We asked a panel of 64 keen crisp eaters to blind-taste 11 types of premium salt and vinegar crisps from big brands, such as Kettle, Pipers and Tyrells, as well as supermarket packs.
Co-op's zingy crisps topped the table, while Aldi's cheaper crisps were only a smidge behind. Kettle Chips and Morrisons matched Aldi for taste, but Pipers came bottom of the pile.
Eat well, live better and stay healthy –Best premium salt and vinegar crisps
Co-op's crisps came top overall, with Aldi, Kettle and Morrisons tying for second place.
Most of the crisps were rated well for crispness and thickness, but achieving that elusive blend of saltiness and tanginess was what separated the best from the rest.
Best Buy: Co-op 'Irresistible' Hand Cooked Sea Salt & Chardonnay Wine Vinegar Crisps – 74%
£1.75 for 150g (£1.17 per 100g)
A mouth-watering aroma and perfect crispy texture and thickness helped make these crisps the number one choice.
Most said that the salt level was spot on, although the strong vinegar flavour divided opinion. 45% found the vinegar hit just right, while the same proportion felt the crisps were too tangy. These crisps are a great choice for those who like a sharp kick to their crunch.
Co-op’s are the priciest of the supermarket crisps, but they’re still cheaper than most of the branded varieties.
Available fromGreat Value: Aldi 'Specially Selected' Sea Salt & Chardonnay Vinegar Hand Cooked Crisps – 71%
£1.15 for 150g (£0.77 per 100g)
Aldi's crisps went down well with our panel and are the second-cheapest crisps on test, so they're a Great Value pick.
Three-quarters of tasters felt they had the perfect thickness, more than two-thirds loved their crispness and nearly two-thirds said they hit the right salty spot.
Around half of our tasters were satisfied with the vinegar level, although just over a third felt the crisps could do with being a little more punchy.
If you prefer crisps that don't make your eyes water, then these ones from Aldi could be the perfect low-cost choice.
Available fromKettle Chips Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Potato Chips - 71%
£2.40 for 130g (£1.85 per 100g)
These crisps got high marks for their perfect thickness and satisfying crispy crunch. The majority found the salt levels just right, although around a third wanted a bit more.
Feelings were mixed on whether they were tangy enough, with about half thinking they were just right and a similar number wanting more bite.
They make a good choice, though, especially if you don't like your salt and vinegar crisps too sharp.
Kettle Chips are quite pricey compared with supermarket options, but look out for special offers as they do tend to be on sale quite frequently. The packs are also smaller, at 130g rather than the standard 150g.
Available from , , , , , andMorrisons 'The Best' Sea Salt & Suffolk Cider Vinegar Crisps - 71%
£1.35 for 125g (£1.08 per 100g)
Not quite the best, but not far off. These crisps had a good thickness and a nice crisp texture. More than half of tasters found the salt levels satisfactory, and around half said the vinegar strength was just right.
Morrisons crisps tie with Kettle Chips as the highest-scoring vegan option, but they're a good deal cheaper per 100g.
The pack size is even smaller though, coming in 125g bags.
Available from – we reveal the cheaper alternatives to Hellmann's that impressed our tastersHow salt and vinegar crisps from Tyrrells, Asda, Sainsbury's and more compare
Beyond the top-tier crisps, the next highest scorers were Sainsbury's, Tyrrells and Waitrose.
Pricey Pipers crisps trailed the field with just 61%, proving you don't need to pay a premium to get a prime crisp:
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Sea Salt & Suffolk Cider Vinegar Crisps – 68%.Available from Tyrrells Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar Crisps – 68%. Available from , , , . , and .Waitrose Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar Crisps – 68%.Available from Asda Extra Special Sea Salt & Chardonnay Wine Vinegar Hand Cooked Crisps – 67%.Available from Harry Ramsden's Salt & Vinegar Hand Cooked Sharing Crisps – 67%.Available from Lidl Deluxe Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar Hand Cooked Potato Crisps – 65%.Available from Pipers Burrow Hill Cider Vinegar & Sea Salt Crisps – 61%.Available from , and For the perfect movie night, start with crisps and follow up with a greatAre crisps healthy?
You probably know the answer to this. They may be potato-based, but crisps are a high-calorie combination of carbs, fat and salt and, for some of us, addictively moreish.
On average, a small (25g) serving of the crisps we tested contains 125 calories, 7g of fat and 0.47g of salt.
All fall into either the medium or high salt category.
You may be surprised, however, to find out they can also contain sugar. You'll see it in the ingredients as dextrose, lactose, maltodextrin or simply sugar. Our top scorer, Co-op, had the highest levels of both sugar and salt.
So, like all such snacks, crisps are to be enjoyed in moderation.
Are crisps vegan?
Not always. We were surprised to find milk powder listed as an ingredient in some of the salt & vinegar crisps we tried, so don't take for granted that a non-creamy flavour will be milk-free.
Five of the brands we tested contained milk powder, making them unsuitable for vegans or other people avoiding milk products.
Kettle Chips and Morrisons crisps are the top-scoring vegan options. Asda, Harry Ramsden's, Lidl, Sainsbury's and Tyrrells also don't contain milk, but top-scorers Co-op and Aldi do.
How to make homemade microwave crisps
You can make good, crunchy crisps in a microwave. Although it’s a slight faff, they come out well, even if you don’t use oil.
The crisps take a few seconds to ‘crisp up’ after removing from the microwave.
You can also make crunchy crisps in an air fryer.
How we tested salt & vinegar crisps
The crisps were assessed in June 2023 by a large panel of consumers who regularly buy and consume crisps. The make-up of the panel broadly represents the demographic profile of adults in the UK.
Each brand of crisp was assessed by 64 people. The panellists rated the taste, texture, aroma and appearance of each brand of crisp and told us what they liked and disliked about each one.
The taste test was blind, so the panellists didn’t know which brand they were trying. The order in which they tasted the crisps was fully rotated to avoid any bias. Each panellist had a private booth, so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.
The overall score was based on:
These weightings are based on how consumers rank the importance of different attributes of crisps.
How to recycle crisp packets
Unfortunately crisp packets can’t be put in regular household recycling. This is because of the plastic film that lines the inside of crisp bags.
Prices and availability correct as of 12 July 2023
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/best-crisps-aQtKr1J9ORFR