Finding the Best Potato Chips
When it comes to snacking, you can’t beat the classic potato chip. They’re crispy, salty and taste great straight out of the bag—though we love them most paired with our favorite dips. Just because you’re dipping and dunking these chips more often than not, doesn’t mean that you should settle for any old chip. That’s why our Test Kitchen put ten different brands to the test. Our expert panel judged these brands blindly according to these standards:
- Flavor
- Saltiness
- Crunchiness
- Dip-ability
- Appearance
As the king of snacks, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to chips—you can’t have salt but no potato flavor or crunch without a sturdy structure to hold up to all those dips. You have to have the absolute perfect combination of these five criteria if you want to have the best snacking experience. In fact, we think that the perfect chip is the secret to this sweet-salty mashup: chocolaty chips. You might think this one’s a bit crazy, but this recipe is a lot like chocolate covered pretzels, but with extra crispness. Now, to make this recipe really shine, let’s find out which chips ranked best in our Best Loved Brands blind taste test.
First Place: Clancy’s
The chip with the highest marks across the board came from Aldi. Clancy’s, an Aldi-exclusive brand, ranked well in flavor, saltiness, crunch, appearance and dip-ability. It could be the perfect chip! What really stood out was how Clancy’s was able to balance a nice fried potato flavor with the right level of salt—not overwhelming but still satisfying. This chip also got the highest scores in our blind taste test for dip-ability, meaning it would be right at home alongside our creamiest dips.
Available exclusively at Aldi.
Second Place: Mrs. Fisher’s
For fans of perfectly salty and crisp chips, you’ll want to try Mrs. Fishers. This old-fashioned brand offered us exceptional crunch which kept us going back for more and more chips. This chip was a touch saltier than our other top picks, but our Test Kitchen knows that there are major salt fans out there that would enjoy that little something extra.
Available at select grocers nationwide.
Third Place: Old Dutch
When it came to appearances, we loved Old Dutch. This brand looked like the perfect potato chip. It tasted pretty much like the perfect potato chip too! We loved this chip for its nice potato flavor and satisfying crunch. These chips were a bit thinner than others—meaning it might not hold up to a huge scoop of your favorite dip—but moderate dippers shouldn’t have any problem.
Available at grocers nationwide.
What to Make with Potato Chips
We know what you’re thinking: You don’t need to make anything with chips! You’d be right, but why not turn your favorite salty snack into a new treat? Potato chips can be crumbled to make crusts and coatings for chicken and fish or even used in cookies for a salty-sweet combo. Just check out these creative ways to use up that bag of chips in your cupboard (though who has leftover chips—you truly can’t eat just one).
Chocolaty Chips
My two little guys can't get enough of this sweet-and-salty snack, which uses just three ingredients and is ready to eat in 15 minutes. The boys like to drizzle on the melted chocolate, too. Sometimes we replace the potato chips with apple slices. —Jami Geittmann, Greendale, Wisconsin
Spicy Chicken and Bacon Mac
Ranch Chicken Sliders
Potato Chip Bites
Chicken Fries
Blue Cheese Potato Chips
Potato Chip Clusters
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Touchdown Brat Sliders
Potato Chip Banana Bread Cookies
Potato Chip Chicken Strips
Mini Shepherd's Pies
Barbecue Chicken Bits
Slow-Cooker Tuna Noodle Casserole
Potato Chip Crunchies
Pepper Jack Hash Brown Casserole
Turtle Chips
Bacon Horseradish Spread
Cheeseburger Bowl
Sweet Potato-Crusted Chicken Nuggets
Of course, we can’t forget those chocolaty chips. See how you can make them at home (they take less than 15 minutes!).
Now that you know which chip will satisfy your salty cravings, check out our other Best Loved Brands.
About Best Loved Brands
When you’re looking for the absolute best, grocery shopping can be a real chore—dozens of brands, hundreds of choices. From cake mix to coffee, hot sauce to hummus, it can be daunting to make the picks that will make your homemade creations their best yet. That’s where Taste of Home comes in. Our culinary and editorial experts put 100+ products to the test. After undergoing a thorough review, our Best Loved Brands emerged. Find out which brands you should be grabbing at the grocery store.
Vanilla Ice Cream
Our Test Kitchen tried out 10 brands to find the absolute best ice cream brand. Trust us: This vanilla ice cream deserves a spot in your freezer. Find out which brand you should be buying.
Pancake Mix
Looking for the best pancake mix? Our Test Kitchen put 10 brands to the test to find the one you need for the perfect weekend breakfast. You'll flip for our favorite mix.
Bacon
We tried 100+ products to bring you our Best Loved Brands. This time, we searched for the absolute best bacon. Find out which brand had us wanting bacon morning, noon and night. Find your new favorite bacon.
Hot Sauce
Our Best Loved Brands testing is heating up! Our Test Kitchen tried 17 brands (yowza!). Find out which product claimed the title of best hot sauce.
Coffee
You start every morning with a cup. Why not make sure that morning joe is the best coffee you can buy? Our Test Kitchen shares their top pick. Find out if your favorite coffee is our best-loved brand!
Strawberry Jam
We tried 11 kinds of strawberry preserves. Find out which is the best strawberry jam for toast, treats and more. We have the answer here.
Barbecue Sauce
Looking for the best barbecue sauce? Our Test Kitchen put 10 popular brands to the test. Find out which took top honors in our Best Loved Brands tasting.
Spaghetti Sauce
When it comes to pasta sauce, we all enjoy the homemade stuff just like Mom used to make, but we don’t always have the time. Our culinary and editorial teams wanted to find this perfect jarred sauce, so we tested 11 brands. Find out which brand tasted best.
Meatballs
For this blind taste test, we searched high and low for the best meatballs you can find in the frozen section. Don't worry—we won't tell Nonna. Find out which frozen meatball tastes handmade.
French Fries
In a test for the best french fries, our expert panel found the brands that you'll want stock in your freezer. Learn which fry ranked best.
Hummus
It's one of our favorite dips for snacking, but do you really know what the best hummus is? Our Test Kitchen put ten brands to the test to find the one you should be buying. Try our favorite brand! You'll love it. (Promise!)
Fish Fillets
Our Test Kitchen tried six brands of frozen fish fillets. Find out which ones are keepers. We reeled in a good one!
Mozzarella Cheese
Sliced, shredded or melted, cheese is our fave. Find out what our Test Kitchen thought after testing nine brands. This is the best brand of mozzarella cheese you can find at the store.
Salsa
Ten salsa brands were put to the test. Find out the best salsa you should bring home for snacking, cooking and more. Dip into our best salsa brand!
Potato Chips
We launched a search for the absolute best potato chips. Find out which brand had us craving more than just one. Discover a new favorite chip.
Chocolate Chips
Our Test Kitchen tested 14 brands to find the absolute best chocolate chips—perfect for cookies, bars and tasty quick breads. You'll be surprised to hear our favorite brand!
Brownie Mix
We tested 13 brands to find the absolute best brownie mix. Trust us: Our top picks are just as good as homemade. You won't want to miss this.
Yogurt
Whether you eat it on the go, use it in tzatziki or a picture-perfect parfait, having the best yogurt is crucial for tasty dishes. Find out which brands our Test Kitchen loves. Your new favorite brand awaits.
Cake Mix
Want the best brands for your pantry? The Taste of Home Test Kitchen's team of experts put 100+ to the test. This time they tried eight brands to find the best cake mix. This is the brand we couldn't stop eating!