me. Deep red color, thick-skinned and not too juicy, it’s perfect for sauces like my roasted tomato sauce.
- Type: Slicer (though it can also be used for sauces), Indeterminate, Heirloom
- Taste: 8.5/10
- Productivity: Very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Ananas Noir (Black Pineapple)
Another stunner of a tomato. Ananas Noir (Black Pineapple) is quite similar to the Striped German in appearance, color and size. Some of the fruits can be as large as 1lb (450g).
- Type: Slicer, Indeterminate, Open Pollinated
- Taste: 8.5/10
- Productivity: Productive
- Plant health/vigor: Somewhat healthy
Midnight Roma
A beautiful anthocyanin-rich paste tomato developed by Row7 seeds. I have been growing it for several years now and it’s on my must-grow list. The flavor is incredibly sweet. The flesh is deep red. For a Roma type, it’s quite juicy.
- Type: Paste, Semi-Indeterminate
- Taste: 8.5/10
- Productivity: Productive
- Plant health/vigor: healthy
Blue Berries
As we progress down the list, we finally reach the small-fruited varieties. Blue Berries is a beautiful and productive cherry tomato type similar in many ways to Black Beauty. I think of them as miniature Black Beauty tomatoes. The vines are prolific and the fruits are abundant.
They are perfect for snacking or adding to salsa and salads, especially when you have a glut. I like to add them to bruschetta.
- Type: Cherry, Indeterminate, Open Pollinated,
- Taste: 8.5/10
- Productivity: Very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Barry’s Crazy Cherry
Crazy is an understatement! This variety is so prolific with fruit clusters that can reach a foot wide. Each Barry's Crazy Cherry cluster can hold dozens If not hundreds of small yellow cherry tomato types. What’s unique about this variety is that the fruits have an elongated shape with a point at the bottom. They look like small footballs (the American kind!).
The flavor is very mild making them great cherry tomatoes for picky eaters.
- Type: Cherry, Indeterminate, Open Pollinated
- Taste: 8.5/10
- Productivity: Very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Juliet
This hybrid is reliable, prolific, and delicious. The fruits are larger than standard cherry tomatoes but smaller than cocktail tomatoes. They are elongated in shape, almost like small Roma or other paste tomatoes. This makes sense because Juliet has low water content and is perfect for roasting, dehydrating, or preserving.
- Type: Grape type, Indeterminate, Hybrid
- Taste: 8.5/10
- Productivity: Very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Citrine
There’s so much to rave about this variety. A perfect orange cherry tomato that doesn’t crack under stress like the popular Sungold. I’ve grown Citrine for several years and don’t plan to stop. It’s perfect in salads, for snacking and in other recipes like my Bruschetta Pizza!
- Type: Cherry, Indeterminate, Hybrid
- Taste: 8.5/10
- Productivity: Very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Korean Long
This was a recent addition to the roster. Though not very productive, the fruits on this Korean Long tomato variety were distinctive (torpedo type). They are considered a paste-type tomato. I used them in roasted tomato sauces and salsas.
- Type: Paste, Indeterminate, Heirloom
- Taste: 8/10
- Productivity: Not very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Weak plants
Crushed Heart
Another fun paste type, the Crushed Heart tomato was a great addition to my urban garden. The vines are not too abundant, but the fruits were wonderful in every sense. The unique shape made them fun to grow.
- Type: Paste, Indeterminate, Open Pollinated
- Taste: 8/10
- Productivity: Not very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Weak plants
Blush
A beautiful orange/yellow torpedo-shaped small fruited tomato variety. Blush tomato adds color and texture to salads. Though the plants are not very productive the fruit tends to crack (when overwatered or after heavy rains), I still like to grow it for the fun factor. The taste is mild but enjoyable.
- Type: Cherry, Indeterminate, Open Pollinated
- Taste: 8/10
- Productivity: Not very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Weak plants
Purple Reign
It’s not easy to find a determinate (bush) type of tomato with non-standard coloration. As the name suggests, Purple Reign tomato fruits are purple and grow on compact vines. The flavor was mild and sometimes mealy but they are definitely a great option for people with small gardens or balconies.
- Type: Slicer, determinate (Bush), Open Pollinated
- Taste: 7.5/10
- Productivity: Not very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Black Strawberry
Another anthocyanin-rich small-fruited variety. Black Strawberry fruits are larger than standard cherry tomatoes (similar to a large marble or just smaller than a ping pong ball). They have beautiful streaks. I really enjoyed this variety and plan to grow it again.
- Type: Cherry, Indeterminate, Open Pollinated
- Taste: 7.5/10
- Productivity: Productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Sunrise Bumblebee
Another colorful cherry tomato. The fruits of the Sunrise bumblebee tomato are slightly elongated, with beautiful orange and yellow coloration. Perfect for snacking or in salads.
- Type: Cherry, Indeterminate, Open Pollinated
- Taste: 7.5/10
- Productivity: Productive
- Plant health/vigor: Healthy
Lucky Tiger
The Lucky Tiger tomato is similar to the Blush tomato in shape, growth pattern and plant characteristics. The fruit color is green with striations. My only issue with this variety is that it is prone to cracking, however, harvesting before the fruit is fully ripe helps.
- Type: Cherry, Indeterminate, Open Pollinated
- Taste: 7.5/10
- Productivity: Not very productive
- Plant health/vigor: Weak plants
My Favorite Tomato Recipes:
Looking for more ideas? Check out my popular 10 Things to do with your Cherry Tomato Glut post.
If you liked this post on the best tomato varieties, let me know in the comments. For more garden-to-table advice and tips, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, visit the Urban Farm Shop, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Definitions:
Slicer tomato: larger tomatoes meant for slicing. These can weigh anywhere between ¼ lbs to a 1lbs and beyond.
Paste tomato: Tomato varieties bred to be used for saucing or canning. They tend to be meatier and have less water content.
Indeterminate tomato: Standard tomato varieties that can vine in an indeterminate manner. They continue to grow longer and taller if allowed to. Most tomato varieties available to home gardeners are indeterminate.
Determinate tomato (also known as bush): Varieties of tomatoes bred to remain compact, usually growing up to 3 feet (90cm) tall. All their fruits ripen around the same time.
Heirloom Tomatoes: Heirlooms are "old world" varieties that have existed for many years, passed down from one generation of gardeners to the next, because of their distinctive qualities (like taste, shape, growth habit, etc.). Although there isn't a set standard that is recognized all over the world, for a variety to be considered heirloom it must be stable and have been bred for many years. Some will say 50 years is sufficient to grant a variety the heirloom label. Others will say 100 years is the minimum.
Open-Pollinated Seeds: Open pollination or open-pollinated refers to seeds that will breed true either by birds, insects, wind or even humans. When plants of an open-pollinated variety self-pollinate or are pollinated by the same varietal, they will generate seeds that will produce plants identical (or almost identical) to their parents.
Hybrid seeds: Hybrids are varieties that have been specifically bred for certain traits like disease resistance, fruit shape, color, growth habit, high yield or another characteristic. Many people confuse hybrids with GMO but more on that in a bit. Hybrids are produced by crossing 2 plants to produce offspring that has desirable traits.
Read more about the differences between heirloom, open-pollinated, and hybrid seeds here.
Disclaimer: I will point out that you can't argue over taste. We all have different taste buds and preferences. The flavor ranking is very personal to me. Growing food is a journey and part of the fun is trying out new varieties. Failure or disappointment is part of the game. It's how we hone in on what we truly like or what works in our respective gardens.
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