America’s favorite snack: the potato chip. Six out of 10 people reach for a bag as their first snack of choice, a poll revealed. They’re timeless and classic with a fan base of all ages. And that’s been the case for a long time. Food historians date this crunchy favorite back to the early 1800s, but its inventor is widely debated. However, since the genius invention of these crunchy crisps, supermarkets and stores have exploded with nearly endless varieties. We turned to the experts to find the consensus five best potato chips most beloved by so-called foodies.

Here’s why we care: Americans are so snack-happy that seven in 10 have a treat with them at all times. In fact, the average American will spend nearly $30,000 on snacks in a lifetime! And these snacks are so important, a survey found a sixth of Americans would completely shave their head in exchange for a lifetime snack supply. Even devices aren’t as crucial as snacks to 18 percent of respondents, who said they’d go a whole month without their screen time for a life of free snacking. Of course, this deal would have to include chips!

But no matter the scenario of how you get your chips or which chip you choose, avoid the double dip! Right now, all you Seinfeld fans are thinking, “You double dipped the chip! You dipped the chip, you took a bite, and you dipped again!” But this double dip controversy isn’t made up for TV. According to a poll, you may be sitting at the singles’ table if you have “annoying” food habits. While respondents love dips, 44 percent are left feeling salty when someone double dips the chip. In fact, 40 percent believe that only one dip is appropriate per potato chip.  

All dipping aside, would you consider your favorite chip the best? We looked at 13 “expert” reviews from folks who tested, then ranked crunchy crisps on appearance, texture and flavor. Because after all, quality varies from brand to brand. Read on for the reveal of which received top honors as the best potato chips you can buy. The recommendations may surprise you, or they may inspire your next trip to the store. 

The List: Best Potato Chips, According To Experts

1. Lay’s Classic

Restaurant Clicks picks this golden classic as No. 1: “You can’t go wrong with Lay’s Classic Potato Chips; as they say, you can’t just eat one! Lay’s brand is synonymous with potato chips, and for a good reason. These chips are thin and crispy with the perfect amount of salt.”

“The all-time classic chip took the top spot in our taste test. Many of our testers remember having these chips in their childhood lunchboxes or in the stands at sports games. And in addition to the nostalgia factor, these held up as the perfect salty and greasy chip,” according to Eat This, Not That! 

Cheapism loves this lunchbox favorite: “Thin, crisp, a bit greasy, definitely salty … this is the potato chip that seems to show up in everyone’s school lunchbox, business box lunch, and office vending machine. Like Coca-Cola and Heinz rule their respective categories, Lay’s sets the standard for how a plain potato chip should taste.” 

2. Zapp’s Voodoo Chips

HuffPost got the opinion of chefs, and here’s what they say, “These chips are a ‘hands-down’ favorite for chef Kardea Brown. ‘It’s the taste that has special meaning to me, which is a combination of my favorite flavors — salty, tangy and sweet,’ she told HuffPost. Brian Nasajon, chef and owner of Miami’s Beaker & Gray said, ‘It’s the slow, low cooking temperature that makes the starch set, which gives them that extra-hard crunch. In my opinion, it’s the only way a chip should be. I’m that guy who’s dumping the crumbs from an empty bag straight into my mouth.’”

The Washington Post adds their reviews: “These Louisiana chips were greasy but not in a bad way. A ‘grease bomb — but that doesn’t mean they don’t taste good,’ one taster proclaimed. ‘These are big, tough lads. They have real crunch.’ ‘I like these a lot — good amount of crunch and texture.’” 

And The New York Times staff chimes in with these words of chip wisdom: “This is the kind of chip you eat until you get a canker … and then you eat a little more,” Senior Staff Writer Rachel Cericola claims. Senior Software Engineer Jacob Baker says, “Zapp’s Voodoo chips taste like everything at once. They have more flavor per chip than a medieval peasant would taste in a lifetime.” 

3. Cape Cod Original

The Takeout crunches down on just how much this chip deserves a top spot: “This is the belle of the ball. It is the chip to beat all chips. If aliens arrived and we had to feed them the best food America had to offer, I’d advocate for the Cape Cod chip. What makes this chip stand out more than anything is the consistency.” 

“Hand-selected potatoes, canola oil, and salt, these simple ingredients make a ridiculously crunchy kettle-cooked potato chip. Being cooked in small batches in custom kettles ensures these thick-cut potatoes are fried to an enticing golden amber hue. Cape Cod chips have a hearty potato flavor and a Cape Cod crunch that’s second to none,” Gopuff claims.

Delish says, “Of all the potato chips we tasted, Cape Cod stood out as a clear favorite. One of our tasters noted it was the ‘yummiest and most well-seasoned.’ While some other chips had excessive amounts of salt and oil that overwhelmed the potato flavor, Cape Cod is just salty and fried enough.” 

4. Ruffles

Redbook thinks this is the perfect chip to dip: “A perfectly wavy potato chip that is structurally sound, perfect for withstanding all kinds of dips and rich in flavor.” 

“These potato chips are texture on top of texture. Ruffles have that trademark crimp that no one can resist. They’re salty, potato-forward and just absolutely irresistible,” Taste of Home raves.

5. Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream

Men’s Journal calls these dynamite: “It’s hard to beat the flavor combination of cheesy cheddar and cool sour cream. When those two come together in chip form, it’s dynamite. It’s hard to beat Ruffles, a classic. The wavy shape of the chip means more surface area for flavor — and these have a great crunch factor as well.” 

“Thick ridged potato chips flavored with cheddar and sour cream that stand up to the thickest dips. We asked ourselves, could we make a tastier cheddar chip. Then we had a good laugh, because obviously there’s nothing better than Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream chips,” FINDTHISBEST writes.

Chip, chip, hooray! You’ve discovered the top five potato chips, according to experts. Now tell us about your favorite chips in the comments. StudyFinds editor-in-chief Steve Fink says it’s a “stunning crime” that Utz and Pringles didn’t make the list. What say you?

Sources

• Restaurant Clicks
• Eat This, Not That! 
• Cheapism
• HuffPost
• The Washington Post 
• The New York Times
• Delish
• Gopuff
• The Takeout
• Redbook
• Taste of Home
• Men’s Journal
• FINDTHISBEST

Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This post may contain affiliate links.