Summer Taste Test Extravaganza!

Summary

The Wirecutter Show
Episode: Summer Taste Test Extravaganza!
Release Date: July 9, 2025
Hosts: Christine Cyr Clissette, Kyra Blackwell, and Rosie Garant
Producer: Rosie Guerin

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Introduction

In the vibrant summer edition of The Wirecutter Show, hosts Christine Cyr Clissette, Kyra Blackwell, and Rosie Garant embark on a delightful journey through the quintessential summer staples: ketchup, potato chips, and ice cream sandwiches. This episode, aptly titled "Summer Taste Test Extravaganza!", delves deep into product testing, expert insights, and candid taste evaluations to help listeners make informed decisions on these beloved condiments and treats.

Ketchup Taste Test

Exploring the World of Ketchup

The segment kicks off with an in-depth exploration of ketchup, a staple in many American households. Associate writer Antara Sinha teams up with Rachel Wharton, an expert from Wirecutter’s kitchen team, to unpack the nuances of selecting the perfect ketchup.

Selection Process and Expert Insights

Rachel Wharton reveals the meticulous process behind their ketchup guide. “We really decided to narrow it down to classic ketchup. Nothing flavored or artisanal or local, and specifically to ketchups you can get at grocery stores around the country,” she explains (03:31). Despite the vast variety available, the team concentrated on 13 different ketchups, including feedback from children to capture diverse palates.

Key Criteria for a Great Ketchup

The duo highlights the fundamentals of what makes a ketchup stand out:

• Flavor Balance: “We want it to be acidic, tart, sweet, punchy, a really pronounced tomato flavor, but not overly stewy or tinny,” Rachel elaborates (04:34).
• Texture: Smooth and homogenous with a glossy appearance, ensuring it clings well to fries without excessive water separation (04:50).
• Clinging Ability: A crucial test involved how well the ketchup sticks to fries during a dip test (05:05).

Historical and Cultural Context

Rachel delves into the American dominance of ketchup, tracing its origins from a preserved fish product in China to its American incarnation. She also touches on the political implications, such as its use in school lunches during the Reagan administration as a vegetable substitute (05:32).

Taste Testing and Results

Antara and Rachel conduct a blind taste test of three selected ketchups:

1. Trader Joe's Organic Ketchup: Praised for its complex, pronounced tomato flavor without the high fructose corn syrup found in many mainstream brands.
2. Whole Foods 365 Ketchup: Noted for its sweetness, making it a versatile option for those looking to enhance their culinary creations.
3. Heinz Classic Ketchup: The ultimate crowd-pleaser, maintaining its status as the benchmark despite varied tastes.

Conclusion and Top Pick

Antara Sinha expresses a surprising preference for Trader Joe's Organic Ketchup over the classic Heinz, citing its richer tomato flavor and lower sweetness (11:19). Rachel Wharton concurs, emphasizing Heinz’s consistent quality and universal appeal (11:12).

“Heinz ketchup on our palate is ketchup, and everything else is a deviation from that.” — Rachel Wharton (07:05)

Potato Chips Taste Test

Diving into the Crunch

Transitioning seamlessly, Kyra Blackwell joins Rachel Saracola, a senior staff writer with a master's degree in food studies, to assess the ever-popular potato chips. Their goal: determine the best plain and kettle-cooked chips in the market.

Selection and Testing Methodology

Rachel Saracola outlines the rigorous selection process, involving:

• Extensive Selection: Testing around 70 different chips to ensure a comprehensive evaluation.
• Blind Tasting: Chips were tasted without brand identification to eliminate bias.
• Defect Elimination: Initial screenings removed any chips with rancid oil or off flavors (14:02).

Testing Criteria

Key aspects assessed included:

• Texture and Crispness: Ensuring a satisfying crunch without being overly greasy.
• Flavor Balance: Striking the right amount of salt and natural potato flavor without overpowering additives.
• Visual Appeal: Uniformity in color and absence of defects like green spots or excess oil.

Surprising Findings

Rachel shares unexpected insights, such as the prevalence of defects in kettle-cooked and international brands, challenging the assumption that premium or foreign chips inherently taste better (16:02).

“We were surprised that the things we thought would be the most beloved actually turned out to be the least good.” — Rachel Saracola (15:32)

Taste Testing and Results

Kyra bravely samples three distinct chips:

1. Amazon Fresh Potato Chips: Emerges as the top pick, celebrated for their balanced flavor and perfect texture.
2. Clancy's from Aldi: Favored by salt enthusiasts for its robust saltiness and delightful roastiness.
3. Deep River Kettle Chips: While a solid choice, they didn't resonate as strongly as expected compared to the other picks.

Conclusion and Top Pick

Amazon Fresh Potato Chips claim the crown for their superior taste and consistency, much to the hosts' delight. Rachel highlights the brand's excellence in mass production without compromising on quality (19:39).

“They taste really good.” — Rachel Saracola (19:39)

Ice Cream Sandwiches Taste Test

A Frozen Delight

The final segment features Rosie Garant and Marguerite Preston exploring the realm of ice cream sandwiches. With a focus on both dairy and non-dairy options, the team aims to identify the ultimate frozen treat for summer.

Selection Process

Christine Cyr Clissette discusses the selection strategy, ensuring a mix of nine dairy and three non-dairy ice cream sandwiches. The emphasis was on classic chocolate wafer and vanilla ice cream combinations, avoiding overly flavored or complex varieties to maintain consistency in testing (21:42).

