Deep River Snacks

Update Review, Summer 2021

Deep River is a fairly major potato chop manufacturer, but I rarely see their products around town.  I wonder if it is a regional thing?  Anyway, I've reviewed them before, but it was years ago, and before my covid inspired "chip-a-holic" phase.

Deep River only makes two flavors in the "Kringle Cut" form: Salt & Cracked Pepper and Sour Cream & Onion.  The rest are all kettle style (or tortilla chips).  As a krinkle cut fan, and not really a kettle chips fan, I was eager to try these, but also couldn't resist picking up another fascinating kettle chip flavor.

Krinkle Cut Sour Cream & Onion.

"The bold flavors of onion and garlic combine with tangy sour cream on our krinkle-cut kettle chips for an incredible flavor and crunch you can’t resist."

Sour Cream & Onion is somewhere on my list of general "eh, they are ok, but not my top choice" flavors.  But, with only two flavors available for Krinkle Cut, I had to pick them.

It was a good move.  These were great chips.  I loved how crunchy they were - I think the potatoes are sliced a bit thicker than a standard chip, and they were so very fried, the crunch was just fantastic.  They felt like heavy chips, and, well, they were.

The sour cream and onion flavor was fine - not very sour cream forward, but they had a nice herby zing to them.

These were a chip that ate very well, and I certainly enjoyed.

****.

Aged Cheddar Horseradish.

"Sharp, aged cheddar cheese paired perfectly with the zesty bite of horseradish. Kettle chips so delicious they’ll bring tears to your eyes!"

These chips were a lot of fun!  They really delivered on all aspects: they were deeply cheesy from the aged cheddar AND quite zingy from the horseradish.  The kettle style worked well, perfectly crisp.

I really enjoyed these, even though cheese and horseradish isn't a combo I normally think of!

****.

Original Review September 2016

Deep River Snacks is, well, a snack food company.  They make 5 product lines: kettle chips, classic chips, Honchos (tortilla chips), popcorn, and healthier baked crisps.  Given that I love to munch on things, chips and popcorn are right up my alley, so I sought out their products.

Except, it turns out, kettle chips are clearly the focus of the company. The Classic Potato Chips line has exactly one variety: salted.  Same with the popcorn, just one flavor: salted.  And same with the baked crisps.  You guessed it: salted.  Honchos are their version of Doritos, available in nacho cheese and ranch, plus peach habanero.  Since plain salted items aren't really my thing, and I loathe Doritos, I stuck with the kettle chips only.

Kettle Chips

"These are no ordinary kettle chips! Our kettle-cooked potato chips are made in small batches, ensuring outstanding crispness and crunch! Our Kettle Chips are a better-for-you snack made exclusively with sunflower oil. And, like all of our snacks, our kettle cooked chips are certified gluten-free, free from GMO ingredients, and made in a nut-free facility."

Deep River Kettle Chips are available in about a dozen flavors, ranging from your standard salted, salt & vinegar, and bbq, to slightly more interesting like Aged Cheddar Horseradish, Salt & Cracked Pepper, and Zesty Jalapeno, to downright fascinating New York Spicy Dill Pickle, Ninja Ginger, and Rosemary & Olive Oil, and a plain 40% Reduced Fat version for those who are attempting to be healthier, and somehow think kettle chips fit the bill.

I can't speak on the reduced fat versions, but, the regular ones are not healthy chips.  280 calories in a bag of chips!  (Sure, it says 2 servings, but, um, its a personal bag of chips, no one eats them in 2 servings).

They are very classic, super fried, style chips.  If you are looking for a standard kettle chip, check them out.

Rosemary & Olive Oil.

"Deliciously fragrant and flavorful kettle cooked chips!  Rosemary, garlic, and olive oil marry perfectly with our kettle-cooked potatoes for a delicious chip with great crunch."

These were very classic kettle chips.  Super crispy, super oily, crunchy chips.  My favorites are always the ones that are curled up slightly, or bent over.

The flavor however was pretty unique.  I don't think I've ever had rosemary chips before.  I really liked them.  I know it sounds funny, but, the more interesting herbs made them taste ... grown up?  They really seemed like what a trendy bar would serve as a bar snack, "And here is our housemade rosemary kettle chips ..."  They really didn't seem like a packaged snack.

Anyway, a very unique chip, and I liked them. ***+.

Sea Salt & Vinegar.

"A New England classic potato chip!  The tart and tangy taste of vinegar paired with the perfect amount of sea salt is sure to make your mouth pucker. "

These did make me pucker, exactly as advertised.  Very tangy, classic salt and vinegar chips.  Standard very fried kettle style.  Not really my thing, but, a good version of what they are. Low ***.

Zesty Jalapeño.

"These kettle chips offer a four-alarm kick with only four ingredients!  Impossibly simple and incredibly delicious, our Zesty Jalapeño kettle cooked potato chips are the perfect balance of flavor and fire."

The Rosemary & Olive Oil were my favorites in that they didn't seem like packaged potato chips, but, for a classic potato chip, the Zesty Jalapeño actually wins.  They were indeed fire-y.  And again, classic kettle chip style. ***+.

Ojan was eating a bag of these and absent mindedly took a big handful all at once.  Several seconds later he was frantically running for water, as he had forgotten that they were so intense.