How good are hot chips? Seriously, if nutrition (and variety) wasn’t a concern, I could live on the golden, crunchy slices of potato-y goodness.
Restaurants, cafes and burger bars across the nation all put a great deal of time and effort into perfecting their chips. They know people will remember a good chip and will get repeat business if their chips are good. Or more importantly, if a restaurant’s chips are not good then people will avoid it like the plague.
Speaking of plagues, you may have noticed the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe over the past 18 months. The virus has parts of the country locked down (for who knows how long) and getting out to eat has become nigh on impossible. For many, chips now have to be delivered, which really takes away that fresh-from-the-fryer taste.
Chips might not be the healthiest option, but they are definitely one of the yummiest. And comfort food is in high demand during lockdowns and uncertain times.
Read: Comfort food faves – chip sandwiches, stewed fruit and tomato soup
Our chip options now are limited. You could try peeling and slicing your own potatoes and frying them up yourself, but that is a difficult ask. Which really only leaves frozen chips from the supermarket. It’s definitely an unappealing prospect when compared to the golden slices of heaven from your local chippy (with chicken salt, of course).
But all may not be lost when it comes to getting a fix of hot, fresh chips.
Melbourne food reviewer Michelle ‘Mip’ Easson has put some serious time into examining the myriad frozen chip brands available in Australian supermarkets on her Mip’s Chips Instagram page. The results are surprising and show it is actually possible to get decent hot chips from the supermarket.
In her in-depth chip examination, Ms Easson selected two winners in each of eight categories to determine Australia’s greatest frozen chips.
Read: Healthy comfort foods
So without further ado, here are the best frozen chips in Australia, according to Ms Easson.
Overall winners
Season’s Pride Rosemary and Salt and Birds Eye Deli Golden Ale Beer Batter
Best crinkle cut chip
Birds Eye Golden Crunch Crinkles and Logan Farm Crinkle Cut
Best sweet potato chip
McCain Sweet Potato Extra Crinkle and Bell Farms Sweet Potato
Crunchiest chip
Birds Eye Super Crunch and Seasons Pride Super Crunch
Best fat chip
Seasons Pride Beer Batter Fries and Coles Beer Batter Steakhouse Chips
Best shoestring chips
Woolworths French Fries and Seasons Pride French Fries
Best seasoning
McCain Pub Style and Bell Farms Waffle Cut
Best Plain Chips
Logan Farm Straight Cut and Birds Eye Hot Chips Straight
Read: How to jazz up hot chips
“I was forced to take a more local and accessible approach when the pandemic hit,” Ms Easson told Broadsheet.
“With the help of my trusty deep-fryer, I started reviewing frozen supermarket chips to keep my followers entertained and informed over what we thought would be a short lockdown.”
Ms Easson’s choices are bound to cause a stir as everyone has their own favourite brands. Let’s just hope she doesn’t have to put together this list again next year because we’ll be back at our favourite restaurants and cafes.
Do you agree with Ms Easson’s choices? Did your favourite brand of chips make the (crinkle) cut? Do you have other suggestions? Or can you make the perfect chip yourself? Let us know in the comments section below.
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