Rating Method

A reliable way to compare the chips. Each variety was judged for its whole chips and crushed up, bottom-of-the-bag bits, and scored out of 10 (because we know that a handful of crumbs taste different from pristine and round chips).

Bracket Method

Taking a cue from major league sports, the competitors are divided into pairs, and each brand in the pairs are pitted against the other, eliminating one from the pairs. We repeated the process until we are left with one all-dressed chip that we are proud to crown as the best all-dress chip.

Sobeys' private label makes everything from herbs and spices to complete meals, but chips don't seem to be Sobeys' strength.

Availability: Exclusive to Sobeys and Safeway.

Best commentary from the panel: "Not much 'all dressed' about these ones. It's a really smoky barbecue flavour all the way through."

We're not really sure why there are two all-dressed variations from Compliments. Doesn't this make the regular all-dressed seem bland? Either way, our panel really liked these and thought they were the Ruffles during the tasting.

Availability: Exclusive to Sobeys and Safeway.

Best commentary from the panel: "Great amount of flavour and a good texture. Are these ones Ruffles?"

Co-op Gold didn't do so well in our ketchup tasting, but its all-dressed chips fared a little better.

Availability: Exclusive to Co-op (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba).

Best commentary from the panel: "There's a nice acidity balance in this flavour, but the chips themselves could be a little more crispy."

Can't say that we have particularly high hopes for the Walmart brand, but we figured we should give it a try. Now, we can tell you that you probably don't need to try them.

Availability: Exclusive to Walmart.

Best commentary from the panel: "If there was a zombie apocalypse and there were no other kinds of all-dressed chips left in the world, I guess I would eat them."

No Name ketchup chips made it to our final round in the ketchup chips tasting, so that sets some expectations for us this time around.

Availability: Exclusive to Loblaw Companies banners, like Loblaws, Superstore, Shopper's Drug Mart and No Frills.

Best commentary from the panel: "They're really crispy chips, but I think this actually tastes more like sour-cream-and-bacon-flavoured chips than all dressed."

Old Dutch was the winner in our ketchup chips tasting, so we were all pretty sure it was going to be good. 

Availability: Widely available across the country.

Best commentary from the panel: "The taste is just OK initially, but it has a 'stale' sort of lingering after taste."

President's Choice makes some of the best private label products on the market, how knock-offs should be.

Availability:  Exclusive to Loblaw Companies banners, like Loblaws, Superstore, Shopper's Drug Mart and No Frills.

Best commentary from the panel: "They tasted like barbecue at first and then you get all of the other flavours after, just like a good all dressed chip should be, in my opinion."

Surprisingly, Lays (producer of Ruffles) does not make an all dressed flavour. We debated reaching out to executives for comments, but we figured they were busy crowning a potato-flavoured potato chip their new flavour of the year. Couple that with there abismal scores on their ketchup chips in our last taste test and we're starting to think they need to get their act together!

Availability: Widely available across the country.

Best commentary from the panel: "Whoa, this one is weak in the flavour department. It lacks intensity. This kind of chip should be packing a bit of a punch."

Don't judge a chip by its bag. The packaging isn't pretty, but it was a solid version of all-dressed chips.

Availability: Exclusive to Save-on Foods and Cooper's Foods.

Best commentary from the panel: "These are pretty good. They could be a bit more vinegar-y though."