Frito-Lay Chips

You need no introduction to Frito-Lay, I know.

Frito-Lay is probably the largest manufacturer of potato chips in the US, encompassing a slew of brands: not just Lay's, but they also own Sun Chips, Tostitos, Doritos, Fritos, Cheetos, Ruffles, Ms. Vickie's, etc, etc.  And, they are owned by PepsiCo themselves.  No little mom and pop shop here, so, not a brand I'd actually seek out for any reason.

But since I've recently been addicted to salty snack foods, I figured I had to give these classic chips a try again, for old time's sake.

I can't say there are any real winners, but it was a fun walk down memory lane.  The chips really haven't changed in years!  I've consolidated my notes from a bunch of the different brands into this single post, except for Ruffles, Cracker Jacks, and Miss Vickie's, which I reviewed independently previously.  I've also included the relative newcomers, Lay's Air Pops and Kettle Cooked varieties.

Classic Lays

Lay's actually makes a large variety of fairly interesting sounding flavors now.  In addition to the classic Barbecue there is Honey Barbecue or Sweet Southern Heat Barbecue.  A number of flavors promise some spice, like Chile Limón, Flamin' Hot, Pico de Gallo, Tapatio.  And who can resist Dill Pickle?  But I stuck with the basics.

Barbecue.

"Each bag of LAY’S Barbecue Flavor Potato Chips are a savory reason to smile. Our trademark seasoning captures everything you love about a summer barbecue: a smoky aroma, finger-lickin’ good BBQ flavor and of course, a crispy crunch."

When I think of classic barbecue chips, these are it.  I haven't had them in years, but the moment I had one recently, I was instantly transported back in time.  They taste exactly as I remember.  Fairly tangy, sweet, crispy.  Not remarkable in any way, generic as can be, but they aren't claiming to be anything else.  I was glad to remember these, but don't really feel the desire to have any more.  I am kinda curious to try the new barbecue flavors Lay's has added though. ***.

Update Review:  A few years pass, and, time to try these again.  I appreciated them even more this time.  Classic bbq flavor.  Seriously, these remind me of childhood.  They are so crispy, so, just, *what* BBQ chips are supposed to be.  In my mind anyway.  I'm glad to keep these on my every-few-years rotation. ****.

Sour Cream & Onion.

"Each bag of LAY’S Sour Cream and Onion Flavor Potato Chips is a little reminder of how good the simple things are. LAY’S Sour Cream and Onion Flavor Potato Chips have been a flavor favorite for many years. The tart sour cream taste and onion flavor are blended to create the perfect seasoning that people have come to love."

A generic, classic Lay's flavor.  Not that sour creamy.  Not that oniony.  But the little flecks of green bits on the chips brought back instant memories.  Are they good?  Not really, but, memories.  **+.

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Classic.

Well, yup, aptly named.  Thin chip, no real flavor or texture, decently salted.  Nothing particularly interesting here. **+.

New England Lobster Roll.

"A taste of fresh lobster served on a buttery grilled roll."

For the summer of 2018, Lay's introduced a line of ridiculous flavored potato chips (nothing new there), limited edition, dubbed the "Tastes of America" line, available only in retails in the local region (or, online), 12 varieties in all.  

In honor of the Northeast, they were inspired by ... the Lobster Roll.  (For the curious, the others were Truffle Fries, Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper, Thai Sweet Chili, Fried Pickles w/ Ranch, Chile Con Queso, Fried Green Tomatoes, Cajun Spice, Pimento Cheese, Crab Spice, Lobster Roll, Deep Dish Pizza, & Ketchup).

Lobster Roll seemed like a reasonable thing to chip-ify, or at least, chips (or fries) on the side with a lobster roll is a traditional pairing, so, why not?  They are complimentary flavors.  So when I visited the Northeast this summer, I eagerly purchased a bag, not that I had high hopes.

I did not taste lobster.  I did not taste lobster roll dressing.  I did not taste "roll".  I did not taste butter.  There was literally nothing about this that resembled a lobster roll.  If they were going for a hot lobster roll, shouldn't I just taste lots of butter?  If cold, mayo and celery?  None of these flavors were present, which makes sense, given that, besides butter, they weren't in the ingredients (I did taste them before reading the ingredients though).

What they did taste like was a slightly more zesty version Sour Cream & Onion.  Which, when I read the ingredients later, makes sense.  They do have sour cream and onion powder, and the additional ingredients found in them beyond what is in the Sour Cream & Onion are just red bell pepper and garlic powder (nearly last in the ingredient list), plus brown sugar and butter.  Bell peppers, garlic, and brown sugar doesn't exactly scream out "lobster roll" ... nor do sour cream and onion of course.

This flavor could have gone badly, imagine ... fishy tasting chips, more like asian shrimp chips?  But those would require an ingredient like anchovies or shrimp powder at least.  These chips certainly won't offend anyone on taste alone.

