Ruffles Ultimate Kickin' Jalapeno Ranch Potato Chips Review

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Nutrition

Bag
Calories
Fat
Saturated
Salt
Sugars
28g
160
10g
1.5g
170mg
1g
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Verdict

Bag

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

It may be because of the width and depth of the Ridges (more like Waves), that these seemed more crunchy and brittle than other Ruffles Chips. They almost smashed up like a Regular Chip, but in a more controlled and thick fashion.

Texture

These Chips were very interesting. They were among the widest Ridges we have seen. Unfortunately this meant that there were a fair few broken Chips in the bag, but most of the whole Chips were slender and large. They were generally a golden color, with some oil visible, but there were also flecks of seasoning on all of the Chips.
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Taste

There is nothing we like more at Chips & Crisps than a flavor partnership combining just right to bring home the flavor it says on the packet. These were creamy potato flavored, with a little watery salt, followed by a sharp and perfectly weighted Jalapeno kick, which remained in the after-taste. Of course, a Frito-Lay Chip will need to have mass appeal as a consideration, so it was never going to be that hot, but the very fact that Ranch is involved should quell thoughts of a super spicy Chip anyway. Even hot sauce-phobes, will be able to consider the flavor value of these Chips without worrying about a forehead sweating heat.