The Ultimate Guide To Kettle Chip Brands
What's a kettle-cooked chip? Merriam-Webster defines it as "a type of potato chip made so as to be thicker and crunchier than the typical potato chip." There's really no nutritional difference between the two, and the base ingredients are pretty much the same. Many retailers will advertise their kettle chips as "batch-cooked," which means the potatoes are cooked in batches rather than the conveyor-belt style used to make regular potato chips. That batch-cook is why kettle chips are crunchier than standard chips. There's no denying we love that crunch, and because there are so many flavors and brands out there, we've compiled the ultimate guide to kettle chip brands.
Kettle Brand
Kettle Brand has been around for 40 years and is currently owned by the Campbell Soup Company. Kettle Brand began as a small chip shop run out of a van and now sells four categories of chips: air-fried, classic, organic, and krinkle cut in more than 20 flavors. The air-fried chips are the company's newest release and serve as its lower-fat option.
Kettle Brand works with small farms, whose information is available on the brand's website. For those of legal drinking age, the Kettle Brand website offers drink pairings. These suggestions include pairing Kettle Brand's Habanero Lime chips and farmhouse ale and Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper krinkle cut chips with an American pale ale.
Good & Gather
Target's private-label store brand has thousands of products; among their many products are kettle-cooked chips in five flavors: traditional sea salt, sea salt and vinegar, mesquite barbecue, parmesan garlic, and sweet potato). On Target's website, all of the flavors are rated four stars or higher; however, the lowest-rated chip is sea salt and vinegar, with fewer than 50% of consumers saying they would recommend it.
Target's website marks all flavors, except for barbecue and sweet potato, as gluten-free. They are all kosher. These chips also have a lower price point than many other brands found on this list.
Lay's
If you ask an American to name a potato chip brand, there's a good chance they'd say "Lay's." According to Statista, the brand is by far the best-selling chip brand in the country, with good reason. The company has been around for over 75 years, works with more than 100 farms in the United States alone, and makes all sorts of chips and dips.
This PepsiCo brand's potato products include, of course, eight flavors of kettle chips. These flavors include the old standbys — Jalapeño, Salt and Vinegar, and Mesquite BBQ. However, if you are a fan of Flamin' Hot Cheetos and kettle chips, you're lucky because Lay's makes Flamin' Hot kettle chips.
Cape Cod
The Cape Cod Chips company began as a storefront in Hyannis, Massachusetts, in 1980. Eventually, it grew into a worldwide brand — though it retained its small-town roots. Though now owned by the Campbell Soup Company, Cape Cod Chips still has its factory in Hyannis. In fact, the factory is sometimes open to visitors for free self-guided tours.
Today, Cape Cod Chips produces 18 varieties in classic, less fat, waves, and waffle-cut categories. The brand says the waffle-cut chips are even crunchier than its regular kettle-cooked chips. However, one of Cape Cod's more unique flavors is its Dark Russet chips, made from russet potatoes. And according to the brand, "depending on the harvest time, these chips carry a light to dark golden brown color."
Siete Family Foods
Siete Family Foods is still a relatively small company. (It's small enough that you can play two truths and a lie with its employees via the brand's website). The Mexican-American food company started when co-founder and president Veronica Garza was diagnosed with autoimmune diseases, and she (and her family) had to figure out how to continue eating tortillas, grain-free.
Among the products that Siete Foods makes are six flavors of kettle-cooked chips, including (dairy-free) queso and chili-lime. You can buy them on the company's website, at Sprouts, H.E.B., Whole Foods, Amazon, or Kroger. All of Siete Foods' kettle chips are grain-free, non-GMO, non-dairy, gluten-free, and soy-free. They're fried in avocado oil.
Utz
According to the company website, Bill and Salie Utz founded Utz in 1921 on the basis that "snacks should be made from clean, simple ingredients, minimally processed to bring out the natural flavor of farm-grown potatoes." It would be an understatement to say that this brand has grown in the past century.
Today, not only does Utz make and sell kettle chips under its own brand name, it owns several subsidiaries independently famous for their kettle-cooked chips. These include Hawaiian (Tim's Cascade Snacks), Dirty, Zapp's, and Boulder Canyon, all independent before Utz acquired them. Each of these brands has its own fans and unique take on kettle chips.
Takis
Takis is owned by Barcel USA, which also owns the spicy Mexican candy brand Vero. So perhaps it's no surprise that when Takis branched out into kettle chip-making territory, it stayed in the spice lane. Yes, the beloved rolled tortilla brand makes Kettlez chips in three flavors: Fuego, Jalapeño Typhoon, and Habanero Fury. (Junk-food-loving vegans will be happy to know that just like the original tortilla snack, Fuego and Habanero Fury are also "accidentally vegan.")
If your taste buds love Takis, but your stomach doesn't, you're not the only one. It is possible that Kettlez (and Flamin' Hot Lay's kettle chips) could irritate your stomach lining or trigger other gastrointestinal issues (via Healthline). In that case, either avoid them or enjoy them in moderation — though that is much easier said than done.