Overall, these were a fine chip, didn't taste bad, and were better than regular Sour Cream & Onion actually, but lobster roll they were not.

Kettle Cooked

I'm not sure when Lay's introduced kettle style chips to their lineup, but it was after my youth years when I ate a lot of chips.  They make a handful of flavors, ranging from the mundane "original", salt & vinegar, bbq, etc to the slightly more interesting "Flamin' Hot"  and "Maui Onion".

Jalapeño.

"Each delicious chip is packed with the flavor of real jalapeños, ready for your enjoyment."

I actually liked these quite a bit.

The kettle style was very fried, crispy, oily, and rather generic (they *are* Lay's after all!), but, I liked the curled up style in particular.

They were quite flavorful too - not spicy in a hot heat kind of way, not the kick I'd expect or want from something called jalapeño, but again, mainstream Lay's product, they can't bring too much heat.  They were quite flavorful and zesty though, sorta like a Sour Cream & Onion that was more interesting.

Overall, one of the better Lay's chips out there.  ***+.

Baked

"Frito-Lay’s line of Baked snacks are baked, not fried, to give you the great taste you’ve come to love with Frito-Lay snacks."

You can get most of the classic Lay's popular flavors (sour cream & onion, cheddar & sour cream, barbecue, etc), several styles of Cheetos, and Tostitos, all in baked form.

Original.

Original Review (2018):

These were sorta like untasty Pringles.  Reconstituted potato starch rather than slices of potato like the baked Kettle chips.  Not much flavor.  Not very salty.  Very thin.  Yet I tried them a few more times.  They were never that good on their own, but I eventually enjoyed them dipped in mac and cheese or mushroom soup (I'm weird like that).

Update Review (2022):

These were ... quite boring to be honest.

They were strangely airy, and mostly tasted like compressed potato buds.  Somehow not very salty either.  Just, meh.

*+.

Baked Crunchy Cheese.

"You want cheesy? CHEETOS® Baked Crunchy Cheese Flavored Snacks are dangerously cheesy and 50% less fat than regular cheese flavored snacks. You can let your inner cheetah run."

For those looking for a healthier option, Cheetos offers the regular and Flamin' Hot varieties in a baked form.  Crunchy only.  I tried the regular.

I haven't had regular Cheetos in, um,  maybe 10 years? (clearly never my snack of choice), but these tasted exactly as I remembered.  Crunchy, and although baked and 50% less fat, these certainly didn't taste strangely healthy.   Which I guess is good?  But they were still Cheetos, and I just don't really like the form factor.

I'm curious what regular Cheetos eaters think of these. **.

Cheetos 

Cheetos are, well, cheesy products, that started as puffs or crunchy sticks, and now have evolved into ... popcorn (which I've reviewed separately).  Mac 'n cheese.  Flamin' versions.  Etc, etc.  Signature feature?  They leave you with orange cheesy fingers.

Crunchy Cheetos.

Regular Crunchy Cheetos come in a variety of cheesy flavors, ranging from the original "cheese flavored" version, to all sorts of spicy additions like Cheddar Jalapeno, to a line of "Flamin' Hot" products, each more and more intense.  I started with the classics.

I wasn't ever a huge Cheetos fan as a kid, but I of course have plenty of memories of orange stained finger tips.  I preferred the Puffs version to these crunchy ones, even back then.

It turns out, that "cheese" still coats your fingers even as an adult, and I still got some joy from licking it off, long after my bag of chips had run out.  The chips themselves I still don't really care for, but there is something in that fake cheese flavor that at least makes me nostalgic.  But, I have no plans to eat these again.  **.

 Crunchy XXTRA FLAMIN' HOT.

"Turn up the heat with extra hot, spicy flavor packed into crunchy, cheese snacks. Take it to the next level with CHEETOS® Crunchy XXTRA FLAMIN’ HOT® Cheese Flavored Snacks."

Since I don't care for regular Cheetos, I might as well go all the way in the Flamin' direction right?  The most intense of all of the Crunchy Cheetos is the "XXTRA Flamin' Hot" version, as it is not just "flamin", it is "XXTRA".  And if color is an indicator of "extra-ness", then yes, these ones certainly are the most loaded.  I expected standard orange colored Cheetos, and was surprised to see they were, uh, bright red?  Honestly, it threw my brain off, I'm used to them being orange.

But besides the ridiculous color, they mostly tasted like, well, Cheetos?  Crunchy, fake-cheesy, a bit spicy ... and, like all Cheetos, just not my thing.  **.

Cheesy Jalapeño Cheetos® Mac ‘n Cheese.

"Introducing Cheesy Jalapeño Cheetos® Mac ‘n Cheese—Chester Cheetah®'s new twist on everyday mac and cheese that’s creamy, outrageously cheesy and just the right amount of heat. Just add water, microwave for three minutes and bon appe-Cheetos! You’ve got yourself a 5-star mac (according to Chester). Also available in a classic Mac ‘n Cheese box."

