The Best Chip Flavours Ranked From ‘Inedible Sawdust’ To ‘Absolutely Sacred’

A packet of chips can do it all. Dunked into salsa or dip. Eaten plain and enjoyed all the same. Or piled into a sandwich, if you want to be fancy. You do you.

But what chip flavour is the best? In a public vote by News.com.au last year, four chip flavours reigned supreme: Cheese Twisties, Original Pringles, along with Smith’s Original and Salt and Vinegar varieties. I’d say these rather basic chip flavours being voted the most popular was expected — but also wrong.

It’s time to do the chip ranking to end all chip rankings.

I obviously can’t rank every flavour from every chip brand, so I’ve selected the most beloved and iconic varieties. I also made the decision to only rank chips made of potato or corn (or in that family), because including chips made of veggies and grains would simply take me a whole week to rank.

I don’t have time for that! I have chips to eat!

The best chips flavours, ranked:

30. Cheetos, Cheese and Bacon Balls

Disgusting. Inedible. Filth. These taste like little balls of smokey sawdust and belong in the bin. These are the chip packet that no one touches in the mix pack, until you’re forced to open a bag out of pure desperation. A sad, pitiful chip flavour that should have been cancelled by now.

29. Smith’s, Barbecue

Barbecue is the worst flavour. You will not change my mind. It is a classic dad flavour. While I have some fond memories of pinching my father’s chips from over his shoulder growing up, that’s where the positive imagery stops. The flavour is so smokey and overpowering. Yuck.

28. Doritos, Original Salted

The most basic of chip flavours. If eating these is your idea of a good time, dream bigger. Unless you are making these corn chippers into nachos, get outta here!

27. Pringles, Original

I’m aware that my mentions are about to get flooded for this but I dgaf. Original Pringles are bad. They don’t taste good at all. The Pringle chip itself has a weird taste that needs to be overpowered by a tasty flavour. I said what I said.

26. Thins Chips, Original

Like Pringles, while salt flavour works for some chips, it absolute fails others. Enter Thins, which err, are simply TOO THIN. When eating a salty chip, you need that crunch-factor! These are so thin, they practically evaporate on your tongue. There is only one Thins flavour I will get around, so keep scrolling.

25. French Fries

Same shit, different chip. OK, I know what you’re thinking: “But you just said salty chips need to be crunchy and French Fries are pretty damn crunchy, ya dumb bitch?” you shout down your phone (I can hear you). Well, yes, you got me there BUT while they are crunchy, there’s just not much to them. Sad, tiny sticks of fried potato do not come close to the perfection of a slice of fried potato. Less surface area means less opportunity for crunch.

24. Smith’s, Cheese & Onion

Eww. Gross. No way. Who wants to eat a cheese flavoured chip? Save the cheese flavour for corn chips, for the love of all that is sacred!

23. Smith’s, Chicken

These sit slightly above barbecue, but chicken is also one of my least fave flavours. Chicken is just bad, very one-note, and I can’t eat more than a couple of handfuls.

22. Red Rock Deli, Honey Soy Chicken

I know some people die for this flavour, but it’s still chicken — and chicken sucks. I will say that this is the tastiest chicken variety available, but that’s its only saving grace.

21. Samboy, Barbecue

Samboy are the exception to my barbecue rule. Weirdly, these taste good. The barbecue flavour is far less smokey than Smith’s and it’s just overall pretty tasty.

20. Toobs

I understand these are no longer sold but someone — anyone?? — has to remember Toobs?? They were delicious and belong on this list, even if they never come back. #BringBackToobs

19. Doritos, Cheese Supreme

I’ll eat these but I don’t love it, you know. I will still grab a packet from 7-Eleven if I’m desperate for a snacky, but it’s a very intense flavour so I’ll always opt for the smallest sized bag.

18. CC’s, Tasty Cheese

In the battle of the cheese flavoured corn chips, I’m on Team CC’s ’til the day I die. CC’s are far less overpowering than Doritos, and you can snack on these bad bois all day long without needing to dunk into some salsa for relief.

