Sunday, February 13, 2011

who likes potato chips?

We have embarked on a taste test tour of supermarket foods. We nibble, we score, and we share the results to help you avoid the paralysis of Brand Choice Overload. Today's topic: potato chips.
Bon Appetit's editorial headquarters is moving from Los Angeles and joining the small-but-sturdy web staff here in our New York office. Why is this important to you? We had double the amount of taste testers on the job last week for this supermarket standoff.
And we needed them. Eleven brands of potato chips is a lot of salt on the tongue. We only tested brands that are available nationwide (sorry, no UTZ), and stuck to straight-up fried chips. No baked versions, no wonky flavors; just potato chips. While we crunched and munched, dietitian Sandra Frank pored over nutrition labels, calculating which brands are the best--well, least bad--for you. Find both our winners for taste and Frank's picks for health after the jump.

Zapp's Chips
More from Bon Appetit: 

Our Favorites for Flavor

#1 Zapp's Potato Chips
Nutrition: One serving (1oz/28.3g) = 150 calories, 8g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 50mg sodium, 17g carbs, 0g sugars, 2g protein, 0% vitamin A, 8% vitamin C, 0% calcium, 2% iron.
Ingredients: Select potatoes cooked in peanut oil or a blend of peanut oil and canola, corn, safflower or sunflower oil, salt.
Cost: $1.99 for a 5.5-oz bag at the Greene Grape in Brooklyn, NY.
Blind Tasting Notes: "Perfect little chip"; "Like the bubbles from frying"; "Good heft and crunch"; "Gold star!"; "Best deep-fried flavor. Binge-worthy!"; "You can taste the potato but also nice brown notes".
Dirty All-Natural Potato Chips

#2 Dirty All-Natural Potato Chips
Nutrition: 1 serving = 130 calories; 2.5 g total fat; 22 g sugars
Ingredients: One serving (1oz/28.4g) = 150 calories, 8g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 85mg sodium, 17g carbs, 0g sugars, 2g protein, 0% vitamin A, 10% vitamin C, 0% calcium, 4% iron.
Cost: $2.79 for a 5.5-oz bag at Whole Foods in New York City.
Blind Tasting Notes: "Yummy--greasy but good"; "Good flavor and color"; "Oily looking but not tasting".
E. Guittard Grand Cacao Drinking Chocolate
#3 Wise All Natural Potato Chips
Nutrition: One serving (1oz/29g) = 150 calories, 10g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 160mg sodium, 14g carbs, 0g sugars, 2g protein, 0% vitamin A, 10% vitamin C, 0% calcium, 2% iron.
Ingredients: Potatoes, vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: corn, cottonseed, sunflower, soybean or canola oil), salt.
Cost: $3.79 for 10-oz bag at King Kullen in Manhasset, NY.
Blind Tasting Notes: "Light and flaky--nice"; "Thin, salty, crispy"; "Tastes like what I think of a potato chip tasting like"; "The classic".

Nutritionist Sandra Frank's Picks

Terra Yukon Gold Original Potato Chips
#1 Terra Yukon Gold Original Potato Chips
Nutrition: One serving (1oz / 283g) = 130 calories, 6g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium, 18g carbs, 1g sugars, 2g protein, 0% vitamin A, 0% vitamin C, 0% calcium, 2% iron.
Ingredients: Yukon gold potatoes, canola oil and/or safflower oil and/or sunflower oil, salt.
Cost: $2.99 for a 5-oz bag at Whole Foods in New York City.
Frank's Comments: "Lowest in calories and fat; second lowest in sodium."
Our Assessment: This came in dead last. We don't care if this brand it the healthiest, these chips were "not salty enough," "dry," and had a "hollow crunch." One participant said, "These hardly count as chips."

Zapp's Potato Chips
#2 Zapp's Potato Chips
Nutrition: One serving (1oz/28.3g) = 150 calories, 8g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 50mg sodium, 17g carbs, 0g sugars, 2g protein, 0% vitamin A, 8% vitamin C, 0% calcium, 2% iron.
Ingredients: Select potatoes cooked in peanut oil or a blend of peanut oil and canola, corn, safflower or sunflower oil, salt.
Cost: $1.99 for a 5.5-oz bag at the Greene Grape in Brooklyn, NY.
Frank's Comments: "Lowest in sodium and tied for second place in the low fat category."
Our Assessment: Hooray! This was our #1 pick for flavor.

Dirty All-Natural Potato Chips
#3 Dirty All-Natural Potato Chips
Nutrition: One serving (1oz/28.4g) = 150 calories, 8g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 85mg sodium, 17g carbs, 0g sugars, 2g protein, 0% vitamin A, 10% vitamin C, 0% calcium, 4% iron.
Ingredients: Potatoes, peanut oil or a blend of peanut oil and canola, corn, safflower or sunflower oil, sea salt.
Cost: $2.79 for a 5.5-oz bag at Whole Foods in New York City.
Frank's Comments: "Third lowest in sodium and tied for second place in the low fat category."
Our Assessment: Double hooray! This was our #2 pick for flavor.
citation: yahoo.com

28 comments:

  1. I have literally had none of those potato chips but they look awesome! I am going to have to look for them. I don't usually look for healthy food when it comes to my potato chips but I am very interested

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  2. My personal favorites are still pringles.

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  3. I second Kerykeion comment...pringles is still king

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  4. great info! pringles are still the best!

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  5. The dirty brand is my all time fav. Crunchy as hell, full of flavor, and a good variety. Nice to see them being noticed.

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  6. This is where i remember living in Australia sucks. I want your everything.

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  7. I really enjoy poor brothers habanero, so bomb

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  8. Im not sure what store you shop at but I have never seen any of those chips.

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  9. I haven't seen any of those chips...

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  10. Now I have a craving for some chips!

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  11. Usually the cheapest chips tastes the best.

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  12. I think you are piad by the industry to get us buy potato chips! mhmmmh... potato chips!

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  13. AMAZING post, potato chips are a passion of mine, glad to see it is for others too.

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  14. Talk about reminding of that chip on my shoulder. And eating it! :)

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  15. I'm into kettle chips right now. Super crispy

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  16. Zapps Cajun Crawtator is the clear winner of the potato chip war. fun fact, the founder of Zapps, during spring breaks, used to hire people to zip around on speed boats and pass out zapps down in florida.

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  17. I love chip, but I have never seen those brands you posted..

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  18. I've never heard of any of those but I don't like chips anyway.

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  19. Never heard of Zapp's chips. I'll have to try em out.

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  20. Wow, thanks! I've tried the "Dirty" brand, but none of the others.

    http://anon408.blogspot.com

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