Blair's Death Rain Habanero Kettle Cooked Potato Chips

Company Information: Blair's Sauces & Snacks, Highlands, NJ
Size: 1 oz. (28 g)
Purchased: vending machine
Cost: $.80
Description (from bag):
Welcome to my wonderful world of spice. Since 1989 it has been my passion to create food that makes us smile . . . to cook up snacks that taste great but most of all make you FEEL ALIVE. I hope you enjoy this bag as much as I do. Thank you for choosing Death Rain Snacks and my wonderful world of spice.

Aroma: Smokey BBQ smell.
Appearance: Medium-sized orange colored chips covered in grainy brown and red spices.
Texture: Average kettle-cooked crispness.
Flavor: Salty sweet BBQ taste.
HEAT: Intense burn. Cough-inducing, "Get me a glass of milk!" hot!

Good flavor, but the habanero is so impossibly hot that you can't eat more than a few.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 4 peppers

Corazonas Jalapeño Jack Tortilla Chips

Company Information: Corozonas Foods, Inc., Mill Valley, CA
Size: 7 oz. (198 g)
Purchased: Dominicks
Cost: $3
Description (from bag):
The name of our heart healthy tortilla chips was inspired by the Spanish word for heart: corazon. Our mission at Corazonas is to develop great tasting, heart healthy natural snacks. Corazonas is the only tortilla chips that contains plant sterols - natural ingredients found in many fruits, vegetables and other plant sources that have been clinically proven to lower cholesterol. And they deliver all the crunchy authentic taste you'd expect from a great tasting snack.

Aroma: Grainy and savory smell.
Appearance: Medium-sized golden triangular chips dotted with whole oats covered with light green powder.
Texture: Thicker than average and not perfectly flat.
Flavor: Remniscent of Doritos, but less salty. Balanced mild jack cheese and jalapeño taste.
HEAT: Faint warm aftertaste.

A "better for you" tortilla chip that's actually tasty!

Overall Rating: 2 out of 4 peppers

FoodShouldTasteGood Jalapeño Tortilla Chips

Company Information: FoodShouldTasteGood, Inc., Needham Heights, MA
Size: 6 oz. (170 g)
Purchased: Whole Foods
Cost: $3
Description (from bag):
You haven't tasted chips or crackers like these. Trust us. The flavor will surprise and delight you. We put the flavor IN the chips, not ON them. Only a handful of ALL NATURAL ingredients are needed to provide the rich and savory flavors. We invite you to experiment with our products. These original tastes are perfect for a variety of occasions, from informal snacking to hosting guests around a dinner table.

Aroma: Slight jalapeño tang.
Appearance: Large triangular red chips dotted with dried jalapeño bits.
Texture: Sturdy tortilla chip - thicker than average.
Flavor: Salty corn taste.
HEAT: None.

Doesn't live up to it's title as a "Jalapeño Tortilla Chip" - unremarkable.

Overall Rating: 1 out of 4 peppers

Lay's Kettle Cooked Jalapeño

Company Information: Frito-Lay, Inc., Plano, TX
Size: 1.38 oz. (38.9 g)
Purchased: vending machine
Cost: $.80
Description (from bag):
We're proud to make our chips the old-fashioned way, taking extra time to ensure each batch is irresistibly crunchy and delicious. We start with premium potatoes, slice them thick and cook them in small batches in order to lock in their hearty potato flavor and extra-satisfying crunch.



Aroma: Salty with notes of jalapeño.
Appearance: Smaller chips with unusual golden orange color.
Texture: Thinner than most kettle cooked varieties.
Flavor: Savory jalapeño with slight onion taste.
HEAT: Medium lingering heat.

Orange chips don't usually scream "jalapeño," but the taste can't be beat.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 4 peppers

Pringles Select Bold Crunch Jalapeño Ranch

Company Information: Pringles,
Size: 8 oz (227 g)
Purchased: Target
Cost: $2
Description (from bag):

Aroma: Strange rubbery smell upon opening bag.

Appearance: Perfectly oval and pale yellow in color with a lightly bubbled surface. Covered with powdery white coating dotted with flecks of red and green.

Texture: Crisp and light, breaks easily, more like a cracker.

Flavor: Ranch flavor with notes of jalapeño.

HEAT: Subtle heat.

Satisfying crispness but more ranch than jalapeño.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 4 peppers

"Dirty" Jalapeño Heat Potato Chips

Company Information: "Dirty" Potato Chips, Grammercy, LA
Size: 2 oz (57 g)
Purchased: Convenience Store
Cost: $1
Description (from bag):"Dirty" Potato Chips are kettle cooked one batch at a time and use premium, all natural ingredients for a crunchier, tastier chip.

Aroma: Greasy initial smell with notes of jalapeño.

Appearance: Dark gold with oily bubbled surface and some dark/burnt spots.

Texture: Very crisp.

Flavor: Strong jalapeno flavor paired with peanut flavors from the cooking oil.

HEAT: Medium initial heat.

Good flavor and heat but too greasy.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 4 peppers

Zapp's Hotter n' Hot Jalapeño

Company Information: Zapp's Potato Chips, Grammercy, LA
Size: 1.5 oz (42.5 g)
Purchased: Pita Pete's Restaurant
Cost: $1
Description (from bag):"The Little Chippery in Gramercy"
Zapp's Potato Chips are kettle cooked, one batch at a time, in our custom designed fryers. This process, combined with premium ingredients, results in a crunchier, tastier potato chip which we hope you will prefer. We thank you for buying our product. Enjoy, and laissez les bon temps rouler!

Aroma: Mild onion smell with a tinge of jalapeño.

Appearance: Golden and somewhat translucent with browned edges.

Texture: Thoroughly cooked and very thick and crisp.

Flavor: Initial salty taste with a hint of onion.

HEAT: Medium lingering heat.

In the world of steaks these chips would be well-done - great crunch. Hotter than most.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 4 peppers