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Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

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Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

Utz Ado About Nothing

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.


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Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

Best: Carolina Style Barbecue

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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

Wilder Shaw / Cheapism
Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

3. The Crab Chip

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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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Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

4. Sour Cream & Onion

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Style: Ripples

What tang! What fattiness! What crunch! I love this. Better than Ruffles, that's for sure. Outstanding work.

Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

5. Cheddar & Sour Cream

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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.

Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

6. Classic Dill Pickle

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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.

Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

7. Red Hot

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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?

Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

8. Salt 'n Vinegar

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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.

Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

9. Jalapeño

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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.

Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

10. Barbecue

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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.

Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

11. Original

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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.

Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

12. Original Ripples

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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. 

Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

13. Smokin' Sweet Barbecue

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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.

Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

14. Original Kettle

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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.