REVIEW: Ritz Cheese Crispers

Ritz Cheese Crispers

Ritz Cheddar Cheese Crispers are better than Cheez-It Crackers.

(I’ll pause to allow you Cheez-It lovers to clickity-clack on your keyboards to type horrible words in my direction because of my blasphemy.)

You may think I was paid to write the opening sentence, but I assure you the money under my mattress was there before I even knew these cheesy potato and wheat chips existed. Oh, I should also mention there’s a Four Cheese & Herb flavor along with the cheddar variety. But since I haven’t had Cheez-It Italian Four Cheese Crackers, I can’t say the Ritz Cheese Crispers version is better.

Ritz Cheddar Cheese Crispers

The cheddar one combines the crispiness of a Ritz Crisp & Thins, the size of Wheat Thins, and Cheetos’ radioactive orange color, but without leaving a layer of cheesy dust on your fingers.

Why do I prefer them over Cheez-It Crackers?

Well, first off, the chips have an airy crispiness that I love biting down upon more than the crunch of crackers. Then there’s a sharp cheddar flavor with a bold zing that tastes even cheesier than Cheez-It Crackers. (NOTE: I haven’t tried the Extra Cheesy Cheez-Its.) I could eat these all day if I had an endless supply of it or if the box was a portal to a dimension that has only Ritz Cheddar Cheese Crispers.

Ritz Four Cheese  Herb Cheese Crispers

The Four Cheese & Herb variety is seasoned with cheddar, Monterey Jack, parmesan, and mozzarella. The only herb I see listed in the ingredients is parsley, but I imagine that’s there for looks, and the actual herb flavor comes from a vague ingredient listed, like spices.

I can’t pinpoint which cheese is which as I eat it, but combined they taste like, and I’ve used this comparison before with other cheesy cracker products, a Totino’s pizza. Much like the other one, I have a hard time putting this down.

Both are extremely snackable, especially the cheddar flavor, but they’re not perfect.

Ritz Cheese Crispers Front and Back

The whole chip isn’t covered with cheesy seasoning, and it’s most noticeable with the cheddar flavor. While one side looks like Chester Cheetah sneezed point-blank on them after stuffing his mouth with Cheetos, the other side is quite naked.

Because almost all the seasoning is on one side, to get the full cheese punch, it needs to be eaten seasoned side down so that it all hits your taste buds. If consumed the other way, they’re less enjoyable.

I imagine some of you will disagree with my belief that Ritz Cheese Crispers are better than Cheez-It Crackers. Some of you will point out that technically I can’t compare the two because one is a cracker and the other is a chip. But if I’m going to reach for a crunchy cheesy snack in the cracker section of the store I’m at, I’m going to grab Ritz Cheddar Cheese Crispers.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the product. Thanks Ritz! But I purchased the product and finished my review prior to obtaining them. To be honest, I don’t think I need to disclose this. Nor will I complain about getting more of these because did you read this review?

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 7 oz. box
Purchased at: Times Supermarket
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Cheddar), 8 out of 10 (Four Cheese & Herb)
Nutrition Facts: (21 chips) Cheddar – 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Four Cheese & Herb – 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ritz Tabasco Crisp & Thins

Ritz Tabasco Crisp  Thins Bag

What are Ritz Tabasco Crisp & Thins?

They are Ritz’s crispy potato and wheat chips seasoned with, according to the ingredients list, Tabasco Brand Spray Dry Flavoring. That sounds like something teenaged Crisp & Thins would use to coat themselves with before going out, like a perfume or Axe Body Spray for chips.

How are they?

I should preface this by saying my taste buds have enjoyed almost every Ritz Crisp & Thins flavor they’ve come across. The Jalapeno Cheddar one from last year can burn in Hell, which it might be because it was a limited edition. But this Tabasco variety might be my favorite because it apparently can make me forget willpower exists.

Now I don’t want to spread any horrible rumors about me on the Internet, but I may or may not have eaten the entire bag in two hours.

Okay, 90 minutes.

Ritz Tabasco Crisp  Thins Closeup

First off, the chips have that delightful crispiness that comes in second after potato chips. Secondly, the Tabasco flavor rings with every chip. The peppers. The vinegar. The smokiness. I adore these.

These are not only my favorite Crisp & Thins, but they might be the best tasting Tabasco snack I’ve ever had. Although, to be honest, I forgot what other Tabasco-flavored products I’ve had over the years. Obviously, they weren’t memorable, but I will remember Ritz Tabasco Crisp & Thins 4EVA.

Is there anything else you need to know?

I don’t know if I’d consider them spicy because at no point while eating the whole bag in an hour (alright, you got me, it wasn’t 90 minutes!) did I think I could use some cold liquid to calm any heat. But, as we all know, people have different heat tolerance levels, so your experience may vary. However, I did need to drink some because my mouth was parched from eating all those chips in 45 minutes. Dammit!

I was super hungry, okay! And they were just so damn tasty!

Conclusion:

I hate to admit it, but I sometimes forget Tabasco exists. It seems as if it’s a Tapatio and sriracha world right now, with the two attached to so many products. So I’m glad these Ritz Crisp & Thins are there to remind me that the peppery sauce from the McIlhenny Company is still around. Although I do wish these chips had a little more kick to them. But, if you love the flavor of Tabasco, you’ll enjoy these.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: 7.1 oz.
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (21 chips/30 grams) 130 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, less than 1 gram of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein.