take potatoes very I participated because I was serious about participating here in Cup of Jo. Casey Elsass — recipe developer and food writer extraordinaire — helped us find the best potato chips. Casey has written over 20 cookbooks, and when it comes to party snacks, there’s no one better (he’s the creator of Mosaic Jell-O and Hot Fudge Gifts). He tried to rank five grocery store chip brands with his well-honed taste buds. And the winner surprised us all…
Contestants:
5 widely distributed potato chip brands – Original salt flavor only. We also removed chips with ridges and special varieties.
Methodology:
Similar to the previous taste test, I prepared blind samples, numbered each one, and coded them into a secret key. Sliced cucumbers and plain soda water served as a palate cleanser between tastes. In addition to ranking the samples, I asked Casey to rate saltiness, crunch, and potato flavor.
dud
5th place: Utz
4th place: Mr. Zapp
Let’s start with the bad news. Utz and Zapp were both complete failures. “Utz has a potato flavor and nothing else,” Casey said. “There’s not a lot of salt, and it’s quite dry. It’s like a potato cracker.” Zapp’s chips were considered very old-tasting, even when fresh out of the bag. “It tastes like you’re relaxing outside,” Casey said. “And it’s too crunchy for me.” The good news for both of these brands is that we all love their other creations. zap’s voodoo chip Unique and no one else has done it pretzels Like Utz. Let them stick with it and leave the potato chip business to the top three.
the saltiest
3rd place: wise
This felt a little too salty at first bite. “Dream Chips are salty, but the salt is a secondary flavor. You can eat this right away.” But the smart chips went big on Casey too (and I kept my thoughts to myself during the lawsuit!). It was something he kept coming back to reconsider and was a strong candidate for second place. Until then…
silver medalist
2nd place: boulder canyon
Who knew? Although these chips have been around for 30 years, they are still relatively new to the century-old American potato chip industry. “Wow!” Casey said, clearly surprised when she tried it for the first time. “It’s very light. It’s crispy, but crunchy. And it has a good balance of potato and salt.” These chips were so good that Casey almost gave Boulder the crown. He refreshed his palate, then compared it side-by-side with other top picks just to be sure. And in the end, while the boulder chips were great, the winner was without a doubt…
slam dunk favorites
1st place: Rays
“Yes, this is it,” Casey said. “They have the perfect crunch, and the flavor progression of oil, potato, and salt is ideal. They look so light that you’d expect them to be too airy, but the crunch is just right.” After sampling them, Casey suspected they were from Lay’s. because That subtle perfection. “If you’ve ever been to Italy, you’ll know that one of the biggest treats there is the pre-dinner ritual of enjoying a spritz and a small snack, the ‘apéritif.’ And I’m almost certain that everyone in Italy serves a laze.” I can’t confirm Cayce’s aperitif theory, but I believe it. I always thought Lay’s had more oil, but this test proved me wrong (as my colleague Alison says, “It’s shocking how much better Lay’s is than anything else”). In terms of overall satisfaction, Lay’s — for official and Unofficial Tester — A standout favorite. After the tasting, we sat in the garden and drank the whole bag.
Thank you very much for sharing your expertise. casey! So, guys, do you agree with these findings? Which snack, dessert, or ingredient should you test next?
PS More taste tests to come, bring your best summer desserts.
(Thank you Alison for letting me use your garden!)
Source: Cup of Jo – cupofjo.com
