It’s hard to find an Aussie family that doesn’t have a pack of frozen chips in their freezer. They’re an easy filler for when dinner needs a few more carbs, and the best option for a lazy night when cooking a full meal is just too difficult.
But when you’re shivering in the freezer aisle, looking at all the different chip options, is there a little voice in your mind that thinks, ‘but which one is actually the tastiest?’ Is it a family loved brand, like Birds Eye or McCain, or is it the cheaper home brands that will get you the best bang for your buck? These are the questions the Better Homes and Gardens team, led by senior food editor Sarah Murphy, set out to answer in a blind taste test.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The overall winner of our hot chip taste test was Bird’s Eye Golden Crunch Thin & Crispy Chips.
- McCain’s Supercut Straight Fries flopped, landing at the bottom of our list with a score of 4.06/10
- The top 3 winners were all from the same brand, Birds Eye.
The verdict
Our panel of 14 office taste testers voted Birds Eye Golden Crunch Thin & Crispy Chips as the overall winner. Panellists praised these chips for their crunch, mid-level size and taste that’s similar to a ‘chicken shop chip’. Our expert taste tester Sarah, on the other hand, voted Birds Eye Chunky Cut Super Crunch Chips as her overall winner. She particularly enjoyed the size and extra crispy crunch.
Expert winner
Birds Eye Chunky Cut Super Crunch Chips
8.75/10
Panel winner
Birds Eye Golden Crunch Thin & Crispy Chips
8.4/10
How we tested the supermarket frozen chips
We blind taste-tested 11 different supermarket frozen chip products from Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA.
All of the chips were prepared in our test kitchen and were air-fried in batches. We chose to air-fry the frozen chips to provide a consistent cooking environment. Each batch was cooked according to a standardised method, following the packet instructions as closely as possible. The chips were cooked immediately before the taste test, to ensure freshness and a hot temperature.
All of the samples were presented on identical plates and numbered from 1 to 11. The chips were tested with the same amount of salt on each batch, with no condiments or extra salt offered. Taste-testers shared their responses via an anonymous online form, ranking each chip out of ten for four criteria: appearance, taste, texture and overall satisfaction. Taste-testers were also encouraged to leave constructive comments on what they liked and disliked about each sample. We also provided our panel with a plate of palate cleansers, including green apple, celery and carrot.
How we selected which supermarket frozen chip packets to test
To be included in our hot chip taste test, products had to be widely available in supermarkets nationally. This meant choosing the more common brands available in a wide range of stores, which resulted in a similar chip cut and shape. While we did have a few diverse chip shape options, including curly fries, crinkle cut and shoestring, these products were all generic and easily accessible.
Australian supermarket frozen hot chips taste test results
| Ranking | Name of product | Overall score out of 10 | Expert score out of 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birds Eye Golden Crunch Thin & Crispy Chips | 8.4 | 7.75 |
| 2 | Birds Eye Golden Crunch Chunky Cut Super Crunch Chips | 7.23 | 8.75 |
| 3 | Birds Eye Golden Crunch Crinkle Cut Chips | 6.94 | 7.75 |
| 4 | Coles Beer Battered Steakhouse Chips | 6.57 | 8 |
| 5 | Woolworths Shoestring Fries | 5.71 | 7 |
| 6 | Coles Frozen Curly Fries | 5.47 | 8 |
| 7 | McCain Pub-style Extra Crispy Fries | 5.39 | 7.25 |
| 8 | Woolworths Australian Beer Batter Steakhouse Chips | 4.94 | 4.75 |
| 9 | Aldi Seasons Pride Beer Battered Steak Cut Chips | 4.83 | 7 |
| 10 | Aldi Seasons Pride Super Crunch Chips | 4.72 | 6.25 |
| 11 | McCain Superfries Straight Cut Chips | 4.06 | 5 |
Panel winner
Birds Eye Golden Crunch Thin & Crispy Chips
Expert score: 7.75
Panel score: 8.4
Birds Eye has taken the top three spots in this taste test, and it’s easy to see why. Our panellists loved the brand’s crunch and taste above all the others, but especially the winning Golden Crunch Thin & Crispy Chips.
Sarah, our expert, thought that the shape and size of this chip, ‘the midpoint between a French fry and a thicker cut chip’, is what led to getting the top spot.
Our taste-testers gave high scores in all categories, saying that it was the closest imitation to a ‘chicken shop chip’. Many wanted to know the brand during the taste test, so they could try it at home with lots of chicken salt and tomato sauce.
Price: $5.80
Available at: Coles, Woolworths and IGA
Expert winner
Birds Eye Golden Crunch Chunky Cut Super Crunch Chips
Expert score: 8.75
Panel score: 7.23
Birds Eye Golden Crunch Chunky Cut Super Crunch Chips became a huge hit in the taste test kitchen for one reason: the insane crunch.
