Tag: Ruffles

REVIEW: Ruffles Flamin’ Hot Queso Cheese Potato Chips

Ann 1 Comment

Do you like a “Groundhog Day” movie premise as much as I do? You know, the movies centered around a character who relives the same day over and over again. You’d think once they’d done the Bill Murray classic, it would be ironic and un-original to make it again. Yet, we still have fantastic films like “Edge of Tomorrow” (the action version), “Happy Death Day” (the thriller version), “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” (the romcom version), and of course “Palm Springs” (the Andy Samberg version). All of these movies are pretty great in their own unique twist of a classic theme. In much the same way, I come to you today with a review of Flamin’ Hot Queso Cheese Ruffles. Sure, you’ve probably had a really similar chip, but now these also exist.

They have the same distinct color found on other Flamin’ Hot line extensions. The flavor is overwhelmingly cheesy and balanced very well with the heat from the pepper. In fact, I’d almost say these don’t quite live up to the spiciness of other Flamin’ Hot varieties launched recently, but I think that’s a good thing in this case. It makes them much more addictive.

I was curious how these differed from the Flamin’ Hot Cheddar Sour Cream Ruffles (the LeBron bag) currently on shelves and could only dig up one or two minor discrepancies. First, the ingredient lines between this and the LeBron version are nearly identical. Apart from a few items being in different sequential order, the Queso chips have a few extra spices (onion and garlic powder) and no sour cream or butter. If you’re thinking that difference doesn’t sound enormous, I agree with you. These chips taste A LOT like the standard Flamin’ Hot Sour Cream and Cheddar Ruffles, but these are much more cheese-forward and the heat packs less of a punch.

The second difference is that these have the lil’ smiley guy in the corner, designating them as a Sabritas item (also owned by Frito-Lay and largely distributed in Mexico). I don’t think this necessarily makes a difference except to possibly justify why such a similar chip could launch with a different balance of cheese and heat.

I also decided to try the original Queso Ruffles against the Flamin’ Hot Queso Ruffles. The OG lacks heat and red color but has the same strong savory cheese flavor. I think heat lovers might be slightly let down by the heat offered in the Flamin’ Hot Queso version, but I’ll double down and say again that I prefer this balance. It makes the chips far more enjoyable overall.

If I had to live one day repeatedly, I wouldn’t be upset if it included these chips. I’m docking a point for lack of originality since the formulas look to be nearly a replicate of a chip that already exists, but I can’t deny how tasty these are. Did I already say that? Oh well, déjà vu.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 8 oz bag
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (13 chips) 150 calories, 10 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Lay’s Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed Potato Chips

Sean 7 Comments

Lay's Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed Potato Chips Bag

When Ruffles All Dressed burst onto the American scene in 2015, the stateside ridges game was forever changed. Simply put, Ruffles rule, and this new, formerly Canadian-exclusive flavor instantly became one of the best in the brand’s salty arsenal. The elusive and mysterious sweet and savory combination of BBQ, ketchup, salt, vinegar, and even a dash of sour cream and onion reads like it could be too much, but somehow, it’s just enough.

In 2021 Ruffles took back its love for the USA and returned All Dressed to being Canada-only. But what does Frito-Lay love doing more than anything these days? That’s right, putting the same old stuff on some other stuff, and thus, Lay’s Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed Potato Chips have arrived.

Using the name Ruffles alongside All Dressed feels like a bit of a hat on a hat, but I understand the need to solidify that this is the same seasoning from the currently unavailable chip. These kettle cooked chips do not have ridges, but they carry a decent amount of the glowing red/orange powder that will soon be coating my fingers.

Lay's Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed Potato Chips orange and red seasoning.

All Dressed remains delicious. I’m getting a touch less of a flavor punch than on the Ruffles, but it’s undoubtedly a tangy vinegar-forward BBQ with some extra onion on the finish. Citing sour cream and onion is a bit of a stretch, but there’s absolutely an oniony accent that stands out from your average BBQ.

