I have something important to discuss with you all: Potato chips. They make the crunch that makes the sun shine all summer long. They are the salty-crisp soul of every barbecue, ever picnic. Where would we be without potato chips? In a very sad place, that's where. That's why potato chips matter.
And because potato chips matter so very much, and because it's nearly Labor Day, we decided to taste test eight different flavored potato chips at a range of price points. Yes, flavored, because what is a potato but a vehicle for spicy, barbecue, cheesy flavors? I gathered the entire CafeMom staff together and forced, forced! them to down all these potato chips and tell me what they thought. Here are our favorites.
We judged these potato chips based on TASTE and CRUNCH. Tasters rated flavor from Yuck, Kind of Ew, Meh, Pretty Good, and Amazing. And they rated the texture Seriously, this is a potato chip?, Meh, Crunch is almost there, and Wow, crunchy just like the way I like it. For the record, I don't think anyone selected "Seriously, this is a potato chip?" Each rating was assigned a number of points.
And now our top pics!
Best: Deep River Mesquite BBQ
Came in first in flavor and first in crunch. I got a lot of "yum!" comments on this one. Also, "crunch factor is excellent."
Runner Up: Kettle Brand Red Chili (Limited Batch)
This was just a hair behind Deep River, equal in crunch and just a couple points behind in flavor. A few people mentioned they liked the "kick" the flavor has. Red Chili is one of four special edition flavors Ketle is re-issued this summer as part of their 30th anniversary, so grab one if you see it. Otherwise, I think their Spicy Thai comes pretty close.
Third Place: Kettle Brand Jalapeño Jack (Limited Batch)
This was a slightly polarizing flavor. People either loved it or thought it was weird. Personally, it was my favorite. This is another one of the special edition flavors. Strangely, this one scored slightly lower in crunch even though it's made by the same brand as the Red Chili. SHRUG!
Honorable mention: A lot of people like the flavor of Ruffles Chili & Cheese Loaded. My favorite comment: "Kind of addicting in that chemically way."
What's your favorite flavored potato chip?
Image via Adriana Velez
