McCain's frozen chips outperformed own-brand versions from Lidl and Aldi in a direct comparison, with the household favourite scoring 8/10 against 3/10 for Lidl and 5/10 for Aldi. The test looked at taste, texture, crispiness and value for money.
Lidl chips disappoint
Lidl's Harvest Basket Straight Cut Chips, priced at £1.65 for 1.5kg, were described as bland and artificial-tasting. The chips were meant to cook in 20 minutes and come out "crispy and fluffy", but they cooked unevenly and needed longer in the oven. Some were verging on burnt while others remained undercooked.
The ones that cooked properly were fluffy on the inside, but adding salt only improved things slightly. The reviewer said they simply did not enjoy them, especially compared with the other options.
Aldi chips average
Aldi's Four Season Steak Cut Chips, priced at £1.99 for 1.5kg, cooked a little better than Lidl's, though they still needed longer than the recommended time. They were fluffy on the inside with a slight crunch on the outside.
However, the taste was described as nothing special and pretty average. Salt helped bring out the flavour, but the reviewer said they would not buy them again.
McCain the clear winner
McCain Home Chips, priced at £4.30 for 1.6kg (£3.75 with a Tesco ClubCard), were the clear winner. They had a crunchy exterior and a soft, fluffy inside, and were enjoyable on their own without any additions.
They cooked slightly unevenly, but it was not a case of some chips being completely undercooked - some simply had more colour and crunch than others. The reviewer noted that frozen chips have a long freezer life, so stocking up when they are on offer is a good way to enjoy them without always paying full price.
