We Put 9 Kettle Potato Chip Flavors To The Test, Only 1 Came Out On Top

Kettle Brand Potato Chips are so well known that they are what anyone who reaches for the particular style of chips thinks of first. Why wouldn't they? I mean, as the company motto says, "Great taste ... naturally," and they aren't lying. Heck, they even sell them at Whole Foods, and we all know they don't mess around with artificial ingredients. Still, the healthier aspect and environmentally-conscious aspects (yeah, they prioritize that, too) of the company are just a bonus. Kettle Brand Potato Chips are freaking tasty regardless. No one is trying to argue that. However, what inquiring minds want to know is which flavor is the best? I know I sure did, so I set out on a taste-testing adventure to find out.

To determine which Kettle Brand Potato Chips flavor reigns supreme, I purchased nine bags of our beloved snack, happily I might add, and faced them off in a head-to-head competition. I also ranked them based on taste, potency of flavor, and potential for mass appeal. While none of the flavors are bad — they're Kettle Brand, after all — in the end, only one chip came out on top. Something tells me it won't be the flavor you expected, either. I'll go more in-depth on my methodology at the end, but for now, let's see how the various flavors measured up and, most importantly, which one holds the crown.

Coming in last place is Kettle Brand's Special Sauce flavor Made With Avocado Oil. I'll start by saying that the flavor itself wasn't bad. Unfortunately, though, I had a couple of issues with it. For starters, it's more expensive than the other flavors, likely due to the use of avocado oil, and the bag is smaller than both the regular and air-fried flavors as well. Ugh.

As for the taste of Kettle Brand Special Sauce Potato Chips, it was quite unique. With a name like Special Sauce, it would have to be, right? Well, it was, and this immediately led me to look at the ingredients. Upon doing so, I discovered the flavor featured sugar, mustard, tomato, honey, vinegar, smoke, onion, garlic, more undefined spices, and, of all things, milk and cream. Interesting.

Each Special Sauce chip had lots of layered flavor. However, they didn't come together quite right. Instead, they seemed a bit confused. As someone who likes all dressed chips (if you know, you know), I had high hopes for it based on the ingredients, but sadly, it didn't live up to expectations. The hints of smoke, honey, and vinegar are nice, but there was a lingering aftertaste I disliked. It's not a bad chip flavor overall, but it's far from the best the brand has to offer. It's almost like it wants to be BBQ, but it's not. Besides, the brand has other, tastier BBQ options. Moving on ...

Next up is Kettle Brand Air Fried Himalayan Salt Potato Chips, and you know what? They are far from a showstopper. In fact, the only reason they didn't come in dead last is that the flavor didn't seem confusing, and it had significantly more mass appeal than Special Sauce (our unfortunate last-place winner). As an air-fried potato chip, it also has 30% less fat than the brand's regular recipe, so it's got that going for it.

Kettle Brand Air Fried Himalayan Salt Potato Chips are an upgraded version of plain, at best. Compared to the brand's regular Sea Salt recipe, the flavor is much more subtle. I still detected some salty goodness, but it mostly shone through at the end. Thankfully, the chips taste like real potatoes, though, and that's not something a lot of mainstream brands can boast. Still, they were kind of boring overall. All that being said, they are a basic salty chip, so if you're looking for something straightforward, they'll do the trick. I guess you could always upgrade them with Parmesan cheese and black pepper, too, but why bother when Kettle Brand has so many better flavors — like all the ones we've yet to discuss. I recommend you just go for one of them instead and save yourself the hassle.

The award for seventh place goes to Kettle Brand Sea Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips. I'll admit it right up front: I'm not a huge fan of salt and vinegar chips in general — they are one of the last flavors I'd reach for unprompted. However, Kettle Brands' recipe was much tastier than I anticipated, so there might be something to the recipe after all.

As the name suggests, Kettle Brand Sea Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips have a hefty dose of vinegar flavor at the forefront. Even so, it was more complex than I expected, and there was plenty of salt to back it up. I think one of the reasons I liked them so much was that the salt and vinegar flavors weren't nearly as potent as I remember them being with other brands of potato chips. Of course, the premium flavor of the potatoes Kettle Brand uses didn't hurt, either. I'd be curious to see how they compete in a ranking of salt and vinegar chips, but either way, they do their name justice. The more subtle flavor overall may be a turn-off to die-hard fans of the recipe, though.

