Tag: Frito-Lay

REVIEW: Tostitos Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Tortilla Chips

Vin 17 Comments

Tostitos Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Chips Bag

What are Tostitos Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Tortilla Chips?

After years of simply giving us a “hint,” Frito Lay has decided to kick the lime flavor up a notch.

How are they?

Tostitos’ Hint of Lime are my favorite mass-produced tortilla chip. I eat them plain. I eat them with dips. I love em. They’re borderline perfection to me.

Guess what? Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Tostitos might actually be slightly better!?

Have you ever gotten a Hint of Lime chip that accumulated too much flavor dust? There are usually a few per bag, and it’s a nice surprise every time I get one. These are essentially that chip for an entire bag.

That might sound extreme, but don’t get too scared off by the word “sweet.” These aren’t cookies.

Tostitos Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Chips Closeup

There’s a nice balance between the sweet and salty, but they’re definitely fruitier than Hint. I honestly think they could have gotten away with just calling these “Lime and Sea Salt,” but it’s probably better that they gave everyone a heads-up.

If Hint of Lime taste like 3/4 salt and 1/4 lime, these are just that recipe flipped. You might lose a bit of that overall “salt” flavor, if that makes sense, but they’re still equally great.

Anything else you need to know?

Tostitos Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Chips Single

One of the key reasons these might have a leg up is the shape. Bite Size rounds are better chips than normal Tostitos. If I’m eating chips, I wanna be able to eat them in one bite. I’m not nibbling or breaking it beforehand. I take it as a challenge, and I feel like there’s always a risk of turning my lips into Heath Ledger Joker’s when I cram a giant triangle Tostito into my mouth.

I also find Bite Size better for dipping. Despite being smaller, they seem more structurally sound. These chips don’t even need a dip, but I tried them with salsa, and no shock, they work great.

Conclusion:

Tostitos Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Chips

All told, Sweet Lime and Sea Salt aren’t super different from Hint of Lime, so I’m curious what Frito Lay’s long-term plans are. They seem a bit redundant, but Frito has never been afraid of redundancies. How much different is a Classic Lay’s chip and Lightly Salted?

I hope these are a mainstay, and I look forward to switching between them and Hint of Lime all summer.

Purchased Price: $3.50
Size: 11 oz bag
Purchased at: Acme
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (20 Chips) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 190 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Lay’s Kettle Cooked Extra Potato Chips

Holly 9 Comments

Lay s Kettle Cooked Extra Potato Chips Bags

What are Lay’s Kettle Cooked Extra Potato Chips?

Two new additions have been released within the Lay’s Kettle Cooked chip line: Extra in Honey Habanero flavor and Extreme Cheddar flavor. Not a lot of information exists other than they are supposed to be EXTRA crunchy and have EXTRA flavor.

How are they?

Kettle chips are already crunchier than your average chip due to their thickness and cooking process, so I was curious about how much more crunchy they could be.

Spoiler alert: a pretty unperceivable amount.

They seemed pretty much the same level of crunch as the non-EXTRA branded chips. They are still fairly crunchy, but I would advise you to set your expectations low as to them being more crunchy than standard kettle chips.

Lay s Kettle Cooked Extra Potato Chips Honey Habanero

Of the two flavors, the Honey Habanero was the one I was most excited about. I really enjoy the mixture of sweetness (honey in particular) to spicy things. It usually adds such a richness to the spicy peppers. The initial spicy pepper flavor is followed by a very subtle sweetness. That vivid honey flavor I had hoped for just wasn’t there.

Compared to the Flamin’ Hot flavored items, these are fairly tame. They certainly have a kick, but not burn your face off level. A perfectly fine spicy chip on its own, but with the lack of honey flavor standing out, it just wasn’t what I had hoped for.

Lay s Kettle Cooked Extra Potato Chips Extreme Cheddar

Even though I had lower expectations for the Extreme Cheddar one (What makes it extreme? Does it skateboard? Is that still considered extreme?!), it ended up being the better of the two. Eating it, I was immediately reminded of another item. I realize this might be extremely niche, but if you’ve ever had the TGI Fridays Potato Skins Snacks, these were EXACTLY how I remember them. A robust cheesy flavor with a sour cream finish, these are a solid chip.

Anything else you need to know?

Kettle chips weren’t created until 1982. Well, chances are they were around, but they became a more mass-produced product in 1982.

Conclusion:

If these had been presented as two new flavors under the regular Lay’s Kettle line, I might’ve given them a higher rating as they are perfectly fine kettle chips. But they fail to deliver as the advertised EXTRA: no real extra crunch or extra flavor.

Purchased Price: $2.98 each
Size: 7 3/4 oz bags
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Honey Habanero), 6 out of 10 (Extreme Cheddar)
Nutrition Facts: (about 15 chips) Honey Habanero – 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Extreme Cheddar – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 1 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Tostitos Habanero Tortilla Chips

Sean 10 Comments

Tostitos Habanero Tortilla Chips Bag

What are Tostitos Habanero?

Following up on last year’s super delicious Hint of Spicy Queso and the just-okay Hint of Guacamole, the latest crispy circle from Tostitos drops the “Hint” and brings the heat with habanero-flavored bite-size rounds.

How are they?