Testing Criteria

Essential elements evaluated included:

• Flavor Harmony: The balance between the chocolatey cookie and the creamy vanilla ice cream.
• Texture: Ensuring the cookies are soft enough to meld with the ice cream without becoming soggy, and the ice cream maintains a creamy consistency without being overly airy or hard.
• Stickiness: Optimal "stickage" to prevent the sandwich from disintegrating during consumption (22:16).

Taste Testing and Results

Rosie tastes three different ice cream sandwiches:

1. Whole Foods 365 Ice Cream Sandwich: Emerges as the top pick, praised for its perfect balance of ice cream to cookie and authentic vanilla flavor.
2. Alden's Organic Ice Cream Sandwich: Appreciated for its real vanilla taste and smooth texture, making it a favorite for self-indulgence.
3. Fat Boy Classic Brand: Noted for its substantial ice cream filling and rich flavor, though deemed too heavy for some preferences.

Conclusion and Top Pick

Whole Foods 365 stands out as the unanimous favorite, offering a nostalgic yet elevated ice cream sandwich experience. The hosts commend its consistency and satisfying texture, making it the go-to choice for both kids and adults.

“It was everything you wanted. The right consistency, the right distribution of ice cream to cookie.” — Rosie Garant (30:53)

Wrap-Up: Participants' Reactions and Final Thoughts

As the episode concludes, the hosts share their personal favorites and reflections on the taste tests:

• Kyra Blackwell appreciates the complexity of Trader Joe's ketchup but notes a personal need for higher salt levels in potato chips.

  “I’ve learned that I have a problem, and it’s that I think I eat too much salt.” — Kyra Blackwell (29:01)

• Antara Sinha is pleasantly surprised by her preference for Trader Joe's ketchup over the classic Heinz, valuing its pronounced tomato flavor (29:35).

• Rosie Garant expresses satisfaction with the Whole Foods 365 ice cream sandwich, highlighting its perfect balance and nostalgic appeal (30:44).

Notable Quotes

• “We really decided to narrow it down to classic ketchup.” — Rachel Wharton (03:31)
• “Ketchup should count as a vegetable.” — Rachel Wharton (05:56)
• “We knocked out anything that had defects.” — Rachel Saracola (14:02)
• “We really were doing something right when everyone’s like, this is the one.” — Rachel Wharton (07:05)
• “I think I'm going with the Trader Joe's.” — Antara Sinha (11:19)

Conclusion

The Wirecutter Show's Summer Taste Test Extravaganza! offers a comprehensive and engaging exploration of popular summer staples. Through expert insights, rigorous testing, and honest evaluations, the hosts provide listeners with valuable recommendations to elevate their culinary experiences this summer. Whether it's selecting the perfect ketchup, crunching into the best potato chips, or indulging in the ultimate ice cream sandwich, this episode ensures that every bite counts.

For more detailed reviews and additional product coverage, visit Wirecutter's website and check out their accompanying YouTube videos showcasing the scientific methods behind their tests.

Transcript

[Kyra Blackwell]

The Wirecutter show is supported by Intuit QuickBooks. Do you own a business that's ready to thrive? It's time to let Intuit QuickBooks take things like unpaid invoices and tracking expenses off your plate so you can take things to the next level. QuickBooks is a powerful AI driven, all in one business solution that can help with day to day tasks like invoicing expenses and taxes. QuickBooks can help you unlock the growth in your business so you can get back to enjoying your business. Manage and grow your business all in one place. Intuit QuickBooks your way to money. Get 90% off for 3 months. Limited time only. Terms and conditions apply.

[Rosie Garant]

If you haven't scraped the cookie with your teeth, off your thumb and your finger, you haven't lived. Did you have like, did summer even happen?

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Exactly.

[Antara Sinha]

I'm Christine Cyr Clissette.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I'm Kyra Blackwell.

[Rosie Garant]

I'm Rosie Garant. And you're listening to the Wirecutter Show.

[Kyra Blackwell]

This episode is called Summer Taste Test Extravaganza.

[Rosie Garant]

Hey, guys.

[Antara Sinha]

Hey there.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Hi.

[Rosie Garant]

So today we're doing something a little different. We're headed on a field trip.

[Antara Sinha]

I have been waiting for this moment.

[Rosie Garant]

I know, I know. Today's the day. We're headed to Wirecutter's test kitchen to do some summer taste testing.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I love my job.

[Antara Sinha]

That's right. Wirecutter does some epic taste tests. We have really fun reviews to things like ramen and barbecue sauce and all sorts of stuff. And our team, not surprisingly, does crazy work on these reviews. They go out and they look at everything that's out there and they figure out what to taste. And it's. It's really. It's pretty fun. And so this episode, we're going to taste three summer classic foods.

[Rosie Garant]

Summer staples.

[Antara Sinha]

Summer staples, if you will. So we're gonna try out ketchup, potato chips and ice cream sandwiches.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Fun.