Sarah rated these her top pick. She loved the thick-cut size of the chip, and of course, the crunch. It’s one of the only chips in the test that she went back to for seconds.
Our panellists agreed with the expert, with most constructive comments coming back with ‘crunchy!’ Many also thought that this plate was the most appealing, with a golden colouring and crispy ends.
Price: $6.00
Available at: Woolworths
The rest
Birds Eye Golden Crunch Crinkle Cut Chips
Expert score: 7.75
Panel score: 6.94
Who doesn’t love a crinkle cut chip? The Birds Eye Golden Crunch Crinkle Cut Chips were ranked third by our panellists in the supermarket frozen chip taste test, and it’s no surprise.
With most testers commenting about childhood memories with this chip shape, it seems that nostalgia was a big driver for its spot in the top three. Constructive feedback about the taste and texture was that ‘it actually tastes like potato’ and ‘the balance of fluffy potato inside to crispy shell is perfect’.
Price: $5.80
Available at: Woolworths and Coles
Coles Beer Battered Steakhouse Chips
Expert score: 8
Panel score: 6.57
For a solid pub-chip at home, the Coles Beer Battered Steakhouse Chips are your best bet. This option was tasted by our panellists and labelled as ‘solid’ and enjoyable.
While some didn’t enjoy the overall denseness of this chip, it was considered to be one of the better thick-cut options in the bunch. Sarah loved the heavier cut and said it would pair perfectly with a steak and mushroom sauce.
Price: $4
Available at Coles
Woolworths Shoestring Fries
Expert score: 7
Panel score: 5.71
Woolworths Shoestring Fries looked the part, but lacked in crunch and texture for most panellists in our taste test. Most comments spoke to a sogginess, with one taster explaining that a deep-fryer would’ve been helpful for this specific chip.
With not much crunch, this chip relied on appearance (which was a big tick!) and taste for a higher score. While not as good as a trip to Maccas, these easily get the job done if you want the easy fakeaway version.
Price: $3.60
Available at Woolworths
Coles Frozen Curly Fries
Expert score: 8
Panel score: 5.47
Coles Frozen Curly Fries had tasters divided. While many loved the nostalgia level and the overall taste and texture, some found this chip to be lacking in all areas.
With comments ranging from ‘how can you not love a curly fry’ to ‘curled cardboard would’ve had more flavour’, the panel was truly split. This chip makes for the ideal midpoint in our taste test!
Looking specifically at taste and texture, the overall evaluation was that the crunch was great, but there wasn’t enough ‘inside’ for a solid taste.
Price: $5.50
Available at Coles
McCain Pub-style Extra Crispy Fries
Expert score: 7.25
Panel score: 5.39
Surprisingly, beloved brand McCain isn’t in the top half of the scoring ladder. Their Pub-style Extra Crispy Fries were a standout on the table, with a distinctly brown colouring, or a ‘rustic look’ as one panellist said.
These chips were labelled as the ‘underwhelming’ choice, with many commenting on a slightly unusual flavouring, akin to sourdough, and having a peppery aftertaste.
Price: $6
Available at Coles and Woolworths
Woolworths Australian Beer Batter Steakhouse Chips
Expert score: 7.25
Panel score: 4.94
A steak-cut chip is loved by the taste-testing group; however, the Beer Batter Steakhouse Chips from Woolworths struggled with scoring.
Comments were very similar, saying that the bland and ‘just fine’ taste of the chips is what brought the overall score down.
Price: $5
Available at Woolworths
Aldi Seasons Pride Beer Battered Steak Cut Chips
Expert score: 7
Panel score: 4.83
Seasons Pride (Aldi) didn’t fare well in this taste test, with Beer Battered Steak Cut Chips sitting in the bottom three. “If you’re into soggy chips, you’ll like these” was the standout comment.
Many panellists ranked these chips lower because of their pale colouring, soggy texture and boring flavour.
Price: $3.69
Available at Aldi
Aldi Seasons Pride Super Crunch Chips
Expert score: 6.25
Panel score: 4.72
The second Seasons Pride option, the Super Crunch Chips, scored just slightly lower, with a 4.72/10 from our panel.
Sarah mentioned that this chip seemed like it needed more cooking time, and that it would significantly change the outcome for this chip if it were crispier.
The panellists all agreed that it was stodgy, ‘pudgy’ and quite dense for a chip.
Price: $3.99
Available at Aldi
McCain Superfries Straight Cut Chips
Expert score: 5
Panel score: 4.06
And in last place is the McCain Superfries Straight Cut Chips, with a low score from both the panel and our expert, Sarah.
Panellists conceded that this was a very disappointing chip, with an average taste, powdery texture and a very average overall enjoyment.
Price: $5.50
Available at Woolworths and Coles
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