What these chips lack in ridge-amplified flavor they almost make up for in satisfyingly bold crunch. These chips are LOUD, and I certainly think they’re proud, too (Canada’s never had All Dressed THIS crunchy, right?). With Lay’s Kettle Cooked, the thick chomp-y texture is no doubt the highlight, bringing a pleasantly hard-fried greasy potato undertone to the tangy, savory fireworks of All Dressed. The taste isn’t nearly as bold as I remember from my last bag of the Ruffles version, but it’s been a couple of years, and these chips are undeniably difficult to stop eating. There’s a level of intrigue in the seasoning; some are more sweet, some are more salty, and some are more tangy, which keeps me wanting more. Food Science 101: they got me.

Lay's Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed Potato Chips up close and personal

Aside from trying this killer seasoning on a different extra crunchy vessel, the other revelation of this bag is the insane amount of fold over chips. From what I recall, these folded over gems used to be more of a rarity, and here they make up a solid 65% or more of the bag, and I’m here for it. The Lay’s Kettle Cooked version of All Dressed won’t top the Ruffles for me, but they’re without a doubt one of the best flavors Frito-Lay has released with this line and one that’s worthy of a pickup.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 8 oz bag
Purchased at: Nob Hill
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (15 chips, 28g) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ruffles Limited Edition Honey Habanero Potato Chips

Ann 5 Comments

What are they?

Ruffles has continued its recent trend of spicy line extensions with limited edition Honey Habanero Ruffles.

How are they?

SPY-CEE. They’re hawt. Which, honestly, is a relief because I don’t support the irresponsible use of the term “habanero.” I realize that coming in hot, pun intended, on a review by jumping straight to the taste is a little out of the ordinary, but it’s definitely the first thing I noticed about these chips. They have the kind of heat that if you breathe in the wrong way while you’re eating them, the spice hits the very back of your throat and lights your whole esophagus on fire. My husband disagrees and thinks they’re not THAT hot. So I guess you should approach these with some caution, but not too much. “Habanero Peppers” are also listed as an ingredient, which I appreciate.

These stand out in a few other ways. First, they are saturated in oil and seasoning powder. The chips look remarkably similar to the graphics on the bag; no false advertising there. They are satisfyingly oily and full of flavor from the onset.

The initial sweet flavor is pretty flat. I wouldn’t say I picked up a ton of honey, even though I did see it on the ingredient line. I think it’s a hard flavor to break through all of the capsaicin, so it’s possible that without as much of the other seasonings, I would’ve picked up more honey. But I mostly just tasted “sweet” and then spicy heat. I thought the balance of sweet and then spicy was great, and these chips definitely left me wanting more, even with a mouth full of numb taste buds.

Anything else you need to know?

As you can see from the bag, there’s a Fast & Furious tie-in. There’s a sweepstakes that gives Ruffles eaters a chance to win movie tickets, Fast & Furious merchandise, or a 2023 Dodge Charger R/T. Also, did you know Vin Diesel’s birth name is Mark?

Conclusion:

These Honey Habanero Ruffles are pretty good. The sweetness isn’t quite complex enough to be recognizable as honey, but everything else about these chips is delicious, craveable, and worth picking up if you like spicy snacks.

Purchased Price: $4.79
Size: 8 oz bag
Purchased at: Mariano’s (Kroger)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (About 13 chips) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ruffles Double Crunch Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips

Marvo 6 Comments

Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream is greater than Lay’s Cheddar & Sour Cream Potato Chips, and it’s my favorite potato chip. If I see a bag of the Lay’s version at a gathering, I sigh and then think that the person who was in charge of bringing chips should no longer have that responsibility from now on. Sure, same company, same seasoning, but the Ruffles variety is better tasting for some reason, and if given a choice between the two, I’d choose the Ruffles 100 times out of 100.

Is it the r-r-ridges? Probably.

So I wondered if ridges would make these Ruffles Double Crunch Salt & Vinegar chips superior to original Lay’s Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips, a go-to variety whenever I come across a regular Lay’s sale. Of course, Double Crunch’s ridges are significantly more profound than regular Ruffles, but I thought that depth might still have the same effect that it does with the cheddar and sour cream seasoning. However, that was not the case.

Look, I’m not going to lie. I ate the entire bag within 24 hours and didn’t regret one moment of it, even those moments when my wife gave me the I-wanted-to-try-those-but-can’t-now-because-someone-forgot-how-to-share look. But something about them makes them taste slightly less enticing than regular Lay’s Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips, which I’d pick over these Ruffles 100 times out of 100.