Tostitos Habanero Tortilla Chips Closeup

Continuing along the path of Spicy Queso’s cheesy footsteps, these Habanero rounds are excellent. The immediate comparison that jumped at me is Salsa Verde Doritos. They have the same authentic and richly deep pepper taste as that Doritos variety, but with a sweeter and more tomato-y flavor that gives them their own unique presence in the Frito-Lay spicy chip hierarchy. It’s that extra layer of acidity, like the difference between white rice and orange Mexican rice, that really makes the flavor stand out.

Anything else you need to know?

For a chip claiming to be habanero-flavored, they aren’t nearly as hot as I was expecting, but that doesn’t take away from how delicious they are. Their heat is a far cry from the brand’s Flamin’ Hot staple, but I find it even more impressive that they taste great and peppery in a way that isn’t just heat.

Conclusion:

If you’re looking to set your mouth on fire in the way eating a raw habanero would, this may let you down, but I’m hooked. I’ll take flavor over fire any day and these still have just enough heat to make my tongue tingle with an authentic peppery sweetness that makes them undeniable.

Purchased Price: $3.50 (on sale)
Size: 11 oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (20 chips/28 grams) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ruffles Flamin’ Hot BBQ Potato Chips

Tiffany 10 Comments

Ruffles Flamin Hot BBQ Potato Chips Bag

What are Ruffles Flamin’ Hot BBQ Potato Chips?

The latest chips to churn out of the Ruffles factory bring together its ridged spud slices with a spicy BBQ flavor. It’s apparently the first time any Frito-Lay product has combined Flamin’ Hot – of Cheetos fame – with BBQ. This is being marketing-spun as Jayson Tatum’s (the basketball player featured on the bag) signature flavor as he hails from St. Louis, and it reminds him of his hometown barbecue.

How are they?

I’m giving props to the Ruffles flavor gurus because they know how to tantalize taste buds. At first blush, this flavor sounded boring and done before, but the eating experience was anything but lame.

Ruffles Flamin Hot BBQ Potato Chips Inside Bag

It was incredibly well-seasoned – not a bare piece of potato in sight – which helped ensure a flavorful eat. I was also really impressed by the size of each chip. Not just the fact that it wasn’t a bag of crumbs, but also that each piece was the perfect size to pop whole into my mouth – covering the majority of my taste buds in one bite for max flavor!

Ruffles Flamin Hot BBQ Potato Chips Closeup

The BBQ was practically perfection with its symphony of savory, sweet, and tangy notes. It definitely was dominant as the heat came up as an afternote. The spice built up, though, because I ate myself to a capsaicin-induced runny nose. So, if you pace yourself, you can control the heat level as the ‘cue tempers the spice, unlike the spicy wallop of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos on their own.

Anything else you need to know?

So far, I’m pretty impressed with the NBA and Ruffles collab line. I really enjoyed the Anthony Davis x Ruffles Lime & Jalapeno chips from last year.

Conclusion:

Whether you’re an avid NBA fan or not, these are worth picking up on your next snack run. If eight ounces is too much heat to commit to, you can find them in a single-serve size as well!

Purchased Price: $2.98
Size: 8 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 11 Chips) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1.5 gram of saturated fat, 200 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ruffles Double Crunch Spicy Cheddar Jack Potato Chips

Vin 3 Comments

Ruffles Double Crunch Spicy Cheddar Jack Potato Chips Bag

What are Ruffles Double Crunch Spicy Cheddar Jack?

Double your pleasure, double your crunch, that’s the statement of the great chip, in Ruffles Double Crunch Spicy Cheddar Jack.

Ok, that intro didn’t work at all, but remember that fun gum jingle?!

How is it?

I’m a fan of any cheese with “Jack” in the name, whether it be Monterey, Pepper, Colby, or the titular Cheddar. If I see any of those as a menu option, it’s my burger cheese of choice, so naturally I liked the flavor of these chips.

I admit I don’t actually know what the “Jack” means, but the ingredients list Blue Cheese, Swiss, Parmesan, and Monterey Jack along with Cheddar and almost every powder in your spice rack.

Ruffles Double Crunch Spicy Cheddar Jack Potato Chips Bowl

They all merge into a flavor that’s about 2/3rds of the way to “Queso.” If I was blindfolded, I’d probably throw my hands up and guess “Jalapeno Cheddar,” so they deliver on their namesake.

As for the heat, I judge all spicy snacks on the “Flamin’ Hot” scale, and these are just below that. There’s an evenly dispersed, tolerable dry heat that smacks every inch of your mouth with the same intensity.

Anything else you need to know?

I live in constant fear of cracking a tooth, so take this with a grain of salt, but I don’t need my Ruffles to have double the crunch.

Ruffles Double Crunch Spicy Cheddar Jack Potato Chips Closeup

If Ruffles have ridges, these things have mountains and valleys. Who exactly was clamoring for more crunch from a Ruffle?

I know these aren’t the first Double Crunch Ruffle boasting “2x the crunch,” but they’re too hard and borderline stale tasting to me. It’s as if someone in the Frito-Lay factory screwed up while making Wavy Lay’s and just rolled with it.

If you broke down chip ridges by size, these would be a large, Wavy Lay’s would be medium and Ruffles would be a small. I like normal Ruffles best.

Conclusion:

I don’t think Ruffles needed to go the “Double Stuf Oreo” route, but if you’re in the mood for a chip with a kick that won’t leave you chugging Pepto, these are probably for you… and if you’re adventurous and like playing Russian Roulette with your molars, these are definitely for you.

Purchased Price: $2.98
Size: 7.25 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (About 20 Chips) 140 calories, 8 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 190 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of protein.