Herr's
Herr's has been around since 1946 and continues to be family-run. You can visit its Nottingham, Pennsylvania, factory for a tour. Herr's makes snacks that include cheese curls, pretzels, popcorn, tortilla chips, and of course, potato chips. Among those potato chips are 12 types of kettle chips, including sweet potato, lattice cut, russet, and reduced fat. Herr's says that it uses a "thicker cut of potato and slowly cook[s] them one batch at a time" to make its chips.
You can buy Herr's products on its website or in stores in all 50 states and in more than 40 countries around the world. Herr's kettle chips are gluten-free and kosher.
Hal's New York
Hal's New York was started in 1986 by — wait for it — a New Yorker named Hal, whose immigrant parents owned a deli. After Hal died in 2011, his sons relaunched the company a few years later as a seltzer water brand. Hal's didn't release its kettle chips until 2019. The brand makes 11 flavors, including Dill Pickle, Sweet Chili, and Buffalo Ranch.
You can buy Hal's products online or in grocery stores throughout the United States, Canada, France, and Israel. The brand is certified kosher; all flavors are gluten-free and cooked in sunflower oil. Additionally, Original Sea Salt, Sweet Chili, Barbeque, and Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper are non-GMO.
Hen of the Woods
Hen of the Woods chips began as an experiment in making gluten-free croutons. Instead of croutons, the three chefs involved ended up with Red Wine Vinegar potato chips.
This brand's six chip varieties are certified kosher and all soy and gluten-free. Its Sea Salt, Everything Bagel, and Red Wine Vinegar chips are vegan. The brand is not widely available outside specialty stores, but you can always purchase the products on the Hen of the Woods website.
Aside from kettle chips, the brand makes dip mixes, spices, meat rubs, and chocolate. The chocolate bars are even stuffed with kettle chips.
Miss Vickie's
Miss Vickie is a real person: Vickie Kerr, a third-generation Canadian potato farmer who began this chip business 35 years ago. The brand makes four flavors in the United States: Sea Salt, Jalapeño, Sea Salt & Vinegar, and Smokehouse BBQ. (If you're in Canada, you have more Miss Vickie's options). You have probably had Miss Vickie's if you frequent sub shops like Subway, Jersey Mike's, or Firehouse Subs. You can also purchase these chips at Walmart, Kroger, Sam's Club, and Amazon. The company doesn't use artificial preservatives or flavors; its products are certified kosher.
In 1993, Hostess (owned by PepsiCo) bought Miss Vickie's. Just two years earlier, the Canadian government had looked into Hostess for allegations of buying its competitors' chips from store shelves.
Deep River
This brand's slogan is "because we give a chip," due to its commitment to sustainability and giving back to charity. Its products are available at Amazon, Price Chopper, Shaw's, Stop & Shop, Wakefern, T.J. Maxx, and the Deep River Snacks website. Deep River makes and sells nine flavors online, with T.J. Maxx additionally selling exclusive flavors. The nine staple flavors include New York Spicy Dill Pickle, Rosemary & Olive Oil, and Sweet Maui Onion.
Deep River's products are nut and gluten-free, certified kosher, and they don't contain artificial flavors, colors, nor preservatives. The company sources non-GMO potatoes from U.S. farms.
Manischewitz
Yes, Manischewitz, the famous kosher food company, makes kettle chips, too. According to the company website, the brand "has been making traditional Jewish foods since Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz first opened a small matzo bakery in Cincinnati, Ohio in the late 1800s." (It's 1888, to be exact.) Even better, the two kettle chip flavors — Sea Salt and Barbeque — are kosher year-round, meaning no one has to give up eating kettle-cooked chips at Passover.
These kettle chips come in 6-ounce bags and are gluten-free. You can pick Manischewitz chips up online at Safeway, H-E-B, and other kosher and local grocery stores.
Kroger
Kroger started in 1883 in Cincinnati and now has 2,800 stores across the United States, but the name may change depending on where you live. You may find these chips at Kroger, but you might find them at a store like Ralphs or Food 4 Less.
Kroger makes Original, Jalapeño, and Mesquite BBQ flavor kettle chips. They are all kosher. The original and jalapeño are gluten-free. The original flavor is also non-GMO. Kroger chips are significantly more affordable than other brands of kettle-cooked chips. Kroger is probably a good option if you're looking for a basic flavor on a budget.
Great Value
Introduced in 1993, Walmart revamped its store brand, Great Value, back in 2009. Walmart itself opened in Arkansas back in 1962. Great Value makes Original, Jalapeño, and Salt & Vinegar kettle chips. All flavors are kosher, and Original and Jalapeño are gluten-free. The chips average between 140 and 150 calories per 1-ounce serving, as well as 8 to 9 grams of fat.
As with many store brand products, these kettle chips are very affordable when compared to other chips. They are available at Walmart, but you can also buy them in-store for delivery or pick up.
