16 Store-Brand Potato Chips, Ranked Worst To Best

We all love fried potatoes, from french fries to skillet to the delicious chip form. Fried potatoes are just something that is incredibly versatile and deliciously pleasing. Whether it's a hashbrown with breakfast, a crumbled chip on a saucy sandwich, or a tot at the dinner table, fried potatoes go with every meal, no matter what time of day. Well, that's usually the case.

Before going into this ranking, I would have laughed if someone had told me you could mess up a plain potato chip. But I'm here to tell you that it is not only a reality, it is much more common than I ever expected. I didn't feel like I was asking for much. I expected a nice balance of salt to potato flavor, a good texture that didn't damage my mouth, and just the right amount of oil. A chip that left me coming back for more. But when I put these store-brand potato chips to that test, I'm sad to say that many of them failed.

Thankfully, you won't have to endure the same tater catastrophies that I faced because, based on what I want in a good potato chip, I've ranked these from worst to best. Shop accordingly, and buyer beware; believing that your store-brand is gonna bring it just might put you in potato chip purgatory.

The thing I hate more than a tasteless potato chip is one that is going to rip through the roof of my mouth and cheeks. And with Kroger's Crispy and Crunchy Ripples, that is exactly what you will get. Any more than a couple of these chips, and the palate is going to pay the price.

Sadly, that isn't where this spud stopped its assault on my chops. I wish that it had also offered me something tasteless because the flavor of this chip lacks anything potato-like and offers something almost mechanical instead. The salt is also aggressively applied, and the oil that it sticks to is clingy, leaving a residue throughout the mouth. If the chip wasn't unpleasant enough, the grime it leaves behind will be there to remind you of your misadventure.

This chip fooled me with its airy, light, and salty appearance, looking like one of those overfried, hollow french fries that I seek out from my fast food order. But I was immediately disappointed. If you can imagine, or recall, ever biting into an undercooked potato, you have already experienced this chip.

Tasting this chip defied logic. It looked thin and delicate, but tasted thick and raw. While I can appreciate a natural flavor, I don't really want something that tastes like it's been plucked straight from the ground. And while it seems Walmart forgot to cook this chip, it also seems to have forgotten to salt it as well. Bland and blah are two words that immediately come to mind with this one. These may be a Great Value in quantity, but I promise the quality will leave you wishing you had chosen something different.

I love a good kettle-cooked potato chip — emphasis on the good. But the ones that are executed poorly are far too frequent. And this chip is the perfect example. At first glance, it looks like it's going to be a greasy, salty, snacky treat. But once in the mouth, it proves to be just the opposite. This chip is very hard with a thick chew, and if I had to describe the taste and texture, it would be hard air. There is no flavor to be found — potato, salt, or oil. While the bag proudly touts that these chips have 50% less fat and sodium than TJ's regular potato chips, it doesn't tell you these also have 100% less flavor.

With the bite being overly aggressive, and the chip literally carrying absolutely nothing of substance (except difficulty in chewing), this chip falls near the bottom of this list. If you want a chip that tastes good, you're going to have to swallow the fat and salt.

Before this taste test, I really didn't appreciate the marketing that goes into plain potato chip bags. Does anyone really read this? I know I didn't until I started asking myself questions like, "What is this?" And while Whole Foods' answer to that question is a "true alpha in the snack kingdom," I can assure you it is not.

This rippled chip is wrong in every way except presentation. It cracks between the teeth, giving the mouth a rough chew. And the only flavor in this chip is potato. Now, while I can appreciate a more natural slant to the potato chip, I feel like there should be at least a little salt. Getting a mouthful of potato and oil isn't pleasant, and that is what this chip delivers.

Yes, this chip would make for a sturdy dip carrier. But it would also make dents in the cheeks and the roof of the mouth. While not as harsh as previous chips, this is still one to avoid.

This chip is confidently kettle cooked but done in all the wrong ways. Whole Foods delivers tightly twisted chip contortions in this bag that are overly oiled and unpleasantly chewy. They are hard to bite into with a slippery leather-like aesthetic that I would rather not have experienced. 

