Updated: Potato Chip Addiction

As mentioned in a previous post, I easily get addicted. To get out of the addiction, I sometimes try to overload so that I get sick of whatever it is I'm addicted to. This doesn't always work; it's often just a temporary fix. The overloading method seemed to work for my last addiction to potato chips, however. I've been potato chip-clean for eight to nine months now. Oops. I just remembered that I ate some Pringles yesterday.... But Pringles chips weren't the kind of chip I ate ravenously when I was addicted. No, I ate regular and kettle-cooked potato chips.

I used to give myself excuses to buy potato chips whenever I saw a brand I hadn't eaten before. Unfortunately, I couldn't always recall what I had tried before, so I started running into problems when I revisited potato chips that I later remembered disliking. I guess I have a penchant for lists to keep track of things, so I wrote up list with some notes to keep track of what brands I liked and disliked. When Serious Eats posted a kettle-chip taste test, I was reminded of the list and I decided, why not continue with the addictions theme?, to post it. It's a bit of a silly list since its purpose is to remind me which brands are okay to buy and which are not! In order of preference.

Yum!

Utz Kettle-Cooked
Not the lard-fried kind which frightens me.

Utz
Best mass-produced chip out there. Too bad it is only sold on the East Coast. Thin, crispy, not too salty, and delicious fried potato taste.

Cape Cod
I think this is an underrated kettle-cooked potato chip. Also, why don't more stores carry it?

Dirty’s All-Natural

Lays Kettle Classics
On the greasy side, but I still like it because its robust crunch.

Lays Kettle Classics Crinkle Cut
Greasy, but love the crunchy. Yum!

Lays (Taiwan)
Not too salty, right kind of crunchy, doesn’t stick to teeth as much as Lays USA; has a pleasant, appealing savory flavor (umami). Why can't Lays USA be like this?!

Acceptable, but hard to find:

Zapps
Boulder
Deep River
Route 11

If I'm desperate:

Lay’s
Ruffles

Avoid Avoid Avoid

Terra
More like cardboard.

Archer Farms
Just weird.

Tim’s Cascade
Too greasy.

Hawaiian
Too greasy.

Kettle Chips
Overcooked and brown. Yuck.