Reduced-Fat Potato Chips
Although we are not a health food magazine, but at times we like to avoid excess fat. Just 1 ounce of potato chips (about 20 chips) contains 10 grams of fat. With reduced-fat chips crowding the snack aisle, we wondered if an acceptable stand-in for fried potato chips existed. We purchased eight national brands and called in 22 test cooks and editors for a blind taste test. Guess what? We liked best the ones that reduced the fat the least.
Ordinary potato chips are deep-fried in oil. Manufacturers reduce the fat in one of three ways: One method bakes, oils, and salts slices of potato; they contain 3 grams of fat per serving. Another process takes sliced potatoes, quickly fries them, and then removes some of the oil they picked up during frying by steaming and baking. This second style results in 6 to 7 grams of fat per serving. Finally, some reduced-fat chips are made by combining sugar, binders, and leaveners with dehydrated potatoes to form a dough, which is cut into “chips” and baked. These chips have between 1½ and 3 grams of fat per serving.
The chips made using the hybrid fry-then-bake method were the big winners. Two brands fooled us into thinking we were munching on “regular” chips. Another popular brand wasn't far behind. For a modest fat reduction, these three brands make fine choices. As for the processed chips? Run screaming.
-
RECIPE
Reduced-Fat Potato Salad -
RECIPE
Reduced-Fat Lemon Squares -
RECIPE
Reduced-Fat Strawberry Shortcakes
| Product Tested | Origin | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highly Recommended | |||
|
Columela Extra Virgin Olive OilOur favorite premium extra-virgin olive oil from a previous tasting, Columela is composed of a blend of intense Picual, mild Hojiblanca, Ocal, and Arbequina olives. This oil took top honors for its fruity flavor and excellent balance. Tasters praised its “big olive aroma, big olive taste” with a “buttery” flavor that is “sweet” and “full,” with a “peppery finish.” One taster said: “It’s very green and fresh—like a squeezed olive.” Another simply wrote: “Fantastic.” |
Spain | $19 for 17 oz |
| Recommended | |||
|
Lucini Italia Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive OilTasters noted this oil’s flavor was “much deeper than the other samples,” describing it as “fruity, with a slight peppery finish,” “buttery undertones,” and a “clean, green taste” that was “aromatic, with a good balance.” “It has the flavor that some good EVOOs have,” said one admiring taster. |
Italy | $19.99 for 500 ml ($39.98 per liter) |
|
Colavita Extra Virgin Olive OilVirtually tied for second place, this oil was deemed “round and buttery,” with a “light body” and flavor that was “briny and fruity,” “very fine and smooth,” and “almost herbal,” with “great balance.” “Good olive flavor. I could smell it and taste it,” approved one taster. In a word, “pleasant.” |
Italy | $17.99 for 750 ml ($23.98 per liter) |
| Recommended with Reservations | |||
|
Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive OilA clear step down from the top oils, tasters noted “overall mild” flavor and “very little aroma,” with only a “hint of green olive” and a “hint of spiciness at the end.” In pasta, it was initially “not complex,” but gradually “bloomed in your mouth.” Overall, it was “worthy of a second bite.” |
Italy, Greece, Spain, and Tunisia | $12.49 for 750 ml ($16.65 per liter) |
|
Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive OilWhile some tasters found this oil “sweet” and “buttery” with “medium body” and “slight spice at the end,” others complained that it had “zero olive flavor” and was “so floral it’s almost like eating perfume”; still others noted a “bitter” aftertaste. In pasta, it was “extremely mild” to the point of being “boring.” |
Italy, Greece, Spain, and Tunisia | $10.99 for 750 ml ($14.65 per liter) |
|
Goya Extra Virgin Olive OilComments: The best comments tasters could muster were “mild” and “neutral.” Some liked it on pasta (though one called it “Snoozeville”), but complaints were myriad: “metallic,” “soapy,” “briny,” “hints of dirt.” Carped one taster, “I can’t imagine what is in here, but they have a nerve calling it EVOO.” |
Spain | $13.99 for 1 liter |
Register for CooksCountry.com
It's FAST and it's FREE.
WHY REGISTER? The taste test you requested is only available to registered users of CooksCountry.com. Register today for FREE access to every recipe, rating, and kitchen discovery from the current season of Cook’s Country TV.