365
Whole Foods opened in 1980 in Austin, Texas, eventually moving across the United States and into Canada and the United Kingdom by the early aughts. The natural food chain has its own store brand, 365, which makes three flavors of kettle-cooked chips: Sea Salt, Texas Style Barbecue, and Himalayan Salt & Apple Cider Vinegar.
Himalayan Salt & Apple Cider Vinegar are kosher, gluten-free, vegetarian, "sugar-conscious," and dairy-free; Texas Style Barbecue is kosher, gluten-free, and dairy-free; and Sea Salt is kosher, gluten-free, vegan, "sugar-conscious," and dairy-free.
Whole Foods has a very generous return policy, so you can get your money back if you don't like the chips.
Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's has more than 540 stores across the United States and sells mostly private, store-label items. While not everything at Trader Joe's is organic, the store's products are non-GMO. They don't contain artificial flavors nor colors. That said, though Trader Joe's works directly with suppliers, that doesn't mean the products are always original. Sometimes they use the same supplier as other big corporations.
That unique way of stocking its shelves is part of why the store is so affordable and part of why its products come and go. At the time of this writing, the kettle chips on its shelves are Chips in a Pickle and Everything But the Bagel. If you're unsure about trying a new chip, no worries. You can sample almost any food item at Trader Joe's and return the ones you don't love.
Raley's
The Raley's Companies are a chain of supermarkets originating in the 1930s in northern California. Today, the company operates throughout the western United States and has acquired Bel Air, Bashas', and Nob Hill Foods.
As with most supermarket chains, Raley's has its own private label. The label, called Raley's, offers four types of kettle chips: BBQ, Salt & Vinegar, Original, and Jalapeño. The products are kosher, and BBQ and Original are labeled "clean." In contrast, the Jalapeño offering is labeled as naturally and artificially flavored. These kettle chips are slightly pricier than other store brands but still cheaper than most name brands.
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sprouts Farmers Market is one of the younger brands on this list, having opened its first natural foods store in Arizona in 2002 (though perhaps its founders were inspired by their predecessor's 1940s San Diego fruit stand). Today, Sprouts has more than 370 stores in 23 states.
Sprouts Farmers Market makes five kettle chip flavors, including Dill Pickle, Sea Salt, and Salt & Vinegar. All its flavors are kosher and gluten-free, and, except for the Jalapeño flavor, they are also non-GMO; however, they are not organic. Like similar stores, Sprouts offers product sampling and full refunds, so you can try these chips without worry.
Old Dutch
Old Dutch is a Canadian chip company that started in the 1950s. The company says it promotes "responsible snacking" and is the "first to claim 0 trans fat" in its products. Its kettle chips are sold under the label of Dutch Crunch Kettle. These 10 chip flavors are batch-fried in vegetable oil, gluten-free, and made without artificial colors or flavorings.
Though the Dutch Crunch website states that its flavors are only available in western Canada, you should be able to pick them up on Amazon or other online retailers specializing in imported snacks. With flavors like Spicy Dill Pickle and Cracked Black Pepper & Balsamic Vinegar, you've probably already got your browser queued.
Jays
Once independent, Jays is now owned by Snyder's of Hanover after going bankrupt in 2007. You can buy Jays products on Amazon and at retailers such as Target. Its kettle-cooked chips are called Jays Krunchers. The most readily available flavors are Original, Jalapeño, and Mesquite Barbeque. You can order Kosher Dill or Sweet Hawaiian Style Onion on third-party sites if you're willing to pay the big bucks.
The products are certified kosher and contain slightly fewer calories and less fat than most other kettle chips on this list, with 130 to 140 calories per 1-ounce serving and 6 to 7 grams of fat.
Aplenty
Amazon launched the Aplenty brand in 2021 and sells it through Amazon Fresh. Aplenty products don't use artificial flavors, synthetic colors, or high-fructose corn syrup. The snack food store brand included eight kettle chip flavors in its lineup of goodies. They are Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper, Sea Salt and Vinegar, Parmesan and Garlic Kettle, Pink Himalayan Salt, Hawaiian BBQ, Sweet Ghost Pepper, Sour Cream and Onion, Mesquite BBQ, and Jalapeño. All are kosher-certified.
Finding a naturally-flavored jalapeño chip is challenging, so while not organic, this is a good option for those looking to avoid artificial flavors.
Uglies
Owned by Dieffenbach's Snacks, Specialty Division, Uglies makes kettle chips from what they call ugly potatoes. Some of those are aesthetically imperfect, and others are surplus. The company estimates it has "saved" 12 million pounds of potatoes from landfills since opening in 2017.
The Uglies factory store in Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania, is open to visitors and customers. You can also get the brand's products at specialty grocery stores or online through Amazon or Dieffenbach's Snacks.
Uglies' products are non-GMO verified, gluten-free certified, nut-free, kosher-certified, and a product of the USA. The brand makes Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar, Bar-B-Que, Cheddar & Sour Cream, Buffalo Ranch, Jalapeño, and Sweets! (sweet potato). Sea Salt, Bar-B-Que, and Sweets! are vegan.