Is there really a significant difference between store-bought brands of salted potato chips? After performing a taste test on several different brands, we learned that there’s actually plenty that distinguishes one bag from another, whether it’s the salt content and crunch factor or grease level and scooping capability. According to Tasting Table’s curated list of 16 store-bought brand potato chips, ranked from worst to best, the winner in the illustrious bunch of all this carb-heavy goodness was Great Value Ripple Potato Chips.
These chips were balanced when it came to the amount of oil and salt on the surface, which imbued them with plenty of moreish flavor. Plus, they had a sturdy texture and a large surface area, making them perfect for dipping (their ridged quality means you can load them up with an abundance of dipping sauces that settle into the raised bands and valleys).
Likewise, the consistency of these chips was delightfully crisp when we bit into them but they weren’t so crunchy that they hurt the palate. In fact, just a single taste was all we needed to confirm that Great Value would be the reigning champ among the challengers, which were either too oily, too tough, or just unpleasantly chewy rather than crispy.
Great Value Ripple Potato Chips contain a simple trio of ingredients
Unlike some potato chips that contain tons of additives, flavors, and colors, Great Value Ripple Potato Chips are made using just three ingredients alone; potatoes, vegetable oil, and salt. We reckon this is why their flavor and texture is unmatched among all of the different varieties we sampled. Having said that, some of the other contenders were made with the same trio of ingredients, which makes us wonder if it’s the thickness of the sliced potatoes themselves and the time spent in the fryer that set Great Value apart from the others. Either way, clearly, they’re doing something right by keeping things simple.
The loser in our taste test was Kroger Crispy and Crunchy Ripples. Over-salted and super oily, these chips left a weird residue on the tongue, which had an oddly mechanical flavor. They tasted nothing like potato and their texture was tough on the palate. You’d be better off selecting any of the other options we tried, such as the Fresh Market Sea Salt Potato Chips that came in second place, or making your own batch of Dutch-oven kettle chips at home. Or, make potato chips in the microwave by slicing your taters with a mandoline, soaking them in water, and drying them thoroughly before giving them a quick spin.
