20 of the best tomatoes to grow

With 10,000 varieties to choose from, it can be hard to know which are the best tomato varieties to grow. Some are great for adding fresh into salads, while others come into their own when they’re cooked.

We've picked our 20 favourite tomato varieties to grow. Find out which we rate the best for salads, grilling and more, below.

Why not use your harvest to make delicious sauces for homemade pizzas? Check out our tests of the best pizza ovens, in collaboration with BBC Good Food.

More on growing tomatoes:

• How to grow tomatoes
• How to grow the tastiest tomatoes
• Caring for tomatoes
• Three ways of growing tomatoes (part one)
• How to ripen late tomatoes

Tomato 'Incas'

Tomato 'Incas' is a very early plum tomato with bright red, meaty fruit with a thick flesh. It's perfect for barbecuing and using in sauces and purees.

Type: Bush

Height: 100cm

• Buy tomato ‘Incas’ seeds from Dobies, Suttons and Thompson & Morgan

Tomato 'Ildi'

A cherry variety bearing sweet yellow pear-shaped tomatoes, 'Ildi' is perfect for eating raw and in salads. It's ideal for container growing.

Type: Cordon

Height: 180cm

• Buy Tomato ‘Ildi’ seeds from Thompson & Morgan

Tomato 'Costoluto Fiorentino'

'Costoluto Fiorentino' is an old-fashioned beefsteak tomato producing medium to large mishapen and ribbed fruits with an excellent flavour. Suitable for slicing and using in sauces.

Type: Cordon

Height: 150cm

• Buy tomato ‘Costoluto Fiorentino’ seeds from Waitrose and Crocus

Tomato 'Astro Ibrido'

A fantastic- tasting plum tomato variety, 'Astro Ibrido' is perfect for using in sauces and preserves. Suitable for growing in containers. You may also find it sold as tomato 'Scipio Ibrido'.

Type: Cordon

Height: 90cm

• Buy tomato ‘Astro Ibrido’ seeds from Amazon

Tomato 'Rio Grande'

'Rio Grande' is a plum tomato producing heavy crops of deep-red fruit. Perfect for sauces.

Type: Bush

Height: 45cm

• Buy tomato ‘Rio Grande’ seeds from Amazon

Tomato 'Tigerella'

Rich, tangy 'Tigerella' has a unique flavour and striped flesh. It's ideal for salads and sauces.

Type: Cordon

Height: 200cm

• Buy tomato ‘Tigerella’ seeds from Amazon and Primrose

Tomato 'Super Sweet 100'

An incredibly sweet cherry tomato with thin skin, tomato 'Super Sweet 100' is ideal for use in salads. High yields.

Type: Cordon

Height: 150cm

• Buy tomato ‘Super Sweet 100’ plants from Primrose and Amazon

Tomato 'Red Alert'

Tomato 'Red Alert' is a cherry tomato bearing bright red, sweet fruits. It's heavy cropping and with a good flavour - ideal for salads and cooking.

Type: Bush

Height: 45cm

• Buy tomato ‘Red Alert’ seeds from Waitrose and Crocus

Tomato 'Gardeners’ Delight'

Tomato ‘Gardeners’ Delight’ is a large cherry variety. It has a delicious tangy flavour, and is reliable and prolific when grown under cover or outdoors. It was voted best for salads.

Type: Cordon

Height: 1.5m

• Buy tomato ‘Gardener’s Delight’ plants from Thompson & Morgan, Dobies and Crocus

Tomato 'Moneymaker'

Tomato ‘Moneymaker’ is a salad variety. This is popular for its reliably huge yields in poor soil and bad summers. A top all-rounder, it's great for use in sandwiches and salads, roasting and grilling.

Type: Cordon

Height: 2m

• Buy tomato ‘Moneymaker’ seeds from Suttons, Thompson & Morgan, Dobies and Crocus

Tomato 'Sungold' AGM

Tomato ‘Sungold’ holds the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (AGM). It's a cherry variety, with orange fruit. It was voted the sweetest tomato and is best eaten raw. It also has good disease resistance.

Type: Cordon

Height: 2m

• Buy tomato ‘Sungold’ plants from Thompson and Morgan, Dobies and Crocus

Tomato 'Tumbling Tom'

Tomato ‘Tumbling Tom’ is a cherry tomato, voted best for growing in hanging baskets. This compact variety has sweet fruit, and is available in classic red and yellow varieties.

Type: Bush

Height: 30cm

• Buy tomato ‘Tumbling Tom’ seeds from Dobies, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons

Tomato 'Ailsa Craig'

'Ailsa Craig' is a salad tomato. This flavour-packed variety has been around for 100 years and for good reason; it has thin, dark-red skin and a firm texture.

Type: Cordon

Height: 1.5m

• Buy tomato ‘Ailsa Craig’ seeds from Dobies, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons

Tomato 'Shirley' AGM

Tomato ‘Shirley’ holds the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (AGM). A salad tomato, it's ideal for growing in an unheated greenhouse. It matures early and has good disease resistance.

Type: Cordon

Height: 2m

• Buy tomato ‘Shirley’ plants from Thompson & Morgan, Dobies, and Suttons

Tomato 'Marmande' AGM

Tomato ‘Marmande’ is a beefsteak tomato. Its meaty texture and strong flavour makes it perfect for slicing into sandwiches and for cooking. Can be grown outside. The Royal Horticultural Society has give it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

Type: Cordon

Height: 60cm

• Buy tomato 'Marmande' seeds from Suttons, Thompson & Morgan and Dobies

Tomato 'Golden Sunrise' AGM

Tomato ‘Golden Sunrise’ is a salad tomato with unusual, vivid-yellow fruits and a sweet flavour. Perfect for salads. The Royal Horticultural Society has give it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit.

Type: Cordon

Height: 2m

• Buy tomato 'Golden Sunrise' seeds from Waitrose and Primrose

Tomato 'Rosada'

Tomato 'Rosada' is a sweet-tasting cherry tomato variety, with small, plum-shaped fruits, perfect for salads and pasta dishes. The Royal Horticultural Society has give it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit.

Type: Cordon

Height: 2m

• Buy tomato ‘Rosada’ seeds from Thompson & Morgan

Tomato 'Black Russian'

Tomato 'Black Russian' bears medium-sized purple-brown tomatoes with a delicious flavour. It's perfect for indoor or outdoor cultivation.

Type: Cordon

Height: 2m

• Buy tomato ‘Black Russian’ seeds from the Crocus, Primrose and Thompson & Morgan

Tomato 'Orange Santa'

Tomato 'Orange Santa' is a fantastic cherry plum tomato variety, with a super sweet flavour. It's best for growing in a greenhouse.

Type: Cordon

Height: 1.8m

• Buy tomato ‘Orange Santa’ seeds on Amazon

Tomato 'Black Cherry'

Tomato 'Black Cherry' is a beautiful cherry variety, bearing masses of mahogany brown fruits with a delicious flavour.

Type: Cordon

Height: 150cm

• Buy tomato ‘Black Cherry’ seeds from Thompson & Morgan