Low Fat Potato Chip Review

The Brands Tested:
(Brand, Fat(g), Calories, Sodium(mg), Fiber(g), Price(per oz.))
Baked Lays, 1.5, 110, 180, 2, $0.35
Terra Golds (Baked) 6, 130, 80, 0, $0.50
Kettle Bakes 3, 120, 115, 2, $0.70
Baked Ruffles 3, 120, 200, 2, $0.35
Cape Cod Reduced Fat 6, 130, 110, 1, $0.29

I have to say, potato chips are one of my vices. I could eat three bags and still want more. So finding a "healthier" potato chip is important. We conducted a sort-of scientific experiment to determine which one tasted the best.

First, we eliminated chips that were over 6 grams of fat. Why? Well, it seemed that regular are almost twice this much, and there were brands advertising low fat, baked, light that still had six, so it seemed like a good number. We then also made sure they were all regular flavored, no BBQ or Salt and Vinegar, so we were comparing apples to apples.

Next we had to find some testers. Not hard. We found three men and two women to proudly put their taste buds in the line of fire for science. We had a range of ages, sexes, preferences, so this must be completely statistically viable (or something). We will call the testers Dick, Silvia, Lauren, Bud, and Jack to keep their identities a secret. We did conduct the test blind, or as much as we could. We put out a plate of chips with no name revealed, only a number. Each tester rated the chip on a scale of 1 to 10, each category at a time. Most testers only ate one or two chips, unless they really liked it.

So what makes a great chip? Well, we tested on the categories of Potato Flavor, Saltiness, Greasiness, and Overall Taste. I'm not sure why, but I think if I did it again, I would add crunchy/crispiness, as this also made a difference to me. Presented below are the average scores in each of the categories. So on to the results...

Brand, Potato Flavor, Saltiness, Greasiness, Overall Taste
Baked Lays 3.4, 2.6, 2.0, 2.4
Terra Golds (Baked) 1.4, 4.6, 5.6, 4.2
Kettle Bakes 4.6, 2.8, 4.6, 4.8, 5.4
Baked Ruffles 4,8, 5.4, 3.4, 5.4
Cape Cod Reduced Fat 5.8, 3.8, 6, 7