We treat the humble chip with more seriousness than most snack items deserve, so we recruited recipe developer and food writer Casey Elsass to conduct a proper comparison. Casey, who has contributed to more than twenty cookbooks and is known for playful projects like Mosaic Jell-O and inventive hot-fudge presents, agreed to evaluate five common supermarket options. The aim was simple: determine which bag of plain salted, non-ridged chips delivers the best overall experience. This was not about novelty flavors or specialty cuts—only the classic, straight-from-the-shelf chip.
To keep the process rigorous, the tasting was performed blind. Each sample was anonymized and assigned a code that only the organizer knew. We provided plain sparkling water and sliced cucumber as palate cleansers between bites so prior flavors wouldn’t linger. Casey rated each sample for three core attributes: saltiness, crunch, and potato flavor. The setup was intentionally minimal so the chips could be judged on fundamentals rather than packaging or nostalgia.
The lower half of the lineup
Two brands landed at the bottom of the list. In fifth place, Utz earned criticism for offering a muted experience: the chips showed a definite potato base but lacked brightness and seasoning, coming across almost like a dry cracker rather than a lively chip. In fourth place, Zapp’s surprised us in the wrong way. Despite opening fresh bags, the texture read as overly brittle and the taste suggested staleness to our taster. Both brands remain beloved for other formats—Zapp’s for its signature Voodoo variety and Utz for its pretzels—but in this particular comparison of plain salted, they just didn’t deliver the balance Casey was looking for.
Mid-pack contender: a salty gem that grows on you
Claiming third place was Wise, a chip that made a bold first impression with pronounced seasoning. At initial bite the saltiness felt dominant, perhaps too forward for a chip where seasoning should accent rather than announce. Yet with a few more tastes, that assertive salt began to feel like a defining character rather than an overload. Casey returned to Wise repeatedly, noting that the texture and seasoning formed a memorable combination. It never quite eclipsed the top two for overall harmony, but Wise demonstrated that a strong, unapologetic flavor profile can still win affinity when the crunch supports it.
Top two: a near miss and a clear winner
Boulder Canyon came close
In second place sat Boulder Canyon, a brand with a long shelf history but relatively recent mainstream visibility. Casey described these chips as light and crisply framed—the kind of crunch that snaps cleanly without shattering into dust. The interplay of oil, potato, and salt felt well-judged, giving a bright potato note without being heavy-handed. During a direct comparison with the eventual winner, Boulder Canyon nearly took the crown; it impressed for its restraint and clarity, earning admiration for its balanced potato flavor and refined mouthfeel.
Lay’s: the unanimous favorite
The top spot went to Lay’s. What set this classic apart was the precise progression of flavors and the ideal textural profile: an initial whisper of oil, followed by a genuine potato presence, finishing with restrained salt. The chips appear visually airy but deliver a satisfying crunch that hangs together in the mouth. Casey noted the combination felt almost archetypal—so familiar that he suspected the brand before the reveal. He also offered a playful observation about how these chips would fit into an aperitivo moment in Europe, where a perfectly tuned snack complements a pre-dinner drink. After the tasting, our group happily finished the bag in the garden.
Reflections and next experiments
What the tasting made clear is that small differences in seasoning balance and textural engineering matter more than branding or shelf history. The exercise relied on three simple metrics—saltiness, crunch, and potato flavor—and showed that a mainstream chip can still be the most satisfying when its basic elements align. We’re grateful to Casey for lending his palate and to Alison for hosting us outdoors. If you have a contender you think deserves a blind comparison, tell us what snack or ingredient we should evaluate next.