As you can see by my seventh-place ranking, Sea Salt & Vinegar still won't be my go-to pick. They would taste great crumbled up and put on top of pasta salad or alongside a grilled cheese. Still, the six upcoming flavors have it beat fair and square regarding potency of flavor and mass appeal.

Starting with Kettle Brand Backyard Barbecue Potato Chips, my ranking takes a serious turn for the better. As you know, the flavors that came before aren't bad, but everything coming up blows them away. Backyard Barbecue boasts all the classic barbecue flavor you'd expect, and there's no denying it has mass appeal for days.

When I took my first bite of a Kettle Brand Backyard Barbecue Potato Chips, I knew it was an outstanding representation of what the company is capable of regarding flavor. I detected a delicious blend of sugar, spice, and smoke — three things many of us desire from a quality barbecue flavor. After a few more bites, I also started to pick up on a slight kick at the end, thanks to the red chili pepper in the recipe. I would have liked even more heat, but the subtlety of it matched the other elements nicely, and I know a blast of spiciness isn't for everyone. Even so, if you revel in classic barbecue sauce flavors, these chips won't let you down.

In a ranking of popular BBQ chips conducted by a colleague, Kettle Brand Backyard Barbecue came in fourth place, so not too shabby. Really, I don't have any complaints about the flavor as a whole. Still, when it comes to the brand's specific flavor offerings, the best is yet to come. Another version of barbecue even made it to the top three, no spoilers, though.

As someone who craves a bit of heat, I was excited to try Kettle Brand Jalapeño Potato Chips. Admittedly, this set the expectations for the flavor a bit high, but thankfully, they didn't let me down. Don't let the name fool you, either. If you can withstand a mild level of spiciness, you should be just fine.

First and foremost, Kettle Brand Jalapeño Potato Chips taste like jalapeño, as they should. However, they are far from a one-trick pony. The recipe includes salt, sugar, onion, garlic, jalapeño (of course), and some other undefined spices and natural flavors, and they come together beautifully. I got a nice touch of sweetness up front, which balanced the heat on the backend like no other. There was also a pleasing saltiness that brought all the flavors together. As is the case with many spicy foods, the heat built the more I munched, so it eventually got me in the back of the throat, but for the most part, I just got a slight tingle on the front of my palate. I also used some to upgrade a sandwich, and I recommend you follow suit.

Even after all the wonderful things I said about Kettle Brand Jalapeño Chips, the best the company has to offer is yet to come. This flavor may be more potent and, well, tasty, than my lower-ranking picks, but the top four are a master class in how to make drool-worthy potato chip flavors. 

You might be a bit surprised to find Kettle Brand's Sea Salt Potato Chips in fourth place — that's almost top three, after all — but let me tell you: I was downright shocked when I decided that's where it stood. Before I got a taste, I thought to myself, "Oh, these will be plain and boring," but I was blown away by my instant attraction to them after a single bite. So, haters beware: The Sea Salt flavor is more than it seems.

What makes this flavor of Kettle Brand Potato Chips spectacular is the way it lets the quality of the potato underneath shine. Yes, they are deliciously salty, and you can tell the salt is excellent quality thanks to the bold yet pure flavor it provides. However, its ability to let the crispy potato be the star of the show is what makes it so special. With your average, mainstream potato chip brand, like Lay's or something, the potato flavor is an afterthought. Not with these babies, though. Seriously, they almost taste homemade.

Kettle Brand Sea Salt Potato Chips may not be the flavor powerhouse we were all expecting from a recipe ranked so high, but it more than holds its own. Besides, that's what you'll get from my top three. The flavor is versatile enough to transcend snacking as well, so if you're looking for tasty chips to use in your cooking (maybe as a mac and cheese or casserole topper), look no further.

Oh, Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Habanero Lime Potato Chips. How I love thee, let me count the ways. For starters, your Krinkle Cut structure adds tons of yummy crunch while still being light and airy. And the flavor, well, it's to die for. Full disclosure: It's extra-spicy, so it's not for the faint of palate. Still, if you fancy yourself as someone who can handle a hefty dose of heat, prepare to be wowed.

