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Salt and vinegar crisps are a quintessentially British snack, so it comes as no surprise that there is a huge array to choose from.
But not all crisps are equal, and Which? has revealed where to get the best salt and vinegar crisps on the market in the UK.
The consumer champion tested big-name crisp brands, including Tyrell, Pipers and Kettle alongside supermarket own-label crisps from Aldi, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and more.
While many consumers may believe that branded products have the best quality and flavour, the winning bag of salty, sharp potato snacks actually came from budget supermarket Asda.
Asda’s sea salt and chardonnay wine vinegar topped the rankings in both taste and value, with most taste testers approving of their salty-sharp balance.
According to the blind taste test, the crisps were appealing in look and smell, with just the right colour, thickness and crispness.
At just £1.34 for 150g bag of crisps, Asda’s offering is significantly cheaper than the well-known branded crisps, earning them Which?’s Great Value and Best Buy seals of approval.
Co-op’s tangy salt and vinegar crisps also earned a Best Buy rating, having impressed tasters with their appetising aroma and appearance.
Asda’s salt and vinegar crisps were a hit, both in flavour and value, among Which?’s blind taste testers
Morrison’s salt and vinegar crisps were also popular among testers, who said they ‘hit the right salty spot’ despite having the lowest salt levels of all the crisps tested
Those involved in the blind taste test, hosted by Which?, also tried M&S’s sea salt and balsamic vinegar crisps
They were also happy with the level of saltiness flavouring in the crisps, but Which points out that Co-op’s crisps had the highest salt levels of all the crisps that were tested.
The vinegar flavour appealed to most tasters, but nearly a third thought it was slightly overdone. These crisps cost £1.70 for 150g.
Following Asda and Co-op, Aldi’s crisps proved to be a popular choice among tasters, who approved of their low price and crispy texture.
At £1.09 for 150g, they were the cheapest on the test. But while they had an ‘enticing’ aroma and the seasoning was balanced, some testers thought they could have used stronger salt and vinegar flavours.
Health-conscious crisp fans will be delighted to know that Morrisons salt and vinegar crisps contained the least salt of all the crisps on the test, but still ‘hit the right salty spot’.
They didn’t quite reach the top spot, but were still widely approved by testers who found their appearance appealing and two-thirds said they were the perfect thickness.
However, in terms of value for money, Morrisons was slightly off the mark at £1.30 for a smaller 125g bag of crisps.
Shoppers tend to rave about M&S products, but Which? testers felt their salt and vinegar crisps could use more of a kick.
They were reasonably well-liked, with the colour and crispness earning them praise.
But, at £1.80 for a 150g bag, tasters wanted them to have just a little more salt, with a third recommending a sharper vinegar flavour to take them up a notch.
Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s salt and vinegar crisp offerings also performed better than the posh branded crisps.
This is despite the fact that testers thought Sainsbury’s crisps were overpoweringly vinegary, while Tesco’s were let down by a lack of crispiness.
Of the premium branded crisps, Tyrrells outperformed the other two brands – but didn’t ‘wow’ the tasters.
Nearly half said the crisps, which cost £1.75 for 150g, were ‘pale-looking and bland-tasting’, although they were pleased with their thickness and crispness.
Meanwhile, Kettle crisps were declared ‘all-round mediocre’ as testers thought they were bland and not worth the £2.40 price tag.
Languishing at the bottom of the rankings was Pipers, which was determined as having good thickness and crispness, but the lack of flavour just didn’t hit the spot.
They were also the most expensive of the lot, at £3 for 150g.
Shop the best salt and vinegar crisps:
Which? has crowned Asda’s crisps as Best Buy and Great Value. Testers loved their appearance and aroma, as well as their crisp texture and balanced flavours.
These also earned a Best Buy badge from Which?, as testers were impressed by their appetising aroma and appearance, as well as their level of saltiness.
Health-conscious crisp fans will be delighted to know that Morrisons salt and vinegar crisps contained the least salt of all the crisps on the test, but still ‘hit the right salty spot’.
Testers liked the colour and crispness of M&S’s crisps, but thought they could have used more salt and a sharper vinegar flavour to take them up a notch.
Sainsbury’s crisps were found to be pleasing in thickness and crispness, but half the testers found the vinegar flavour to be overpowering while the saltiness was underwhelming.
Well-liked for the colour, thickness and salt levels, Tesco’s crisps were only let down by a lack of crispness and vinegar flavour.
Tyrrells is a beloved British brand, but their salt and vinegar crisps didn’t ‘wow’ Which? testers as much as the supermarket own-label crisps. They scored well for thickness and crispness, but testers wanted better colour and flavour from them.
Kettle crisps are widely available but described as ‘all-round mediocre’ by Which? testers, who would have liked them to be more salty and more vinegary.
These were the most expensive crisps tested, but scored the lowest among Which? testers as they lacked a balanced salt and vinegar flavour.