[Antara Sinha]

Sounds like a really weird meal. But we'll each be tasting one of these foods.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Right. We played rock, paper, scissors to figure out who's doing what. So we're gonna talk to some experts today on our kitchen team about how they actually whittled down all these options to make their top picks, because there really are so many options. And then the fun part, we're going to do some taste testing ourselves right now. We're going to take a quick break. And then first up is Christine with Antaresinha tasting ketchup. See you in a sec. The Wirecutter show is supported by Intuit QuickBooks. Do you own a Business that's ready to thrive. It's time to let Intuit QuickBooks take things like unpaid invoices and tracking expenses off your plate so you can take things to the next level. QuickBooks is an all in one business solution that can help with those day to day tasks like invoicing and expenses. Manage and grow your business all in one place. Intuit QuickBooks your way to money. Get 90% off for 3 months limited time only terms and conditions apply.

[Antara Sinha]

Welcome back to the show. We are here in the test kitchen at Wirecutter with Antara Sinha, an associate writer on our kitchen team. And Antara, I'm really pumped to be here with you today. We are going to be talking ketchup, which is something that you know a lot about because you wrote an entire guide to ketchup. Welcome to the show.

[Rachel Wharton]

Thank you.

[Antara Sinha]

What did you do for this guide? How many ketchups did you taste and what were you kind of looking for in the ketchups?

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Right.

[Rachel Wharton]

So there's actually a whole wide world of ketchup out there, more than we even expected in the research process. And so for this guide, we really decided to narrow it down to classic ketchup. Nothing flavored or artisanal or local, and specifically to ketchups I can get at grocery stores around the country. So we narrowed it down to 13 ketchups.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

13.

[Antara Sinha]

That seems like a lot.

[Rachel Wharton]

Still, it was quite a bit. And I think the fun part of this guide is that we also had some kids taste, and they didn't taste 13, but they did taste kind of the big four supermarket ketchups.

[Antara Sinha]

I was actually at that tasting, we had a bring your kid to work day and it was really fun. And I was peeking in at all these toddlers to teenagers tasting ketchup. And they were kind of tough. I think they have an elevated palate. That little.

[Rachel Wharton]

An elevated palate, but also the best feedback. Yeah, because I was seeing notes that was like, this kid didn't eat any ketchup, but licked all the salt off the fries. And that was the note that I got for, you know, whatever brand. But it was. Yeah, it was fun to read through the notes for that.

[Antara Sinha]

Okay, so I want to know what makes a good ketchup. What were you looking for?

[Rachel Wharton]

Most of our taste tests really break down to the fundamentals, flavor and texture. And so for a ketchup, it really comes down to that balance of we want it to be acidic, tart, sweet, punchy, a really pronounced tomato flavor, but not overly stewy or tinny.

[Antara Sinha]

Or preserved.

[Rachel Wharton]

And I think we eat with our eyes first. So texture wise, we wanted it to be smooth, homogenous, glossy, not so pulpy. Not so much of the water separating from the ketchup itself. We also really tested it for how it clinged to fries.

[Antara Sinha]

So that's important.

[Rachel Wharton]

We did a little dip test.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Antara Sinha]

Now, can you tell me, is ketchup something that we as Americans are into? Are there people in other countries that really like ketchup? Like, is it an American condiment?

[Rachel Wharton]

Basically, it's ketchup. The way that we eat it in the US Is a very profoundly American product. For this guide, I interviewed Professor Amy Bentley, who is a professor of food studies at NYU and is like the defacto ketchup expert in the country.

[Antara Sinha]

Does she have that on her bio?

[Rachel Wharton]

Not specifically, but we really got into it. Cause she really studies not just the history, but also just kind of the political implications of ketchup, which I don't know if we have time to get into.

[Antara Sinha]

Oh, my gosh. Political. I'm all here. Let's hear about it. Yeah, she really.

[Rachel Wharton]

I don't want to flatten her work, but she did a lot of research about how during the Reagan administration, ketchup was being used as a tool in school lunches. As, like, ketchup should count as a vegetable. As a vegetable.

[Antara Sinha]

I remember that I was in school in the 80s, so I do remember this exactly.

[Rachel Wharton]

But we got into the history, which is really fascinating, which is that ketchup just used to mean preserved fish product. Their origins are in China. And just by waves of colonization through trade, it made its way to England, where it became kind of like any preserved product, period. Tomatoes were introduced much later.

[Antara Sinha]

What is the most surprising thing beyond that, that you learned? I mean, that feels like maybe the most surprising thing.

[Rachel Wharton]

I think the most surprising thing for me was I was fascinated by how much we were all kind of indoctrinated by Heinz. My editor and I went into this really thinking we would find some sort of unsung condiment aisle hero. And I think we all have pretty discerning palates. But despite the blind taste test, we all kind of zeroed in on Heinz as our favorite. Yeah, and the same thing with the kids, too, where the taste test was for kids between 2 and 12, and they were using words like this one tastes the most normal or the most regular. And so I think Heinz ketchup has become sort of like the way that Kleenex is tissue, the way that Tupperware is food storage. Heinz ketchup on our palate is ketchup, and everything else is a deviation from that.

[Antara Sinha]

I feel like I am a 2 year old. Like, I am all about Heinz. So I'm excited to try these ketchups that we're about to try. I do have to ask you, though, what is your opinion of artisanal ketchups? Do you have a pro con?

[Rachel Wharton]

I am pro. With the caveat that I want to be warned that it's not Heinz ketchup. I went to a really lovely cocktail bar with some friends and we got fries with ketchup. And I looked to my friends, I'm like, I think something's wrong with this ketchup. And we found out after that it's like a barrel aged whiskey ketchup. And I'm like, that makes sense with that context.

[Antara Sinha]

All right, so now we're going to taste ketchups. Antara, you have set out this beautiful plate of three different ketchups in front of me. I can see the backs of the bottles, but I cannot actually see the front.

[Rachel Wharton]

All three of these are picks. One of these is our organic pick.

[Antara Sinha]

Okay.

[Rachel Wharton]

And then we have one that we like just because it's a little bit different from our standard classic ketchup. And then we have a very classic ketchup.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Okay.

[Rachel Wharton]

That's our top pick.

[Antara Sinha]

Okay, great. I think I know which one is the Heinz just by the glossiness of it. That Heinz has this, like, classic fake food gloss to it because it's. I don't know, what is it? What's in it?

[Rachel Wharton]

They take their viscosity very seriously. They have a special tool to make sure that the viscosity is homogenous globally.

[Antara Sinha]

And is that what makes it so glossy and shiny?

[Rachel Wharton]

Yeah, I think it's also just how they process the tomatoes. It's really finely made into this paste that you will notice chunks and flecks of whole tomato in some of the other picks that we have. But yeah, I think just really working the tomato paste.

[Antara Sinha]

Okay, all right, great. So where should I start?

[Rachel Wharton]

Let's start with this one over here.

[Antara Sinha]

All right. I am dipping some delicious crinkle fries that you just made in a toaster oven right behind me, which is awesome. Into this ketchup. This one looks a little chunkier and a little like it's very deeply red. The color is very pretty. So I'm gonna try it.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Rosie Garant]

Oh, wow.

[Kyra Blackwell]

It's good.

[Antara Sinha]

It is very tomatoey and it's got a very vinegary taste to it. I'm really tasting the Vinegar.

[Rachel Wharton]

Some of the tasting notes we got for this one was that we're getting some citrusy notes happening in there as well. Yeah, I can see that.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Antara Sinha]

Yeah, that one. I like that. I wouldn't be mad if I had that on a hamburger.

[Rachel Wharton]

Yeah. I think this is probably closest to maybe some sort of like, artisanal or homemade dupe from our picks.

[Antara Sinha]

Yes.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Okay. All right, let's do number two.

[Antara Sinha]

Let's try number two. This one looks a little bit more like tomato paste to me. It's a little bit like a darker red and not as glossy looking. All right, let's try it.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Hmm.

[Antara Sinha]

That one is sweeter.

[Rachel Wharton]

We got a lot of notes because some people said brown sugar. Some people were getting even warm spices, like some clove, some nutmeg, some cinnamon. In this one. We really enjoyed this one just because it felt like not. I don't want to use the word elevated, but like something extra beyond your standard classic ketchup. And some people said it would be great to make, like, a barbecue sauce if you want to based over a meatloaf.

[Antara Sinha]

All right, I like that. All right. I'm trying the glossiest. I think I know which one this is. It's very, very glossy, and it's the most sort of like fire engine red of all of them.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Antara Sinha]

I think this is your classic Heinz. I'm going to take a. Take a wild guess. It is definitely the least exciting of all three of these. The most standard. I'm a little bit surprised. I thought I would like this one the most. It's kind of like a little bit more muted in all the flavors. The other two felt like they were really picking a lane much stronger. And this one feels like a little bit less everything.

[Rachel Wharton]

A little bit.

[Antara Sinha]

I mean, the texture is great. It's really, really smooth. And I see why 2 year olds like it.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah, for sure.

[Rachel Wharton]

Yeah. So this is obviously Heinz, our top three. Heinz. The first one you tasted was Trader Joe's Organic.

[Antara Sinha]

Oh, wow.

[Rachel Wharton]

And the second one that you tasted was Whole Foods365. We didn't specifically taste for different categories of sugars, but Trader Joe's is also our pick that uses cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup or corn syru syrup in general. So for folks who are looking for that, that's a great, tasty alternative. And then Heinz was just. It was just a winner all around. Kids loved it. We loved it.

[Antara Sinha]

You're not going to go wrong. You wouldn't go wrong with any of these, I think.

[Rachel Wharton]

I think they're all great, but I'm kind of biased since I wrote the guide.

[Antara Sinha]

Going into this tasting, I really thought that I was going to pick Heinz. But I have to tell you that after tasting these three, I think I'm going with the Trader Joe's. I actually felt like that was a much more complex, interesting flavor than the Heinz. And the Whole Foods one was a little too sweet for me. I liked the very powerful tomato flavor of the. Of the Trader Joe's. So I think that's my pick.

[Rachel Wharton]

Yeah, that was definitely the most punchiest of our picks on the Heck, for sure.

[Antara Sinha]

Antara, thank you so much.

[Rachel Wharton]

Thanks for having me. This was so much fun.

[Antara Sinha]

This was really fun. When we're back, we are going to have Kyra on the show with another kitchen writer, Rachel Wharton, tasting chips. We'll be right back.

[Marguerite Preston]

The Wirecutter show is supported by Nordstrom. The Nordstrom anniversary sale starts July 12, but early access starts July 10 for all Nordstrom card members. It's a big deal with new arrivals on sale for a limited time. Get up to 33% off on clothing, shoes and accessories. Plus great deals on beauty exclusives from brands like Bobbi Brown, Charlotte Tilbury, and more. Not a Nordstrom card member. There's still time to apply for a Nordstrom. Credit card restrictions apply. The best deals go fast in stores [e-mail].

