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The best Kettle chips absolutely burst with intensity. Kettle Brand chips are slow fried, so they retain a fatty, oil-rich taste with an unmatched crunch  (Want to know more? Read the full story explaining what kettle chips are.) They come in a huge number of flavors, and the flavor they bring is strong. They just might be the best widely available chip.

In a pair of taste tests, we sourced every Kettle chip flavor and variety we could find, including Krinkle Cut and Air Fried. Since all Kettle Brand chips are high quality, we were mostly judging the accuracy of their flavors. Does Korean BBQ actually taste like marinated meat grilled tableside? Is the dill pickle flavor reminiscent of crispy, juicy Vlasic spears? That’s what mattered most. We consider ourselves snack experts around here, and these are the best Kettle Brand chips you can buy..

Kettle Chips!

I’ll admit that these chips could probably taste more like pepperoncini, but they’re so tasty and unique they’re making the list all the same. Compared to the big, bold flavor of Kettle’s Dill Pickle and Sea Salt & Vinegar flavors, these aren’t quite as robust, but their tangy heat will keep you coming back for more. Pepperoncini are freaking delicious. These chips are too, but I wouldn’t be upset if they went back to the drawing board and amped up the flavor just a bit. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Instacart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Kettle Chips!

Personally, I prefer the tangy heat of Habanero Lime Kettle chips to anything in the Flamin’ Hot universe. These chips are acidic without an overbearing citric acid flavor, and the habanero heat is dry, fruity, and fierce. This is just a well balanced chip packed with salt, fat, acid, and heat. If you’ve had these, it might seem crazy to you that they rank tenth, but hey, it isn’t easy to rank among the best Kettle chip flavors when so many of them are so good. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Instacart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Kettle Chips!

Kettle does dill pickle flavor chips better than most, that’s for sure. They are  so tangy they’re practically  salt and vinegar chip adjacent. The sharpness is great and the herbiness is lovely. The acidic nature of the flavoring works well with sturdy and greasy Kettle chips. You get fat, acid, and herbs—what’s not to like? Throw this Kettle chip flavor on a sandwich for a crispy, herby, tangy bite. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Kettle Chips!

Apple cider vinegar adds a fruity and sweet dimension to the salt and vinegar chips you’re used to. If you are put off by the acidic sting of most salt and vinegar chips, these are for you, my guy. Sweet, salty, and subtly tart, Apple Cider Vinegar Kettle chips are my personal pick for the best Kettle chip flavor. I made sure to take these home after the taste test to gorge in the privacy of my home with the lights off, which is how I do most of my gorging at home. I can’t say enough good things about them. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Target

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Kettle Chips!

Truffle is a potent and divisive flavor. You either love the earthy funk of it or you don’t. These are so intensely aromatic and flavorful that they were one of the more addictive Kettle flavors for me. The savoriness in these chips is off the charts. Pungent is the word for these. Truffle is the best Kettle chip flavor you haven’t tried. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Kettle Chips!

When my colleague Danny originally put together this ranking of the best Kettle Brand chips, Jalapeño didn’t make the cut, but these new air fried Jalapeño kettle chips deserve a spot. Kettle isn’t like other brands in that it isn’t constantly releasing new flavors. These Air Fried chips are their latest, greatest innovation, and I’m totally on board, especially with the Jalapeño flavor. You get all the sturdy crunch of regular Kettle chips, but these are a little bit less oily. Something about the nature of the chip itself really makes the jalapeño flavor shine—it’s bright, spicy, and delicious. They just feel lighter, which makes them the best Kettle chip for lunchtime, in my opinion. I don’t know about you, but I don’t work well with a bellyful of oil. —Gwynedd Stuart

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Kettle Chips!

Kettle does salt and vinegar chips better than just about anybody, and here they rank fifth—that’s how many dope flavors Kettle has. The fattiness of the slow-cooked Kettle chip complements the brightness of the vinegar so damn well. These will ruin your mouth, but hey, maybe you want that. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Kettle Chips!

Salt and pepper is the most basic and important flavor combination on planet Earth. All things require it. It’s all you need to season a good steak, too. And the flavor here, combined with the Krinkle cut potato chip, is both understated and fairly robust. Freshly ground black pepper is one of those flavors that deserves more love. If you’re a person of simple yet elegant taste, this is the best Kettle Brand chip flavor for you. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Kettle Chips!

This taste test was my first time trying these, and they’re my new chip infatuation. The flavor is smoky and sweet like your typical barbecue chip, but there’s this extra savory, meaty taste that makes the whole thing irresistible. The difference between these and Kettle’s Backyard Barbecue chips? All of the ingredients here are organic, and Country Style leans more into savory (Backyard Barbecue has a small amount of chili pepper). The flavor alchemy is incredible. As a fan of potato chips fried in lard, this gave me the same vibe. Meat chips, baby! —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Amazon

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Kettle Chips!

These chips are, in a word, powerful. The garlic stings your tongue and the parmesan taste is sharp, nutty, and cheesy. Combine that flavor with crispy, crunchy Kettle chips and you’ve got yourself a winner. The only reason they’re second is because some people just aren’t on board with their breath reeking of garlic (who are these people? I ask you—who?!). Our number one pick has more mainstream appeal. Still, the flavor here is undeniable. It’s bold, beautiful, and pungent—just not the absolute best Kettle Brand chip flavor. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Kettle Chips!

No Kettle Brand chip bursts with flavor quite like Honey Dijon. These are just so sweet, tangy, and mustardy. The flavor is almost caramelized—it’s powerfully rich and deliciously savory. Plus, there’s just something about a Kettle chip that holds flavor so darn well. Not for nothin’, but Rhett & Link ranked them the third best Kettle chip. Honey Dijon brings salt, fat, acid, and a bit of heat. It has it all, which is why, for us, it reigns supreme as the best Kettle chip flavor. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other products we tried: Backyard BBQ, Sour Cream & Onion, Hot Jalapeño, Jalapeño, Bourbon BBQ, Korean BBQ, Farmstand Ranch, Air Fried Himalayan Salt.

Find the best Kettle chip flavors at home and share with us using #SporkedTasteTest for a chance to be featured on our social pages!

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