17. Red Rock Deli, Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar

Now, we’re cooking. The rest of these chips are genuinely delicious and I’d eat them all happily every day. This ~fancy~ take on salt and vinegar is yummo, but if I had to give any type of critique I’d say the balsamic flavours are a bit full on at times. Can we just stick to normal vinegar, or is that for peasants?

16. Kettle Chips, Sea Salt

This has been a go-to chip for me for over a decade. These might be simple, but they’re so good.

15. Red Rock Deli, Sea Salt

In the war of plain crunchy chips, Red Rock Deli has this in the bag (see what I did there, who says I can’t rank and still have a good time?!). Compared to Kettle, Red Rock have a much more natural flavour, aren’t over-salted, and don’t leave your mouth half as dry after finishing off an entire bag in under five minutes…or so I’ve heard.

14. Twisties, Cheese

Twisties are so good, and chowing down on a cup full of these (my dad would fill me a cup to take to watch telly) takes me straight back to my childhood. Delicious and with a crunchy texture that’s not too hard, but not too soft like the dreaded Cheetos. *screams*

13. Twisties, Chicken

Another controversial opinion sure to unleash an angry mob upon me, but Chicken Twisties are slightly better than Cheese Twisties. Does that contradict the fact I don’t like chicken-flavoured chips? Probably. I’m a complicated woman. But the fact that Twisties are mostly corn — rather than potato — somehow pairs with the chicken better and the flavour is much nicer. I can’t explain it. Wanna fight me?

12. Red Rock Deli, Lime & Black Pepper

This flavour shouldn’t work as well as it does — but it’s actually mindblowing.

11. Doritos, Nacho Cheese

While I said above that I found Cheese Supreme Doritos to be mid-tier chips, the Nacho Cheese flavour is where it’s truly at. This flavour is much deeper and more complex, bursting with herbs and spices. Pair a bag of these with a 1.25ml bottle of LA Ice and you’re guaranteed a good time.

10. Cheezels, Original Cheese

We did it! We got this far. The final ten are what I call god-tier chips. These are untouchable snack varieties and every Australian should kneel as they pass them in the supermarket aisle to pay their respects. Starting with Cheezels: delicious, crunchy, an absolute classic and perfect for spontaneous marriage proposals. Cheezels do it all.

9. Twisties, Zigzag Wicked Cheddar

They say don’t mess with perfection, but when Twisties released a new Zigzag flavour, the chip game was changed forever. Zigzags are an absolute dream, they are softer than Twisties, but crunchier than Cheetos (thank god) and the flavour is out of this world.

8. Kettle Chips, Chilli

These are the absolute best. If you eat a whole bag of these too quickly, your mouth might set on fire, but there are some consequences we must accept in our quest for chip perfection. I’d happily lose my taste buds just to chow down on Kettle’s Chilli chips until the day I die.

7. Burger Rings

King shit. Delicious. Crunchy. Perfection.

6. Smith’s, Sour Cream & Chives

While I generally don’t love thin chips, this flavour combo is just too delicious to pass up.

5. Pringles, Sour Cream & Onion

As I said at the start of this ranking, Pringles NEED a flavour to bring them to life and there is no better variety than Sour Cream and Onion. These chips are zesty, flavourful and have kept me company on many long haul flights.

4. Smith’s, Original

While fancier brands have come and gone, Smith’s still make the best plain chip. That’s just hard facts. These chips are simple — but they just work.

3. Thins, Light & Tangy

This flavour is pure joy personified (chipafied?) and while I generally don’t enjoy a thin chip, until they release this flavour in crinkle cut (imagine!), I will thank the heavens and be grateful for the blessings I have.

2. Smith’s, Salt & Vinegar

When it comes to plain chips, Smith’s are the best and the same story for salt and vinegar. These chips are just better than any others. The crinkle cut shape offers optimum crunch and the flavour combo of salty and sour is just delicious in every way.

1. Red Rock Deli, Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream

I could not put any other chip in no. 1 place but Red Rock Deli’s Sweet Chill and Sour Cream. Eating these chips is a sacred experience. These chips are not only perfectly crunchy, but the flavour combo is unrivalled. While Kettle do their own version, sadly it pales in comparison.

These Red Rock Deli chips can do no wrong. I will eat these chips forever.

But also….#BringBackToobs