[Kyra Blackwell]

Welcome back. We're here in the Test kitchen, and I'm here with Rachel Wharton, who is a senior staff writer on the appliance team. Hi, Rachel.

[Rachel Saracola]

Hello.

[Antara Sinha]

How are you?

[Rachel Saracola]

Thanks so much for having me.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Of course. So Rachel basically tests all large appliances that have to do with food and cooking. I'm really excited to talk to you because you actually have a master's degree in food studies, right?

[Rachel Saracola]

Yeah, the academic study of food.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So today we are going to be talking about chips. Rachel, you wrote the guide on chips, and let me tell you, I lived.

[Rachel Saracola]

The guide on chips.

[Kyra Blackwell]

You really did your homework, right?

[Rachel Wharton]

Yes.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So can you tell me about the testing process and what you were looking for?

[Rachel Saracola]

Well, basically, I had this, like, workout routine where I moved giant boxes of chips every day for, like, six months.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Nice.

[Rachel Saracola]

But I digress. So, actually, I think step one, man, we all had it in our hearts that we were just like, oh, this little chip company from a potato. Part of the world is gonna win. So what we really wanted to do was our due diligence to try to call in as many small brands as possible, the ones that anyone could order anywhere. So we spent a lot of Time. There's a lot of potato parts of the country, and we tried to call out of them in. Step two was really tasting them, obviously. So we do it blind, put the chips in a bowl. We have people fill out their wire cutter spreadsheets thinking about texture, color, the way they look, salt balance. But number one, the first thing we did was we knocked out anything that had defects.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Okay?

[Rachel Saracola]

So we talked a little upfront about what a defect might be, which is a rancid oil, which, if you know what rancidity tastes like, you can call it out immediately. And if you don't, it kind of just, like, makes your mouth feel weird. And there's, like, kind of off sometimes bright flavors. There's, like, the taste of soil if there's too many eyes or green pieces of the potato. So the first step was we got rid of all the defects, and then we tasted them again blind again and again. People filled out what they thought about texture and salt, flavor and balance and roastiness and toastiness. And then we just talked through all those results to try to weed out any subjectivity to see, like, where it's salt preference as opposed to, like, this is a little bit over fried. And then we whittled them down to our favorites. And amazingly, the two top picks, like the kettle pick and the plain potato chip pick, were like, solid winners across the board, which I love it when that happens. That always makes me feel like we're doing something right when everyone's like, this is the one.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Can you tell me a little bit about why you chose to test plain potato chips?

[Rachel Saracola]

Because you gotta lay a foundation. You gotta lay a base so that we can taste all those magical flav later on.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So this is the control, and hopefully you're gonna branch it.

[Rachel Saracola]

I hope so. I mean, we tasted plain because it's very hard, like, the job of comparing flavors. I mean, we just, like, pick the best flavor, like, the best flavor potato chip of all. Like, that's a hard decision. And so it's easier to compare plain to plane to plain. But I'm really glad we did because I definitely rediscovered the magic of the plain potato chip.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And how many chips total did you test?

[Rachel Saracola]

Oh, I think 70. I think we ate 70. Probably like, 30 more games. Oh, my gosh. Came late.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And then your final contenders. How many picks did you. You have in your guide?

[Rachel Saracola]

Good question. I think it was like, seven. I actually don't remember because it was so many, because there's potato chips, fried and lard, and then there's like, three runner up. Kettles, we have a lot of options.

[Rachel Wharton]

Yeah.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I want to learn what is the most surprising thing that you found during this testing without revealing anything about the pigs that we might be tasting today?

[Rachel Saracola]

Well, I was surprised. I think Kettle Kettle chips. A lot of defects in kettle chips, which are fried in different ways than plain chips. The oil temperature changes, and they're often small batch. And we found a lot of defects in that category, which kind of surprised me because it's kind of like the beloved hot potato chip category right now. And we also found a ton of defects in international brands, which are always more expensive. And we thought that they would taste better because they were Spanish olive oil. We found there's a lot of defects there. And there's also a lot of defects in the smaller brands, which may be because they are meant to be eaten there where they're made and not to be shipped to a New York City kitchen and sit around on the floor in a box for two weeks before we taste them. So we were surprised that the things we thought would be the most beloved actually turned out to be the least good.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Okay, my last question for you before we start tasting. What is your perfect setting for eating a potato chip?

[Rachel Saracola]

There are two favorites. One is actually on a road trip, like, can you find a local bag of potato chips? And you have it in the car, and it's, like, open next to you while you're driving, and you give one or two to your dog in the backseat. Cause they have to enjoy two. That's number one. And the second one is is with a hoagie from Philadelphia, because Philadelphia makes the best sandwiches in the world. So you really like chips with the sandwich? Maybe in the sandwich, yes. Maybe crushed up on a hot dog. So those are my two faves.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Ooh, good choices. Okay, Rachel. So I see we've got three bowls, and we got three bags, but each bag does not match with the bowl. So which one should I taste first?

[Rachel Saracola]

You should taste the one that's closest to you first.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Okay.

[Kyra Blackwell]

It just looks like a chip to me. I'm not really a chip expert, so I'll just taste it.