Kettle Brand Habanero Lime Potato Chips pack delicious lime flavor up front, followed by tons of habanero. The combination of spicy and lime is delectable, and watch out because the heat builds. Even so, it's the perfect amount to keep you coming back for more. I know I sure did. There are also subtle notes of onion, paprika, and garlic, which sent the recipe over the top. In retrospect, they even made the jalapeño flavor I liked so much seem basic.

If this ranking were based on boldness of flavors and my personal preferences alone, the Habanero Lime Potato Chips would have made it all the way to the number one spot — that's how much I love them. However, that whole pesky mass appeal part of my ranking criteria throws a wrench in things. I know extra-spicy potato chips are far from everyone's cup of tea, so they got knocked back a couple of spots. As you'll see, that wasn't an issue for the top two. They're crowd-pleasers for sure.

Coming in hot in the number two spot is another version of barbecue, but this time it's Kettle Brand's Air Fried Texas BBQ. Compared to the Backyard Barbecue, it has a ton more oomph in the flavor department, a touch more heat, and a richer flavor profile overall. Heck, you could say the same thing when comparing it to most of the flavors that came before. Regardless, as is evident by its second-place ranking, it is a flavor powerhouse that anyone could love.

What I enjoyed most about the Texas BBQ flavor was its rich, layered taste. Instead of using plain sugar (like with the Backyard Barbecue), the recipe includes brown sugar and molasses, and it really paid off. Plus, you get a touch of vinegar, tomato, and cayenne pepper in every bite. In case you aren't keeping track, those are all the fixings needed for a drool-worthy Texas BBQ sauce, so mission accomplished, Kettle Brand. The cayenne also gave me a slight kick of heat at the end, and by this point, you know I loved that as well. Yum!

As one of Kettle Brand's air-fried chips, the Texas BBQ flavor also boasts 30% less fat than the company's O.G. recipe, so that's another win. They may not have locked down my number one spot, but don't count that as a mark against them. It isn't their fault. The flavor that took gold is just tastier, plain and simple. So, without further ado ...

In the end, only one Kettle Brand Potato Chip flavor could come out on top, and for me, it just had to be Krinkle Cut Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper. It may sound simple by name alone, but one taste and you'll be singing its praises.

Kettle Brand's Krinkle Cut Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper flavor takes your average salty chip to new, unfathomable heights. You might be thinking, "How's a bit of pepper going to do all that?" But let me tell you: This is a case where the sum is much greater than the parts. Plus, in addition to salt and pepper (both black and white, I might add), the recipe also features onion, garlic, and jalapeño, so it's anything but basic. The flavors are super bold and in your face, as they should be. All of the ingredients came together perfectly to make one mighty chip flavor so freaking tasty, I started making audible sounds of enjoyment while I munched away. Every time I tried to stop, I started salivating, so needless to say, I went back for more over and over again.

You won't have any issues finishing off a bag of Kettle Brand Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper Chips before they go stale — they are too good to let that happen — but you might still want to toss them in the fridge (where they'll stay crispier for longer) to ensure none go to waste.

I could think of a lot worse ways to spend my day than tasting, evaluating, and ranking the nine various flavors of Kettle Brand Potato Chips you find above. Who am I kidding? It was so fun, y'all. I love chips, all kinds, but kettle-style chips are something else entirely. Plus, Kettle Brand Potato Chips are arguably the best option on store shelves. Regardless, this was a task I jumped at the opportunity to tackle.

My love for Kettle Brand Potato Chips may have fueled my taste-test, but it also made ranking them a slight challenge because — shocker — I liked them all. One was an obvious first-place winner, but still, there really wasn't a bad flavor in the bunch. When it came down to it, though, I ranked them based on taste, potency of flavor, and their potential mass appeal. Basically, was the flavor bold? Was the taste what you'd expect, and was it yummy enough for most people to enjoy? If the answer to all three questions was yes, the flavors made it to the top of the list. Everything else populates the bottom half. As noted, though, each recipe had its own appeal, so you don't necessarily need to write any of them off based on flavor. Even so, the chip that took gold had the rest beat by a long shot. Reach for it the next time you're contemplating which flavor to pick, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.