José Andrés’ new line of Spanish food products debuted at Whole Foods across the region this week. The collection includes everything from sherry vinegar to olives to sea urchin. But the top-selling item since the line launched earlier this summer? Potato chips with extra virgin olive oil and Himalayan pink salt. Think Food Group CEO Rob Wilder says what makes them special is the process of cooking the potato chips low and slow in olive oil: “They come out just amazingly crispy crunchy and also significantly more healthy than other potato chips.” But Andrés’ chips contain more calories and total fat per serving than five other big brands. (Although unlike others, there’s no saturated fat.) And as far as crunchiness, saltiness, greasiness, and overall deliciousness? Washington City Paper staffers conducted a blind taste test to find out which chips are worth a flip.
Ratings are on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being “high” or “a lot.”
Kettle
Crunchiness: 4.3
Saltiness: 3.2
Greasiness: 3.2
Overall delicious: 3.9
Comments: “This is a classier brand of chip;” “Robust crunch but strong potato flavor;” “Hard to chew because they’re cut thicker;” “Do I detect smokiness?”
Calories: 150
Total Fat: 9 g
Sodium: 115 mg
Lay’s
Crunchiness: 3.2
Saltiness: 2.9
Greasiness: 4.3
Overall delicious: 3.4
Comments: “Very salty and greasy. Kind of flat tasting. Very crumbly too;” “YEAH!;” “Sort of bland but not terrible;” “Classic, like what you’d have at a picnic”
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 10 g
Sodium: 170 mg
Whole Foods 365 Brand
Crunchiness: 2.7
Saltiness: 2.6
Greasiness: 2.9
Overall delicious: 3.3
Comments: “Not too salty. Well balanced;” “Subtle flavor but very good;” “Good appearance is also a plus;” “Sort of stale tasting;” “A bit bland—are these ‘healthy chips?’”
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 10 g
Sodium: 170 mg
Route 11
Crunchiness: 4.3
Saltiness: 2
Greasiness: 2.4
Overall delicious: 3
Comments: “Bland, but I kind of like it. Not super salty. Very potato-y;” “The perfect ruse, slipping corn flakes into a taste test of potato chips;” “Great crunch, but they taste too much like potatoes. I need more of a transformation;” “A balanced chip”
Calories: 150
Total Fat: 8 g
Sodium: 90 mg
José Andrés
Crunchiness: 3.3
Saltiness: 2.
Greasiness: 2.9
Overall delicious: 2.7
Comments: “The olive oil flavor is subtle, overwhelmed by saltier chips;” “Not salty enough to remind me of a regular potato chip. Can’t imagine eating these with a burger;” “Very yellow;” “Not much flavor”
Calories: 166
Total Fat: 11.3 g
Sodium: 142 mg
Utz
Crunchiness: 2.6
Saltiness: 2.6
Greasiness: 3
Overall delicious: 2.4
Comments: “Classic;” “Styrofoam-y; bad aftertaste;” “thin and yuck;” “meh”
Calories: 150
Total Fat: 9 g
Sodium: 95 mg
*Nutritional information is per one ounce serving