Chip Review #6 - Boulder Canyon

Flavor - Malt Vinegar & Sea Salt
Style - Kettle cooked
5 oz for $2 something
1 oz. - 150 calories, 70 from fat
Sodium - 425 mg

Boulder Canyon sure seems proud of their natural foods and it's apparent on the front of the bag. There's no trans fat, no preservatives and I can pronounce every ingredient. The chips are delicious, and there's an interesting sweetness to the chips I've not found elsewhere. They're owned by the same folks that bring you Poore Brothers.

But I like very flavorful chips, and theses chips are so natural, they lack the tart that my tongue yearns for. However, the fact that these chips are delicious and that they don't have any artificial flavors or added synthetic byproducts makes up for all of that.

The only problem with the chips is its value. For such a small amount, you really end up paying for all that natural goodness. I guess it's like paying that extra amount for organic goods. You'll pay now, but if you don't, then you'll end up paying later in other ways.

Crunch - 3
Flavor - 3
Value - 2
Guilt - 2

Chip Review #5 - Archer Farms

Flavor - Salt & Vingegar
Style - homestyle, kettle-cooked for crispness
9 oz for $2 something
1 oz. - 140 calories, 80 from fat
Sodium - 320 mg

Archer Farms is Target's brand of food. The bag's design makes it look homey, as if the chips were made at home. I guess that's why they're "homestyle". What's not homestyle is the unique reclosable zip lock that is near the top of the bag. It makes the opening a little smaller, but it's worth it to get a nice seal on the bag of chips. There's nothing worse than stale, kettle-cooked chips. Can you imagine the bite without the crunch?

The chips pack a nice crunch and has a definite kettle texture. One thing I found a little odd was that a lot of the chips were folded, so taking bites out of them created a double whammy. I prefer a flat chip with no fold so all the flavors can coat the chip. Sometimes, when they're folded, the inside part of the fold isn't exposed to the flavoring that's likely added after the chips are fried.

There wasn't an overpowering amount of salt & vinegar flavor, which is actually kind of nice. Sometimes I'll eat some salt & vinegar chips and find that my mouth feels like it's been sunburned due to the intensity of the flavor (and powerful crunch). There was no after taste except for the nice potato flavor.

Strangely, I noticed lactose in the ingredients. Why is there milk on my salt & vinegar chips? However, the rest of the ingredients seem ok, but there were a few that sounded too scientific. I prefer all natural chips, but these days, it's a luxury.

All in all, one of my favorite chips so far in this journey.

Crunch - 4
Flavor - 4
Value - 3
Guilt - 3