Is it the r-r-ridges? Probably.

I don’t know if those deep waves hold more seasoning, but when I bite into these, there are short savory bursts that have a slightly different salty to vinegary ratio than the Lay’s variety. And once those bursts fade, what’s left is more potato-y, which is probably the thicker chip’s fault. With the regular Lay’s, that salty and tangy seasoning lingers longer. Plus, that lingering makes my lower mouth tingle, which I oddly enjoy. I don’t know what that sensation is. Puckering? Putting my salivary glands on overdrive? My taste buds clapping? Whatever it is, I didn’t experience it with these.

Again, Ruffles Double Crunch Salt & Vinegar chips are pretty good, but I’d rather have the regular Lay’s version. Of course, my preference for them may change someday if Frito-Lay puts its salt and vinegar seasoning on regular Ruffles in the US. (It was available in Canada, which makes me even more jealous of our friends up north with its All Dressed and ketchup-flavored chips.)

Purchased Price: $4.50
Size: 7.25 oz bag
Purchased at: Times Supermarket
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 10 chips) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ruffles Ridge Twists

Erin 8 Comments

Ruffles Ridge Twists Bags

Everyone’s favorite ridged chip, Ruffles, is going out on a ridge – er – limb and bringing us a new take on the ribbed potato snack. Debuting in Double Cheddar and Smoky BBQ flavors, Ruffles Ridge Twists attempt to put a spin on the corrugated classic.

From their appearance on the package, these looked to me like braided pretzels, but in reality, they’re more like fusilli pasta or Fritos Twists. This seems like a silly point to make because the shapes are very similar, and I don’t think Frito-Lay was out to trick me. I just didn’t anticipate that these were going to be more of an extruded puff than a potato chip. Please don’t ask me how I expected them to braid potatoes.

Double Cheddar

Ruffles Ridge Twists Double Cheddar

Opening the bag of Double Cheddar Twists sends up a powerful aroma of cheddar popcorn which is very enticing even if it does look like someone has poured a batch of Cheetos Mac ‘N Cheese into my chip bag. The spirals are generously coated in bright orange powder that really delivers a buttery, cheesy taste.

What doesn’t deliver is the twist itself. It’s crunchy, but not in the same satisfying way that a chip is, and it doesn’t have the right potato flavor. Something is off, and a glance at the ingredients shows the first one to be dried potatoes. This makes sense when you consider the product is more of a puff, but because they’re advertised as “featuring the same iconic Ruffles ridges that fans know and love,” I was hoping for the base to be closer to what I know and love. I wouldn’t be mad if I went to some gathering and grabbed a handful of these to put on my plate next to a sandwich, but they aren’t a snack I would buy for myself and eat straight out of the bag. The cheddar part is on point, but after only a couple of them, I find myself not wanting to eat any more, and this very rarely happens to me with salty snacks.

Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (29 pieces) 140 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 1 gram of total sugars, and 1 gram of protein.

Smoky BBQ

Ruffles Ridge Twists Smoky BBQ

The scent from the Smoky BBQ bag doesn’t draw me in quite as much. I found it slightly off-putting at first, but after tasting, it’s a pretty solid barbecue chip flavor. As advertised, it’s smoky and a little sweet with some tomato and vinegar notes. Some of the twists have a lot of seasoning, but others have only a dusting which leaves too much room for the dried potato taste and texture to take center stage. These remind me of the bags of TGI Fridays snacks with flavors and shapes that mimic items on an appetizer menu. They’re novel, and it’s my duty to try every form of processed potato available, but at the end of the day, I wish I’d also bought a bag of actual chips.

Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (28 pieces) 140 calories, 8 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of total sugar including 1 gram of added sugars, and less than 1 gram of protein.

Ruffles Ridge Twists Both

Even though these have grooves good for collecting flavor powder, they lack the same ridges that really define Ruffles and might’ve fared better with me if I never associated them with Ruffles to begin with. I can see where some people might enjoy them more than I did, but if you have four dollars and want to take a chance on something new in the chip aisle, I’d go with Lay’s Kettle Cooked Fritos Chili Cheese Chips.

Purchased Price: $3.99 each
Size: 5.5 oz bags
Purchased at: Mariano’s