Once a professional chef (in the lifetime before kids), Stephanie Ganz has written for Bon Appetit, Eater, BUST, and Virginia Living and is a regular contributor to Richmond Magazine. She lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, two girls, and one excellent cat. Follow her online: @salganz (Instagram) and @onioncloute (Twitter).
published Jun 4, 2024
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It may be safe to say that, at this point, we’ve reached peak potato chip. These days, there’s a type of potato chip to satisfy everyone’s individual taste buds, whether you gravitate toward a classic salted potato chip, a spicy chile-lime situation, or a chip that hits sweet and tangy notes. Personally, I’m a fan of international Lay’s — specifically the Mieng Kam Krob Ros chips from Thailand, which conjure the flavors of a popular Thai and Lao snack of betel leaves, ginger, garlic, lime, and peanuts.
On the hunt to discover my next new favorite, I consulted chefs about the bags of chips they stock in their own homes — when they’re off the clock. With so many varieties of chips on the market, it was a challenge to find the one flavor among all the chefs I spoke with, but there was a common thread: Kettle Brand chips were a consistent favorite.
The Best Store-Bought Potato Chips, According to Chefs
For Marguerite Bottorff, senior sous chef of restaurant associates at The Kennedy Center, the big crunch of Kettle’s Crinkle Cut Salt & Pepper chips is the gold standard. “They go with everything and have the exact perfect bite to satisfy all snacking and pairing needs,” she says.
In addition to snacking on Kettle chips straight from the bag, Bottorff says she adds them to sandwiches for extra crunch, dips them in chocolate and peanut butter for a salty-sweet treat, and, of course, tops them with crème fraîche and caviar for a classy snack.
“I can never refuse a handful of Kettle chips,” confirms Diane Kochilas, Mediterranean cuisine expert and author of the New York Times bestseller The Ikaria Way.
While potato chips are a sometimes snack, saved for special occasions, she hasn’t met a flavor of Kettle chips she doesn’t like, but adds, “the spicy Habanero Lime chips are divine. They’re crunchy without being oily and every crumb is bursting with flavor. I love the thickness and the relatively firm texture of these chips.”
Chef Amando Auleley, on the other hand, likes chips so much he put them on the menu at The Smith Chicago. Those potato chips are made from scratch and paired with blue cheese fondue, but the chef says when it comes to his personal chip consumption, he prefers the simplicity of Kettle’s Sea Salt Potato Chips.
“The perfect balance of salt and crunch highlights the natural taste of the potatoes without overpowering them, which I genuinely appreciate,” says Auleley. The chef likes his chips cozied up to a sandwich or with a tangy dip or creamy cheese.
Buy: Kettle Brand Sea Salt Kettle Chips, $3 for 7.5 ounces at Amazon
Do you agree with these chefs? Let us know in the comments below.
