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When we set out to find the best of the bunch, we don't go spuddin' around. With the help of Anchor's Chip of the Month, AOL Food's panel munched, crunched, nibbled and gobbled our way through nearly 5 dozen kinds of plain potato chips in search of the tip top chip in all the land. See if you agree with our findings, or if we totally skipped over your favorite tater.
(Note to folks who are writing in saying they can't find the winner -- just use the arrows to navigate through the gallery. The results are ranked down from 15-1. And we hear ya! Cape Cod will definitely be in the next batch of reviews.)
The flavored chip tasting will follow in a few weeks, after our sodium levels normalize.
Read the Plain Potato Chip Taste Test
Buy 'Em at Anchor's Chip of the Month
Sampled chips included...
| Brand | Style |
| Wise | All Natural |
| Lay's | Wavy Original |
| Wise | Ridgies |
| Bachman | Golden Ridges |
| Ruffles | Natural Sea Salt Reduced Fat |
| Kettle | Lightly Salted |
| Lay's | Classic |
| Lay's | Natural Thick Cut Sea Salted |
| Ruffles | Baked Original |
| Poore Brothers | 40% Reduced Fat Original Kettle Chips |
| Mike Sell's | All Natural Groovy |
| Good's | Original |
| Zapp's | Regular |
| Mike Sell's | 30% Reduced Fat All Natural |
| Good's | Home Style Potato Chips |
| Utz | Natural Lightly Salted Kettle Cooked |
| Ballreich's | Marcelled Original |
| Ballreich's | Marcelled No Salt Added |
| Utz | Kettle Classics Crunchy Reduced Fat |
| Utz | Kettle Classics Crunchy |
| Utz | Kettle Classics Crunchy Krinkle Cut |
| Utz | Crisp All Natural |
| Madhouse Munchies | Sea Salted |
| Backer's | German Style |
| Beer Chips | Beer Chips |
| Shearer's | 40% Reduced Fat Kettle Cooked |
| Shearer's | Kettle Cooked Extra Crunchy |
| Shearer's | Unsalted Kettle Cooked |
| Martin's | Kettle Cook'D |
| Mrs. Mike's | Always Fresh |
| North Fork | All Natural Sweet Potato Chips |
| Spudmaster | Colossal Chips |
| California Chips | Sea Salted All Natural |
| Door Country | Kettle Cooked Original |
| Troyer Farms | Kettle Cooked Original |
| Ole Salty's | Regular Salt |
| Utz Natural | Gourmet Medley Kettle Cooked |
| Mister Bee | Original |
| Utz | Classic Russets Gourmet Dark |
| Route 11 | Lightly Salted |
| J.P.'s Old Fashioned | Extra Crunchy Kettle Cooked |
| D.W. Mikesell | Kettle Cooked Original |
| Utz | Kettle Classics Sweet Potato |
| Rachel's | Naturally Baked |
| Kettle Classics | Natural Kettle |
| Vitner's | Plain |
| Rusty's Island Chips | Hand Crafted |
| Rusty's Island Chips | Hand Made |
| North Fork | All Natural Kettle Cooked |
| Tri-Sum | Original Style |
| Deep River Snacks | Original Salted |
| Better Made | Original |
| Terra | Yukon Gold |
| Terra | Red Bliss |
| Boulder Canyon | Totally Natural |
| Fox Family | Plain |
| Michael Season's | Reduced Fat |
| 365 Organic | Organic Classic Sea Salt |
| 365 | Lightly Salted Homestyle |
Read the Potato Chip Taste Test
Buy 'Em at Anchor's Chip of the Month
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4-27-2008 @2:13PM LJ LaMont said... You didn't try Cape Cod Potato Chips? They're excellent.
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4-27-2008 @2:21PM secrocks06 said... Where are the Trader Joe's popped chips!!!! Get away from the commercial garbage guys!!!!!!!! Damn!!!!!
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4-27-2008 @2:27PM Jackie said... My favorite choice of potato chips is Zapps from Louisianna!