At the forefront of everything in this chip, including taste, is the oil, which is "expeller pressed sunflower seed oil." In fancy terms, this sunflower seed oil came about through the strength of machinery and not chemical means. And the flavor is very strong, to the point that it's nearly impossible to detect any taste of potato and only a whisper of salt on the back of the tongue. While that wasn't as horrible as the chips that rank lower in this list, it wasn't great either. All things considered, it just seems like a lot of work for nothing here. 

While this potato chip isn't incredibly displeasing, it seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis between being regular or kettle cooked. The appearance from one chip to the next doesn't help, and neither does the texture, as this chip toes the line between crispy and hard and chewy. Those falterings aside, this chip does deliver a nice balance of oil that is richly flavored. A faint glimmer of potato reaches the palate only after the chip has left, but it is there. But as for the salt, I can't say the same, as I couldn't find a hint of any — even after tasting quite a few chips.

The oil is at the forefront on flavor in this one, but I will say it's not clingy or hard to remove, so that is a positive. The texture and taste are just kind of all over the place in this bag. There are better options available.

Much like the chip before, this one could be mistaken for a poorly executed kettle-cooked or regular chip, but without the label, you wouldn't know which. The texture is odd on both levels and comes across as chewy. And there is also a flavor that is more peanut than potato. These are things I would normally blame on the oil, but the oil is neither heavy-handed nor peanut.

The saltiness is perfect in taste and balance with the oil. And while that may not seem like a big accomplishment, in this lineup, it was practically miraculous. However, the fact that the salt is on par, and this chip wouldn't tear up the palate from its heft, doesn't make up for the strange peanut aesthetic or texture. But it does place these fried spuds above the chips ranked lower.

This was the first of the potato chips to actually come close to delivering what was advertised. It looked like, tasted like, and was labeled as a plain potato chip. Now let's discuss how plain this chip really was. On any other day, I would have described this chip as bland. But when compared to the lower-ranked contenders on this list, it's quite tastefully done. 

If you are looking for something that leans pleasingly into natural, this is a good choice. There is a very clean potato vibe that comes across from chip to chip and tastes as if it were lightly dusted with sea salt, giving just a hint as not to overshadow the potato. But while the cut is very thin, something I personally enjoy, the texture is nothing close to delicate. If not careful, this could easily slip from crispy into the hard, chewy category.

Trader Joe's comes in for the one-two punch on this one, delivering both wavy and kettle cooked in a not entirely disappointing fashion. Putting those two characteristics together makes for an incredibly heavy-duty snacking vessel. Not only could this chip hold a good amount of guacamole, but I feel like it could actually hold an entire avocado! This is a working-class chip with a hardiness that is surprising and could easily be a bit much if left on its own.

If not for the consistently medium size of each chip I would have been concerned of damaging my mouths interior with this strong spud. But it almost seems like these were designed to pop right in the mouth. The salt and potato flavors are nicely balanced, both flavorful yet humble. And there isn't a chewiness to the crisp, which I really appreciated.

Making its first appearance on the list is finally a store-brand, kettle-cooked chip that is executed as a kettle-cooked chip should be — at least as far as texture goes. Kroger has made a chip that is crispy, delivers a little bit of push back before the crunch, and doesn't end up feeling overly oiled or chewy.

Sadly, the flavor isn't there. Well, there is a flavor there, it just isn't necessarily potato. However, it isn't necessarily bad, either. I honestly am not sure what the flavor is, but can only assume it is from the oil. I will say, though, that while the oil may be the focus on flavor, it doesn't coat the mouth and isn't clingy to the palate. This chip actually has a very clean finish with just the right amount of salt. Compared to the other chips on this list, those attributes put this one solidly in its place.

These large chips have equally large waves that are just pleading to be dipped. They're hefty enough to hold whatever dip you throw at them, and thankfully, they're also pleasing enough to enjoy without necessarily needing one.

This chip has a wonderfully crisp texture that quickly moves into a powdery aesthetic, which is one of my favorite things about chips. While dense, this fried spud leans towards a melt-in-the-mouth kind of feel with a flavor to match. It's easy to taste the potato in this one without needing to look for it or be knocked over the head. The oil is also there, but favorably faint.

There are so many things here that are lovely and what I look for in a good potato chip. However, this one falls a little short on salt. If there were just a little more of that one thing on this chip, it would very likely be my new go-to.