Yeah, ok, I tried the mac and cheese, the easy to make cup version (they also make a stove top cooked version), both are available in 3 flavors.

Add water, cook.  I somehow lost my notes on this, but I remember NOT being pleased.

Fritos

Fritos are corn chips, available in several formats such as the bigger Scoops and more fun Flavor Twists, and they come in a variety of flavors. They also make several Fritos branded dips.  I don't like Fritos, in any forms.

Fritos.

Another one from childhood: Fritos!

They were salty, crunchy, and had a slight corn flavor, but really didn't seem to be nearly as flavorful as I recalled.  I turned them into Frito pie, which was significantly better, but still not something I want more of.

I also tried a bunch of the flavored offerings, including BBQ and Chili Cheese.  I just found the flavors ... strange. *+.

Fritos Flavor Twists: Honey BBQ.

The Fritos product line has greatly expanded over the years, to say the least.  Mostly as new flavors of the standard Fritos shaped corn chips, but also into ... twists?

I loved the shape.  The crunch from the ridges was quite nice.  And the honey bbq flavor was also nice.  But the corn chip base?  E.g. the fritos themselves?  Not my thing! *+.

Sun Chips

"When SUNCHIPS® first hit shelves across the country thirty years ago, we had this gonna-rock-your-world idea. What if we combined the goodness of 100% whole grains with incredible flavors to create truly one-of-a-kind deliciousness?"

I remember when I discovered Sun Chips.  I think I actually bought into the idea that they were healthy chips.  Lols.

Even though its been 30 years (!), Sun Chips really are still quite unique in the market.  At least, I don't know any other chips that are very similar.  Although they do use whole grains (corn), and have less fat than regular chips, these are still, um, chips, and are certainly not healthy.

Sun Chips now come in 5 varieties - the "original", harvest cheddar, french onion, and garden salsa that I've had before, and now, an on-trend spicy chili lime flavor.

I go through periods of really craving these chips, and, in particular, I think they pair really, really well with deviled eggs or egg salad, or cottage cheese with sprouts, tomato, and honey mustard.    They grainy, hearty nature just pairs so nicely.  But as a regular chip to just snack on, or have with a sandwich or salad?  Eh.

Harvest Cheddar.

"The flavor of real cheddar cheese is layered onto a delicious whole grain chip to create this tasty combination."

Original Review (2014): Classic grainy, sorta hearty Sun Chip base.  Decently cheesy.  But, not really that great.

Update Review (2022):
The cheddar chips are the variety I have most frequently, as they seem most common around town.  

I always find myself pleasantly surprised by them - I love the hearty nature, the sorta-healthy grainy nature to them, and the cheesy level is just right, and somehow doesn't taste too fake.  The cheesy quality comes from use of romano, cheddar, and parmesan cheeses, plus buttermilk, whey, and yeast.

I'll continue to get these when the mood strikes.

***+.

Garden Salsa.

"The taste of red tomatoes and green jalapeno peppers delivered right to your mouth on waves of whole grain goodness."

Original tasting notes (2014): 

These were a new one for me.  They had the same kinda grainy, hearty chip base, with a bit of zesty tomato taste.  Not bad, but not particularly good.'

Update Review (2022):

I didn't seek the garden salsa flavor out, they came in a mystery bag I received, and thus, it was time to branch out and try a new flavor.  I wasn't particularly excited though, as I'm just not really a salsa person.

These were good though - same hearty, grainy base that I like, just this time accented with tomato-esque tones, although they do still taste a bit cheesy.  They do have cheddar, romano, buttermilk, and yeast on them like the harvest cheddar variety though, which balances out the tomato qualities.  I didn't taste the jalapeno though, nor anything else "salsa" like, besides the tomato.

Overall, fine to mix it up, but I prefer the cheddar.

***.

Garden Salsa (July 2022).

A few months later, another random bag of Garden Salsa Sun Chips wound up in my possession.  I felt about the same as before - a hearty chip that you need to be in the mood for, kinda interesting tomato-y flavor, no real kick like I'd expect from salsa.

Not something I seek out, but, they are fine. ***.

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French Onion.

These were always my favorites.  Grainy, french onion flavor, but I didn't find them not particularly good the first time I tried them as an adult.  Of course, the next time I thought the flavor was good, and liked the graininess.  Hmm. ***.

Air Pops (Review May 29, 2015)

Sour Cream & Onion.

I expected these to have the same awful consistency as PopChips.  Luckily, they didn't.  Sure, they weren't the greasy, crispy creations I know as regular chips, and indeed were healthier tasting, but they at least still seemed to be potato, rather than styrofoam.

The sour cream and onion flavoring was quite good, strong.  But I still prefer regular chips.

Barbeque.

Just like the Sour cream & onion, I was impressed with the flavor of these.  Very mesquite flavored, deep barbeque.  And just like the sour cream and onion, I thought the texture wasn't awful.

But ... I still didn't want many of these.  The flavor of the sour cream and onion was slightly better.