CHOICE has taste tested 34 types of frozen chips from Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and IGA for the very first time, to determine which are the best and which to avoid putting in your trolley.
Our judges tested a wide variety of chips from across the four stores, covering battered, crinkle cut, shoestring and straight cut categories.
"With the cooler months coming, the classic oven chip is the perfect snack to keep you warm and toasty. There's an overwhelming number of products available, so we've tested over 30 frozen chips, cooking them up in an air fryer, to see which ones are a must-try," says Editorial Director, Mark Serrels.
Our expert judges blind tasted each chip product and gave a CHOICE Expert Rating, which was determined by assessing appearance, aroma, flavour, and texture.
The best straight cut frozen chip:
1.Birds Eye Golden Crunch Thin and Crispy Chips
CHOICE Expert Rating: 88%
Price: $5.80 per 900g packet
"Birds Eye Golden Crunch Thin and Crispy Chips took first place in our straight cut category, receiving a score of 88%. Our expert judges praised them for their golden colour and crispy and fluffy texture," says Serrels.
The best crinkle cut frozen chip:
1.Birds Eye Golden Crunch Crinkle Cut Chips
CHOICE Expert Rating: 85%
Price: $5.80 per 900g packet
"Birds Eye Golden Crunch Crinkle Cut Chips took first place in our crinkle cut category, with a score of 85%. They scored well for their crunchiness and slightly salty flavour," says Serrels.
The best shoestring frozen chip:
1.Woolworths Essentials French Fries
CHOICE Expert Rating: 66%
Price: $4.00 per 1kg packet
"Woolworths Essentials French Fries scored 66% in the shoestring category and were praised by our judges for their crispness, appealing colour and strong potato taste," says Serrels.
The best beer battered frozen chip:
1.Woolworths Australian Beer Batter Steakhouse Chips
CHOICE Expert Rating: 76%
Price: $4.50 per 750g packet
"Woolworths Australian Beer Batter Steakhouse Chips received a score of 76% in our battered category. They scored well for their delicious smell and they had a good balance of crispness and fluffiness," says Serrels.
The following frozen chips scored lowest in our testing:
- Shoestring category: Birds Eye Golden Crunch Microwave Shoestring Chips 37%
- Crinkle cut category: Aldi Seasons Pride Crinkle Cut Chips 46%
- Straight cut category: Aldi Seasons Pride Steak Cut Chips 48%
- Beer battered category: Potato Utopia Beer Batter Flavoured Fries 56%
"Our results show that just because one product performs well, others from the same brand might not necessarily have the same results, as shown by Birds Eye products taking first place in two categories but also receiving the lowest score in the shoestring chips category," says Serrels.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