[Rachel Saracola]

Like, they have those nice and whole.

[Kyra Blackwell]

That's right.

[Rachel Saracola]

It's a little golden.

[Rachel Wharton]

Yeah.

[Rachel Saracola]

Not too greasy. There's not too much sheen.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And it's got little bubbles in it. Smells like a potato.

[Rosie Garant]

Excellent.

[Rachel Saracola]

That's an excellent sign. They're so cute. Look at those potatoes.

[Kyra Blackwell]

It's definitely not kettle fried because it's still soft. Ish and crispy. It doesn't have much salt. To it.

[Rachel Saracola]

It's very perfectly balanced. Roasty. A little roasty. A little toasty. A little salty.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Kyra Blackwell]

This is like a classic. Like, I can imagine getting a bag of these at, like, summer camp and not being mad at it.

[Rachel Saracola]

Yes.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Which one should I try next?

[Rachel Saracola]

Try these right here. That are a little bit paler, definitely thinner. And you can see some, like, brownie spots.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Yeah, but these don't have the air bubbles like the first chip.

[Rachel Saracola]

Yeah. Maybe a little bit more sheet. Right. See the little transparency there?

[Kyra Blackwell]

And look right through it. And it doesn't have much of a smell. This one actually isn't my favorite.

[Rachel Saracola]

You like that one better?

[Kyra Blackwell]

No, this just tastes like potato.

[Rachel Saracola]

Oh.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And very simple. Like a real potato, but a potato.

[Rachel Saracola]

Okay.

[Antara Sinha]

Very simple.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So this is the last one. I can tell that it's kettle cooked.

[Rachel Saracola]

Yes. They're, like, wrinkly and roller coastery and dark brown and all curled up on each other.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Roller coaster. Yeah. This one's gonna take me for a ride.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Rachel Saracola]

Amazing. Listen to that crunch.

[Kyra Blackwell]

This one's. She is a ride.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Kyra Blackwell]

It's a lot to get through. Definitely more like oil heavy. That fried taste. It's got a little bit more salt, like a little bit more flavor.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Rachel Saracola]

Fully flavored chip for sure.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Honestly, the kettle chip is just so different from these two.

[Rachel Saracola]

Yeah, that makes sense. The ones you like the most are our top pick. And, oh, man, they're from Amazon Fresh. We tasted them bl. We didn't know who was gonna win, really. But yeah, our top pick's Amazon Fresh potato chips. You know, they're obviously hiring the best potato chip maker in the country so that they can have thousands and millions of these chips shipped out everywhere, anywhere, all at once. And they taste really good.

[Kyra Blackwell]

They're really good.

[Rachel Saracola]

We were all really surprised.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So what are these?

[Rachel Saracola]

Those are Clancy's. Those are from Aldi. And these are the ones that actually our salt lovers on the panel like, really like these. They're a little bit saltier. I remember someone saying they have an oil flavor like McDonald's in a good way. Which is actually like, the highest praise in any tasting panel, typically. Those are really good too. And a little toastier.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Rachel Saracola]

And then the last is our Deep river kettle chip pick, which everybody loved. And kettle chips, there was not a lot of love. So it was, like, really nice to find one that everybody liked.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I mean, I do like it. It's a good kettle chip. Thank you so much for being here, Rachel.

[Rachel Saracola]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Coming up next, Rosie is going to join Margueri in the test kitchen to talk about probably the most summary of all treats, ice cream sandwiches.

[Rosie Garant]

I'm here with Wirecutter's editorial director of home, Marguerite Preston.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Hello.

[Rachel Wharton]

Hello.

[Rosie Garant]

Nice to see you.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Nice to be here.

[Rosie Garant]

Today we're talking ice cream sandwiches. How did the idea to do a guide on ice cream sandwiches come about?

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

So this was actually one of our, like, really early taste tests. This was kind of like deep in the pandemic. We were all a little sad. We wanted to do, like, a fun summer set of things. And so the writer Rachel Saracola pitched us on a taste test of ice cream sandwiches, and we couldn't say no.

[Rosie Garant]

How did you decide what was going to be included in terms of. There's always a place where you need to start because you can't tell. Test every single ice cream sandwich that's ever been made. So where did you figure out was the place to start?

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

So we decided that the sort of obvious place to start was the really classic chocolate wafer vanilla ice cream ice cream sandwich.

[Rosie Garant]

Quintessential.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah. It made it easier to do, like, apples to apples comparison rather than like, well, I like coffee ice cream and I like mint chip. And for the purposes of this, this was just like the most straightforward way to do it.

[Rosie Garant]

But you did test some non dairy options in addition to the straight classic vanilla ice cream center.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yes, that's right. We thought it was important for people who don't want to eat dairy for whatever reason. So we did nine dairy ice cream sandwiches, and then we did three non dairy.

[Rosie Garant]

So what were the criteria that you guys were looking at?

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

I mean, obviously there's the flavor, there's the flavor of the cookie, and there's the flavor of the ice cream. And for me, it's like the cookie's supposed to taste a little bit like chocolate. You know, it's not a super. None of these are super chocolatey, but it shouldn't taste. Some of them legit tasted just like a graham cracker or something. And that, to me, was not blasphemy. Not what we were going for.

