The Best Sour Cream And Onion Chips: Our Taste Test Results (PHOTOS)

There's a formula for perfection, and we think we may have found it.

If you're of the "a chip is a chip" mindset, you clearly haven't eaten enough chips. Because we just tasted 12 brands of sour cream and onion chips, and even the low tasters of our bunch could decipher some pretty distinguishable differences between the best and the worst.

There's a reason you buy sour cream and onion chips -- presumably, it's because you want your chips to taste like sour cream and onion. Most of the time, you're lucky if they just taste like onion powder, as sour cream "flavor" can be very elusive. Because really, what's sour cream except "tangy" once you turn it into a powder and strip it of its cool and creamy attributes? So for true sour cream and onion perfection, what you're really looking for is a solid balance of salt, onion, tang and crispiness. Plus, it's GOT to pack enough punch. Basically, we want flavor powder all over our fingers and faces by the time we're done.

We rounded up 12 popular brands and blind-tasted them. Check out the results below for the ranking, and read our comments before you head out to the store for your next bag.

As always, this taste test is in no way sponsored or influenced by any of the brands involved. Or anyone, really.

#12: Bops (DANGER: Not Recommended)
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
Note: These are "potato crisps," not potato chips made out of sliced potatoes.Comments: "So artificial and powerful in the WRONG WAY. The texture is like styrofoam and they taste like fake cheese." "What is this, holy communion?" "It keeps getting worse!" "Bold flavor, but once I popped, I stopped."
#11: Kettle Bakes (Not Recommended)
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
Comments: "STALE TASTING." "Tastes like a bale of hay got processed into a chip. Yuck." "Tastes old and musty and kind of blue cheesy." "NOPE."
#10: 365 Everyday Value (Not Recommended)
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
Comments: "Great curly texture, but not enough flavor. There's a delightful, roasted aftertaste though." "Completely flavorless. Styrofoam." "Bland."
#9: Utz (Not Recommended)
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
Comments: "It's got the texture of a cracker, not a chip." "Reminds me of a diaper. Lacks salt." "NO. This tastes like powdered sugar. So sweet." "Sweet, I don't love this." "Too thin and forgettable."
#8: Dirty (Not Recommended)
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
Comments: "Bland city." "Very potatoey, with a weird aluminum aftertaste." "This is a great chip if you love eating cardboard." "Very oily and tastes overcooked."
#7: Pringles
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
Note: These are "potato crisps," not potato chips made out of sliced potatoes.Comments: "These taste like sugary Pringles. There's no onion flavor." "Love the Pringles shape, but bland flavor." "This is not a great potato chip, but it's one of the best Pringles."
#6: Herr's
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
Comments: "These just taste like plain chips. Not enough flavoring." "A delicious rendition of a classic ridged potato chip, but no sour cream and onion in sight." "I get a lot of potato, but not much else."
#5: 365 Baked
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
Comments: "Are these tortilla chips?" "Tastes like a good healthy alternative, but these aren't chips." "Baked chips are lesser than all other chips." "Cool shape but not a fan of the cream cheese-like sweetness."
#4: Ruffles
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
Comments: "This has a great texture but it doesn't have quite enough flavor to be called perfect." "Soggy at the finish, but I like the ridges." "Not very oniony." "A little too greasy."
#3: Lay's Stax
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
Note: These are "potato crisps," not potato chips made out of sliced potatoes.Comments: "Weirdly stale, even though they're freshly opened." "Love the burst of classic sour cream and onion flavor. Could eat way too many of these without realizing." "Weird, reconstituted texture. Flavor powder is only on one side!"
#2: Lay's (Recommended)
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
Comments: "Good classic. Lots of onion flavor." "Good balance between onion and potato. Nice and tangy. Thumbs up." "I want a bit more crunch, but I like the flavor." "Bold sour cream and onion flavor."
#1: Cape Cod (Highly Recommended)
Damon Dahlen/The Huffington Post
Comments: "Nice zing, and almost an element of sour cream, which never happens." "Great crunch and texture." "Nice and crunchy, a little buttery."

This story appears in Issue 73 of our weekly iPad magazine, Huffington, available Friday, Nov. 1in the iTunes App store.

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