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4-27-2008 @2:30PM weegie said... SO, WHERE IS THE WINNER? I'M SO SICK OF THIS AOL CRAP THAT HAS HEADLINES THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STORY & LINKS THAT JUST SEND ME IN CIRCLES! I HATE, HATE, HATE AOL!
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4-27-2008 @3:06PM John said... The Stew Leonard Hand-made Kettle Cooked Jumbo potato chips are the best. They are made fresh in each store.
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4-27-2008 @3:10PM Ellie said... As some one else said 'you didn't test taste Cape Cod. In fact of all the ones you tasted I only recognized two.Lay's and Wise,,the rest I have never seen in my stores in SE Florida.
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4-27-2008 @3:12PM MGanek said... What about CapeCod Dark Russett Chips.....definitely a worthy challenger to this group
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4-27-2008 @3:30PM Mark said... You missed taste testing my all time favorite chips, Snyder's of Berlin. Made in Berlin, Pennsylvania. Whenever we get to PA we stock up on them.
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4-27-2008 @3:47PM Marian said... I agree with Mark-Snyders of Berlin (Pennsylvania) are the best chips ever-especially the rippled ones. We also stock up every time we go to Pittsburgh.
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5-03-2008 @7:48PM Barb said... You missed one EXCELLENT brand of chips....and that is....drum roll please....Route 11 Potato Chips from US Route 11, Middletown, VA. YESSSS!!!!!
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4-27-2008 @4:09PM R.L. Douglas said... Very fine choices. However, I believe that GIBBLES potato chips are the Very Best natural, regular chips available. They are produced in Pennsylvania and are pretty much distributed it seems within a 150 mile area. THESE ARE FANTASTIC CHIPS, like WE had in the 60's & 70's before jackasses like NYC Mayor Bloomberg got involved... They are made with animal fat(Oh...God)! Try them, you will be addicted. (You too Mayor)!
Bob, (a 20 year addict).
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4-27-2008 @4:19PM Linda Stradley said... No body has heard of Miss Vicki's chips? Originally from New Lowell, Ontario, Canada (yup, she started in her kitchen about 25 or so years ago), Lays seems to have bought her out. I now see them in the Salt Lake City area from time to time. They have become my favorite.
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4-27-2008 @9:59PM Max said... Diffenbach's chips of Womelsdorf, PA is an excellent chip. Nice and thick and just the right amount of salt. Get them fresh where they're made.
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4-27-2008 @4:30PM amy said... for the flavored chip showdown i hope you get some BBQ Grippo's from Cincinnati, BEST EVER!!!!!
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4-27-2008 @4:50PM cheri said... Oh my - I think these taste testers are beginners! Especially since they had the gull to put "Lays" in there top 15! Lays? Like eating cardboard - yuck!
You missed the A#1 chip......Trader Joe's Kettle Chips (the blue bag). I would say you have missed out by not trying these, and putting them in your top rankings.
Try them - you will LOVE them!
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4-27-2008 @5:08PM Joan said... I agree with Mark and Marian....Snyder's of Berlin, PA are excellent. I grew up there and that's just about the only potato chips we ate back then. I live in CA now and I still can't find anything I like as well.
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4-27-2008 @5:14PM FM King said... I can't really dispute the taste test results as not very many of these brands are sold in my area of the Pacific Northwest. But if you ever get up to my neck of the woods, check out Tim's Cascade Chips. Several varieties, and even some very good white cheese popcorn. Made in Hood River, Oregon, Tim's are a very thick & crunchy chip. Betcha can't eat just one!
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4-27-2008 @5:26PM Flo Ree said... PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO ALL OF US YELLING CAPE COD AT YOU! THEY ARE EXCELLENT+++++++
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4-27-2008 @5:32PM Trish said... Cape Cod 40% reduced fat are the absolute best!!!
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4-27-2008 @5:33PM Andrea said... Glad to see my favorite - Better Made Original Potato Chips - made it into your runner-up list. Best plain potato chips ever!
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