In a quest to find Britain's best supermarket salted crisps, acclaimed food writer Felicity Cloake conducted a rigorous blind taste test of leading brands. The results might surprise even the most devoted crisp connoisseurs.
The Crisp Contenders
Eight supermarket own-brand salted crisps were put through their paces, including offerings from:
- Waitrose
- Tesco
- Sainsbury's
- M&S
- Aldi
- Lidl
- Asda
- Co-op
The Testing Methodology
Cloake employed professional tasting techniques, evaluating each crisp on:
- Texture and crunch
- Salt distribution
- Potato flavour quality
- Mouthfeel
- Overall balance
Surprising Results
While premium brands often dominate taste tests, this challenge revealed some unexpected winners. The budget options held their own against more expensive rivals, with one particular supermarket brand outperforming all others in both texture and flavour profile.
Expert Tasting Notes
The winning crisps were praised for their "perfect golden colour" and "satisfying snap". Cloake noted "an ideal salt-to-potato ratio that lingers pleasantly on the palate" in her top pick, while criticising some premium brands for being "overly greasy" or having "artificial aftertastes".
The Verdict
This comprehensive test proves that when it comes to salted crisps, price doesn't always correlate with quality. For those seeking the perfect potato snack, the results offer valuable guidance - though personal preference ultimately reigns supreme in the world of crisp tasting.
