Wilder Shaw / Cheapism
Utz slaps its name on quite a few products, throwing a hat into every corner of the snack ring from Pub Mix to Zapp's chips. The brand also offers a signature line of Utz chips in a mob of flavors and styles, including classic, kettle, and wavy, Ruffles-style "Ripples." Which flavors reign supreme? I grabbed 14 of them and endeavored to find out, ranking them from best to worst.
Style: Classic
Like anything based in vinegar, a bag of Carolina Style Barbecue chips smacks your nose the second you open the bag. These chips are wonderful, full of mustard and peppery seasoning. Eat them as a side, or maybe even a main course.
Related: Bucket-List Barbecue in Every State
Style: Ripples
Trust me on this one: These Ripples don't get stuck in your teeth as badly as the others do. Utz's very own Cheese Balls make a cameo appearance here, and the result is a special one. Sharp, pungent cheddar flavor is what you want out of a cheddar chip.
Related: I Tried 13 Kinds of Instant Ramen and These Were the Best (and Worst)
Style: Classic
This is a very good chip, but I'm afraid calling it a "Crab Chip" might be a little misleading. As it contains no crab, it's more like a celery salt chip. But there's nothing wrong with that. You should buy these.
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Style: Ripples
What tang! What fattiness! What crunch! I love this. Better than Ruffles, that's for sure. Outstanding work.
Style: Ripples
This one's a classic. Many may know the similar Ruffles flavor, as well as the die-hard fandom behind it. I'm one of those people. I'm not sure I could tell you which is which in a blind taste test (though Utz seems to be a tad thicker), but as far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing. Nice work on this one.
Style: Classic
We've got a Grillo's Pickles collab on our hands. This was actually my first foray into the world of pickle-flavored potato chips and yeah, OK, I get it. Dill and salt work nicely together, and sort of bring you the best of both worlds if you eat it alongside a sandwich.
Style: Classic
Red Hot definitely delivers on spice more than Jalapeño does. It's a fine chip, but I wish there was more pepper flavor beyond just paprika. A little cayenne wouldn't hurt anybody, would it?
Style: Classic
It's no mystery to me why this type of flavor is so polarizing. It's an aggressive one, and many people aren't here for it. I am, though; I'm definitely here for it. Give me that briny, vinegary blast. It's basically an olive at his point.
Style: Kettle
This is more of a literal take on the idea of a jalapeño chip. These chips actually aren't spicy, but they do taste just like the flavor of a fresh jalapeño. Sort of an interesting thing. I like them, but I do wish they were spicier.
Style: Ripples
If you like Ruffles and don't care how badly they get stuck in your teeth, the Utz Ripples line is for you. This barbecue chip is pretty tame as far as seasoning goes, but makes an excellent lunch companion.
Style: Classic
You pretty much know what you're getting when you look at this type of flavor. It's salty, it's got a nice crunch, and the chips verge on just-a-little-bit-too-big, which is the exact size a potato chip is supposed to be. If a classic potato chip is what you want, this one will hold up to anything.
Style: Ripples
Much like the classic-style Original, this is a perfectly suitable plain chip. 10 times out of 10, I'm going to choose a flavored chip, so as far as my incredibly specific opinions are concerned, I don't need these.
Style: Classic
Liiiiiiiiittle too sweet for me on this one, Utz. This is more like a ketchup chip, which is something I bet people would like. I seem to be the only person on the planet who doesn't worship ketchup, so this one just isn't for me.
Style: Kettle
First of all: Love the branding for these. I wish more of them said "Grandma Utz" on the front. The bad news is that these sort of just taste like oil. I bet if you mashed them up you could crust the heck out of a chicken breast with them, though.
