The Ruffles Original flavor bag design is as well known as the brand. The light blue, the positioning of the logo. It all looks so familiar. And bland. It seems odd that a company like FritoLay would have the second biggest brand name in the US, yet do nothing with it. Firstly, Ruffles needs a logo. The lettering may be familiar, but it should be treated like a standalone brand. The two tone blue at the top of the bag should be Wavy; der! The bottom should be larger and flavor color coded. More should be made of the slogan, 'RRRuffles Have Ridges'. But mostly, the new two man teams of the 'Max' flavors and the 'Ultimate' flavors, should be made to feel part of the family. The Hispanic flavors are a small progression in design, but they still feel separate, with just the brand name in common. It is all a bit old-fashioned, disjointed and disparate.
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Crunch
Ridged Chips tend to be even more thickly cut than Kettle Chips. They do not have the smashable crunch of a regular Chip. They do not have the hard, firm, crack of a Kettle Chip. These had a robust and meaty crunch that resulted in a mouthful of mashy potato.
Texture
These Chips included medium width Ridges with very few blemishes. The only coloring was the orange seasoning. There were no brown edges. They try their best with their air filled bags, but there was still some breakage. Rippled Chips tend to suffer this fate more noticeably than other cuts of Chip. There also seemed to be a sort of greasy glow to the surface of the Chips; an almost shiny texture.
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Taste
We had a bit of a problem with this flavor before we started. As Ruffles are the second best sellers in the US, it is more than probable that alongside Doritos, they are among the most popular dipping Chips. This flavor should be just Cheddar, and preferably a mature, aged or vintage Cheddar with heaps of flavor. The Sour Cream is what it should be dipped in. There could even be an advice section on the reverse of the bag showing the Chip going into a pot of Sour Cream. Instead, we got a mild Sour Cream and [admittedly] well balanced Cheddar Cheese flavor that was enjoyable but instantly forgettable.