Our Absolute Favorite Snack In The US Is This Popular Brand Of Potato Chips

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Snacks are a beloved part of every culture, and with our modern age of industrialization, mass production, and flashy packaging, snack culture is growing. In the U.S., grocery stores dedicate multiple aisles to snack foods, from cookies and crackers to chips and candy. We took on the controversial and utterly decadent task of ranking the most popular U.S. snacks, and our absolute favorite snack out of the 31 we sampled was Kettle chips.

Potato chips appeared more than once in our ranking, including Ruffles and Lays varieties. But Kettle chips, one of the most popular brands of potato chips on grocery store shelves, were in a class of their own. The difference between Kettle chips and regular potato chips isn't in the ingredients or nutritional value, but the way they're made in small batches; sliced potatoes are thrown into a kettle filled with oil to fry. These small batches produce a texture and flavor that's superior to all other potato chips and, according to our ranking, all types of snacks. The texture and mouthfeel of Kettle chips are impeccable, with their satisfying crunch and curly, bubbly, and folded shapes. In addition to an immaculate crunch, Kettle chips are perfectly seasoned. Perhaps all the folds and curls trap pockets of seasoning that burst into our mouths with each bite.

Kettle chips are our idea of the perfect snack to pick up at any grocery store, convenience store, or pharmacy around the U.S. And there are dozens of flavors to choose from; we tasted and ranked 15 Kettle Chip flavors that range from spicy jalapeño to bougie truffle and sea salt. Kettle chips have even come out with a lower-calorie air-fried line of chips that have the same crunchy texture, minus the deep-fried oil content. While any flavor of Kettle chips is devourable straight out of the bag with nothing to accompany it, you can still use them to upgrade other dishes.

We love to use the pepperoncini flavored Kettle chips as a sandwich filling in an Italian sandwich like this Italian sub or the famous New Orleans muffaleta. Sprinkle a handful of krinkle cut salt and fresh ground pepper Kettle chips over a sweet and savory bowl of butternut squash soup or this cauliflower and potato soup. Since we ranked Kettle chips over both Tostitos and Fritos, we also argue that you can swap tortilla chips for potato chips in nacho-adjacent potato chip towers for your next Super Bowl party. The thick, folded crunchiness of Kettle chips is certainly sturdy enough to dip into all kinds of dips and salsas. The tangy sea salt and vinegar Kettle chips would be a great dipper for a cheesy crab dip, for example.