While Target may not give you options when it comes to a store-brand plain potato chip, it at least follows through with a decent execution. And when it comes to executing a decent kettle cooked chip, it seems to be quite a difficult endeavor if the chips on this list are any indication. But Good & Gather almost knocked it out of the park with one shot.

This chip has a lovely, faint hint of potato for flavor. The oil and salt are well-balanced and at a perfect level. The trouble comes in on the texture, which is just a bit off the mark. Inconsistent from one chip to the next, the crisp is difficult to find. Target almost has a real winner on its hands with this one. And if this were my only option, I would rather have these than nothing at all. I can't say the same for the lower-ranked chips.

The texture of these small-batch created chips is perfect. It's crispy, but puts up a bit of a tough exterior. It's thin, but could easily carry the weight of a dip. There is an airiness to it, but it isn't overly oiled. And you can definitely taste the potato, which gives this chip a very natural vibe.

What's not to love? The lack of salt. From the numerous chips that I tried, I feel like I may have only picked up a grain or two of salt amongst them, and that is just not enough. These were so close to being number one but missed the mark in rounding out the flavor. If The Fresh Market and Target were to collaborate, the two may be able to create the absolute perfect kettle-cooked potato chip. But of the two, were I relying on a dip for full flavor, this would be my chip of choice just based on all of the other components.

Kroger ups its game on this one and comes in with a great chip with layers of flavor that make it taste seemingly sophisticated. The flavor of salt takes a minute to hit the palate and then seems to burst on the tongue. This is followed by a rich potato flavor that is natural and nearly delectable. The salt and potato flavors are extremely well-balanced, and the ratio of oil is impeccable.

While this chip is not as crisp as I would like, it does seem to be trying. And it's just on the edge of having a powdery aesthetic. If the texture were tweaked just a bit, this chip could easily garner the number one spot. However, even ranked a bit lower, these would still be great to have around for snacking.

Some of these chips give a very similar appearance to baked ones, which instantly made me wary. But as I found out early on in this list, looks can be deceiving. And I am glad that was the case in these thinly sliced, delicately crispy potato chips. These are flaky and simple chips that make it way too easy to eat a lot of them quickly. And with the salt, oil, and potato flavor all in harmony, these chips deliver almost everything you want in a potato chip of any variety — almost everything.

While the texture is enough to give a nice crisp and chew, this chip is extremely fragile and would not withstand any kind of dipping. Although the salty, fried potato flavor The Fresh Market delivers in this option is tasty enough on its own, dippability is the one thing that the number one chip has over this one.

This rippled chip puts up a tough front, but is anything but. Perfect for dipping, this chip is not so harsh that it would tear up the palate. It actually has the powdery, melt-in-the-mouth aesthetic that I absolutely adore in a chip. The oil, salt, and potato flavor is on point. With just one chip, I knew I had a real winner on my hands.  

This is the kind of chip I could eat on its own, happily nosh on with a dip, or delightfully smash into a sandwich. And it makes it seem so easy! Why did all of the other chips have such a hard time? Large and in charge, this chip still has a lovely mouthfeel, a great salty potato taste, and a nice crisp texture to bite into. Well done, Walmart!

I went into this ranking knowing it was going to be tough, but for reasons completely different than how it played out. Looking only for a good texture, a balance of salt to potato flavor, and something greasy but not overly oiled, I felt that most of these chips would easily contend for the number one spot. I honestly didn't know how I was going to determine a first place. Never in a million years did I think the majority would be vying for the bottom of the list.

Thankfully, I had decided beforehand to do this tasting blind. I numbered all of the bags randomly, along with the same number of bowls, and had my husband dispense the chips accordingly. I didn't know the brand or the variety I was trying until I was completely finished. This allowed me to really give each chip a good first, second, and even a third time over to judge flavor, texture, and balance. I am just as surprised as anyone at how things lined up.  

From here forward, I will be following my own advice — I will not purchase any of the chips on this list that fall below number five. It's just not worth it, and there's really no reason to. Four stores rank in the top five, so it's easy to find a good potato chip no matter where you're shopping. And now we all know where we can also find the best.