See All Potato Chips

Rusty 's Island Chips

*Est. $2 for 4 oz.
Email
Rusty's Island Chips

"Cult" potato chips

Pros
  • Nicely browned
  • Super crunchy
  • Large and substantial
  • Taste strongly of fresh potatoes
  • Made by hand to ensure quality
Cons
  • Hard to find outside of California
  • Shipping is expensive
 
 
Where to Buy
 
 
 
 

We read reviews of Rusty's Chips in the Rosengarten Report, AOL Food and Real Simple magazine. Of these, David Rosengarten's review is by far the largest, but it relies on his palate alone. Editors of AOL Food tasted nearly 60 bags of plain potato chips, but a surprisingly large number are deemed runners-up. We're not sure what the testing criteria were or how many editors participated in Real Simple's testing.

If you're into gourmet, small-batch potato chips, reviews we read agree that Rusty's Island Chips are the best artisan potato chips. These super-crunchy chips are sliced, cooked, bagged and sealed by hand. Critics say that Rusty's chips are wide, full of flavor and perfectly salted. Reviewers rave that these chips are everything a potato chip should be, but they are hard to find outside Southern California, and shipping costs $10. If you're looking for a super-crunchy chip that's available in most supermarkets, reviewers recommend Kettle brand Lightly Salted Chips (*est. $2.50 for 5 oz.). Rusty's Private Reserve chips (*est. $2.50 for 4 oz.) cost a little more, but are guaranteed to be whole, center-cut chips, with no crumbs.

Our Sources

1. The Rosengarten Report

Editor of his own subscription foodie website, David Rosengarten, a self-proclaimed "potato chip maniac," gives Rusty's Hand Made Potato Chips an endorsement. Rosengarten writes that Rusty's chips are "huge, and offer some stiff resistance to your teeth." They taste of "fresh, almost raw" potatoes.

Review: Snacks for Snobs: Potato Chips, David Rosengarten, Sept. 24, 2005

2. AOL Food

In this hands-on potato chip taste test, AOL Food editors sample about 60 kinds of plain potato chips. Ratings are included for "crunch, salt and grease levels, flavor, and overall appeal." Rusty's Island Chips earn plaudits from editors for their crunchiness and deep potato flavor.

Review: Potato Chip Taste Test, Editors of AOL Food, Apr. 2008

3. Real Simple

Editors recommend chips in categories such as "Best to Eat with a Burger," "Best to Eat with a Beer," "Best to Eat on Their Own" and "Best Unflavored." Rusty's earns praise for its "hefty crunch" and "potato punch."

Review: The Best Potato Chips, Editors of Real Simple, Aug. 2005

Back to top