[Rosie Garant]

Yeah, yeah.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

There's also the textural thing. A lot of ice cream sandwiches use kind of a more inexpensive ice cream. It has a lot of air churned into it, you know, is gonna be kind of foamy on the tongue. Maybe not taste like much of anything. The better ones, it tastes like vanilla ice cream. It's a nice, thick, creamy texture. It has some real vanilla flavor in it. Yeah. And then, you know, the textural, there's this sort of textural experience of the whole ice cream sandwich.

[Rosie Garant]

Oh, I am familiar. Tell me about that. What fruity.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

The cookies gotta be soft. It's gotta have kind of like melded with the ice cream a little bit. The nightmare is it all sticks to the wrapper and like, you can't, you know, you're like scraping it off with your chicken.

[Rosie Garant]

You need some stickage.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Rosie Garant]

To know, right? Exactly.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yes.

[Rosie Garant]

If you haven't scraped the cookie with your teeth off your thumb and your finger, you haven't lived. Did you have, like, did summer even happen?

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Exactly.

[Rosie Garant]

Let's do this.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Okay. Oh, they're in this freezer.

[Rosie Garant]

Okay. So if I'm like, if I have a Thanksgiving plate, I eat through the thing that I like the least first. So I'm going to start with that for the non dairy, or what I imagine is. Let's taste. Strong vanilla flavor, strong coconut flavor, which is suggesting to me that this is a non dairy.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

You're right about that.

[Rosie Garant]

Coconut alternative love. I can appreciate and really like this for what it is. But, like, don't give me tofu and tell me that it tastes like chicken. I love tofu. It doesn't. It's not chicken.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

I feel exactly the same way. I like the coconut flavor. It is better than the flavor of soy ice cream.

[Rosie Garant]

No, I will say the consistency was nice. The ice cream tastes nice. I'm not. I don't have any complaints. Okay, so let's go. Let's go square. Let's go around the horn.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Go square.

[Rosie Garant]

Okay, Stickage test.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Rosie Garant]

Getting sticky right off the bat. This is full. This is like pushing out the sides, which I kind of like. Oh, that's so good. I don't get a lot of the cookie because there is a lot of ice cream here. It is jam packed. I'm just so happy with the stickage and I really like the taste of this ice cream. To me, this is like that fluffed up thing that you're talking about.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yes. And you're right. I think in the guide we described this as like, the cookie is basically a holder for a scoop of ice cream. The cookie doesn't give that much. It also, like, doesn't taste that chocolatey to me. It tastes. This is a little graham crackery.

[Rosie Garant]

There's nothing that's screaming chocolate. Round, fine. Stickage, fine.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

But nothing special to you.

[Rachel Saracola]

No, no.

[Rosie Garant]

And an aftertaste I don't care for.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Oh, interesting.

[Rosie Garant]

The ice cream's okay.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

It's a little more like Oreo.

[Rosie Garant]

Like, to me, this is not it for me, really, this isn't making me that happy. What do you like about this?

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

If you let the ice cream melt a little bit, it's very smooth. I think it has a real vanilla flavor. Some of these, I think, are probably using Vanillin, which is artificial vanilla, which is a vibe and kind of gets at that nostalgic ice cream sandwich thing. I get chocolate from this cookie. I get, like, Oreo from this cookie, which I like.

[Rosie Garant]

Okay, so then this, to me, is what's better than this. It's gorgeous.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Just like a very satisfying, like, shape and weight.

[Rosie Garant]

Yeah. To me, this looks like a nestle or a hood or a, you know, one of the, like a Good Humor.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

If you look closely, you can see the ice cream, though, has this kind of, like, nice ivory color.

[Rosie Garant]

It does. Yeah.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

They might have made this ice cream with a little bit of egg yolk. Does it taste like summer? Mm.

[Rosie Garant]

This is it for me.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

So perfect ratio.

[Rosie Garant]

It's just right.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Antara Sinha]

Solid cookie.

[Rosie Garant]

It's solid. It's not as sweet as the second one. The square one was very, very sweet. I want to eat this whole thing. Okay.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Do you want the reveal?

[Rosie Garant]

It's right here. What am I eating?

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Whole Foods. 365.

[Rosie Garant]

Wow.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

This is our top pick.

[Rosie Garant]

It is the top pick.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

I mean, you know, these taste tests are all subjective. We have a handful of picks, but this was kind of, I think, yes. The unanimous favorite. Classic.

[Rosie Garant]

The most. What you might grab on an ice cream truck.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Rosie Garant]

What we used to have as kids.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

I think it's a little elevated from what you might grab on the ice cream truck. Like, the ice cream is a little better.

[Rosie Garant]

And the cookie was nice, too. It was everything you want and nothing you don't. Exactly what is the second pick here?

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

So our round one is Alden's organic.

[Rosie Garant]

Real organic vanilla.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Rosie Garant]

It didn't lean far enough in one direction or another. It did everything. Fine.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

That's fair. I get that. For me, this would be the one I might buy for myself.

[Rosie Garant]

Okay, so then what about the square one? What was that?

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Square one was fat boy.

[Rosie Garant]

Thick and creamy since 1925.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah, it's like an old school brand. See, this one is not for me because it's too much ice cream for me. But I do think the flavor is good. Solid option, especially if you like ice cream. Cool.

