Kettle-Style Chips

The thicker, starchier kettle chip is preferred overall

Kettle-style chips are cut thicker than typical chips, and they aren't rinsed before being fried, a key step that reviewers say adds to the crunch. Because of the thicker cut, many also say kettle-style chips taste more like potatoes.

In comparison reviews, Kettle brand potato chips earn top marks more often than any other brand. Although editors at Slate.com find Kettle brand Lightly Salted Chips (*Est. $2.50 for 5 oz.) "greasy," other reviewers find them hearty, with a strong potato aroma and flavor, a serious crunch and a deep brown hue. David Rosengarten says they have a "lovely fried-in-oil feel," a sentiment echoed in other tests as well. And while no one should mistake them for a health food, Kettle brand Lightly Salted Chips are slightly lower in sodium than the average potato chip (115 mg. per serving, versus 180 mg. in Lay's Classic Chips).

Cape Cod potato chips earn above-average ratings from critics, who say that their Cape Cod Classic Salted Chips (*Est. $3.50 for 8 oz.) are crunchy and non-greasy. Editors at The New York Times like these kettle-cooked chips' "appealing touch of peel" at the edges. Tasters at Cook's Illustrated, however, detect a "fishy" taste in these chips, which are fried in canola oil, a detail that we didn't see noted in other taste tests. Food writer David Rosengarten is a fan of Cape Cod Robust Russet Chips (*Est. $3.50 for 8 oz.), which are made from oblong Russet potatoes. Such potatoes contain more sugar than the round, white potatoes Cape Cod uses for its other chips. The result is a potato chip with a deep chestnut hue and a hearty flavor. Real Simple applauds the "full-flavored" and "authentic" taste of Cape Cod Robust Russet Chips.

Rusty's, which bills itself as the smallest potato-chip producer in the country and makes its chips in an undisclosed California location, markets just two products: Rusty's Island Chips (*est. $2 for 4 oz.) and Private Reserve Chips (*est. $2.50 for 4 oz.). Rusty's potato chips are sliced, cooked, packed and sealed by hand. The difference between the Island and Private Reserve chips comes down to cut: the Reserve chips are guaranteed to be whole, center-cut chips, with no crumbs. Critics heap praise on both varieties: AOL Food describes these chips as "perfectly salted" and "aggressively potato-y." David Rosengarten simply calls them the best chips in the country.

Unfortunately, Rusty's chips aren't easy to find outside of California. They are available by mail order (*est. $24 per 12-bag case plus shipping).