[Rosie Garant]

And then the first one was I. Right, so delicious. Vanilla bean, coconut milk. This I thought was actually very, very, very nice. Yeah, I liked this a lot.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah. This was the best of the three non Dairy ones that we tried because of the coconut, I think tastes most deserty. But we also did the Tofuti cuties. Okay. Classic for a reason. And then Alden's makes a non dairy version of this ice cream sandwich. It's a mish mash. It's got some coconut. It's got some other stuff. Got it. I think we found that that one tasted the most kind of like, real vanilla Y to us. Like the dairy version. The non dairy version was more expensive. The four in the box, like, you know.

[Rosie Garant]

There we go. I feel pretty heartened that the one I hoped would be the winner was the winner. Thanks, Marguerite.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Thanks for having me.

[Rosie Garant]

This was really fun.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

This was great.

[Rosie Garant]

We're back in the studio.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Yeah.

[Rosie Garant]

We are wiser now.

[Antara Sinha]

We are wiser. We know we're fuller. That's right. What did you all like? What were your favorites?

[Kyra Blackwell]

Ooh, Can I go first?

[Antara Sinha]

Yes, please.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So I've learned that I have a problem, and it's that I think I eat too much salt.

[Rosie Garant]

Oh.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So I tested potato chips, and all of them tasted good, but not salty enough for me.

[Rosie Garant]

Interesting.

[Antara Sinha]

Interesting.

[Rachel Wharton]

Yeah.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I think I need to, I don't know, refine my palate. But I was really surprised to find that the Amazon chips were the best out of the bunch that I tasted.

[Antara Sinha]

I just kind of don't want to.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Hear that, and nobody wants to hear it. But it also isn't surprising, like, who's making those chips for Amazon? Probably somebody pretty good.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Rosie Garant]

Like Jean Georges.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Never know.

[Rosie Garant]

Fair enough. Christine, how'd you do?

[Antara Sinha]

I was surprised going in. I thought I was gonna like Heinz because that's the classic. I know the kids like it. I get kind of grouchy when I go to a restaurant and there's, like, artisanal ketchup. I just want the Heinz. But actually, I liked the Trader Joe's, which was really surprising to me.

[Rosie Garant]

Yeah, I love the Trader Joe's ketchup.

[Antara Sinha]

I have gotten that Trader Joe's ketchup and been like, ugh, we should have Heinz and gotten the Heinz.

[Rosie Garant]

But you're more mature.

[Antara Sinha]

Well, yeah, but it was just much more pronounced. The tomato flavor, it just tasted really. And the Heinz was not bad. It just kind of tasted a little bit flat. There's a reason why it's a good sort of like, everyone likes it kind of a thing.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Trader Joe's also does, like, the organic thing. Right. So it doesn't have the high fructose, whatever, the Heinz stuff.

[Antara Sinha]

You know, I think that's probably right. I Need to go back and look at the back of the bottle. But I could go back to my fridge and look because I, I do have some in there.

[Kyra Blackwell]

What about you, Rosie?

[Rosie Garant]

I am a purist when it comes to ice cream sandwiches, so I actually liked what I thought I would like. I, however, I was surprised that it came from Whole Foods. 365. Their like sort of house brand.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Another Amazon take.

[Rosie Garant]

I know, I know.

[Antara Sinha]

Oftentimes these house brands do pretty well in our taste tests. You see Whole Foods pop up, you see targets.

[Rosie Garant]

Yeah.

[Antara Sinha]

Now we've got Amazon. They're doing something right.

[Christine Cyr Clissette]

Yeah.

[Rosie Garant]

I'll tell you what, that tasted like the summer of yore. It was everything you wanted. The right consistency, the right distribution of ice cream to cookie.

[Antara Sinha]

Was it the right thing?

[Rosie Garant]

It was the perfect size fit right in.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Was it rectangle or.

[Rosie Garant]

It was rectangle. We don't mess around. You just don't. You don't need to mess with a good thing. I will also say I liked the so delicious vegan.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Yeah. The coconut cream ice cream.

[Rosie Garant]

Who knew?

[Antara Sinha]

Oh, I love those.

[Rosie Garant]

They were really, really nice. The consistency was nice, the cookie was nice. There was not quite enough ice cream in there. Pushing out to the sides like I like, I like it Robust.

[Rachel Saracola]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Rosie Garant]

But all in all, it was close. I really liked those. Shout out to the vegans.

[Antara Sinha]

The coconut, it wins. Yeah.

[Rosie Garant]

If you want to find out more about Wirecutter's coverage of these summer staples and so many other delicious items, check out the website and check out our video on YouTube where you can see us sort of getting real scientific, testing chips, ketchup and ice cream sandwiches.

[Kyra Blackwell]

It's a fun time.

[Rosie Garant]

We went deep. That's it for us till next week. Thanks for listening. Bye.

[Antara Sinha]

The Wirecutter show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel. Engineering support from Matty Mazziello and Nick Pittman. Today's episode was mixed by Katherine Anderson. Original music by Dan Powell, Marian Lozano, Alicia Ba itup and Diane Wong. Wirecutter's deputy publisher is Cliff Levy. Ben Fruman is Wirecutter's editor in chief. I'm Christine Cyrclassette.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I'm Kyra Blackwell.

[Rosie Garant]

And I'm Rosie Guerin.

[Antara Sinha]

Thanks for listening.

[Rosie Garant]

That's it for us. Next Web Boop.