Premium - Frit Ravich

The first time we reviewed the Frit Ravich Premium potato chips was in 2014. At that time the chips were cooked with a mixture of vegetable oils: 30% olive oil, 70% sunflower oil. 

In 2016, Frit Ravich keeps on labelling these chips as Premium but using only sunflower oil. In our opinion, the use of high quality olive oil provides a soft but authentic scent to the chips. We miss that scent in the 2016 edition of the Frit Ravich Premium.

The chips have a lively yellow colour and are partly peeled. The measured crunch is reasonable for the chips' size and thickness. The flavour is good but in our opinion many other potato chips without flashy premium labelling deserve that labelling more.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6.4 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.04 mm
Crunchiness:	88 dB
Other features:	Lively yellow colour
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Catalonia
We got them from	a blogger from Barcelona bought them for us ;-)
Price / gram	1,60 € / 170 g
On-line	http://www.fritravichgroup.com

Inside a bag of Frit Ravich Premium

Hand Cooked Chips - Hatherwood

Hatherwood's Hand Cooked chips are, according to the packaging, extra thick. Really? We have already blogged thicker chips, see for example "3 Dutch farmers" or "Nature Spar Premium Chips".

Anyway, thicker does not necessarily mean better. Despite the chips being thinner than expected, they taste much better than expected.

Hatherwood's chips are traditionally processed in Great Britain. The chips are sliced flat and cooked in small quantities in sunflower oil (26%). Later they are slightly and conciously salted. All this results in a very good taste and a lively crunch, like the brittle sound of a thin cracker. Plus a delicate sweet potato aroma, comparable to beet or carrot chips.

All in all, a very balanced choice. We wonder who is the producer behind this Lidl's registered brand... We want to try more of these!

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	7.3 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.22 mm
Crunchiness:	93 dB
Other features:	Flat cut, golden yellow
Origin:
Country, region	UK
We got them from	a Lidl supermarket in Munich
Price / gram	1.99 € / 150 g
On-line:	www.lidl.com

Inside a bag of Hatherwood's hand cooked chips.

Le Contadine Sapore Fatte a Mano - Ica Crik Crok

"Le Contadine" packaging looks very authentic. Crisps&Critics wanted to test these chips because they are allegedly hand-cooked with extravirgine olive oil. 

Soon after tasting the first crisps we realize the labeling indicates something else: these chips are not hand cooked, are just "hand cooked flavour". Are we facing another deceptive marketing technique?

The potato chips in our bag are unfortunately so salty that it is hardly impossible to distinguish any potato flavour, let alone the olive oil aroma. The impression left after eating a bunch of these chips is like when an ocean wave sends you rolling and you swallow sea water. Way too salty.

Other than that, "Le Contadine" chips offers thick flat cut potatoes with partly unpeeled borders and a normal crunch. These chips are probably a good match to bland meals.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6.8 cm long
and has a thickness of	0.97 mm
Crunchiness:	92 dB
Other features:	Flat cut, partially unpeeled potatoes, very salty.
Origin:
Country, region	Italy, Lazio
We got them from	Bennet supermarket in Lecco.
Price / gram	1.85 € / 130 g
On-line:	http://www.icafoods.it/prodotti/le-contadine-sapore-fatte-a-mano/

Inside a bag of "Le Contadine Sapore Fatte a Mano"

Artesancis - Lay's

Crisps&Critics was travelling when stumbled on these chips. Despite not having all the instruments to fill in the feature table, we felt these crisps were worth a review.

We got these potato crisps from a refrigerated vending machine. The chips were cold and they provided us with an unknown experience eating fresh chips under the Spanish sun. The flavour coming from the bag is very good and authentic, probably due to the chips being fried in olive oil (according to the Spanish labeling, in the Portuguese translation the oil type is not specified). One drawback: when chewing the potatoes it all felt like a floury mass. Still, their flavour, one of the best potato flavour tested so far. 

By the way, don’t let Lay’s marketing department fool you today (April 1st): The product name is “Artesancis” and not “Artesanas" or "Artesanais” (Spanish and Portuguese for "manually cooked") as Lay’s would like us to read from the packaging and their internet link. There’s some controversy around the net on (this and other) deceptive marketing techniques if you want to know more...

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6 cm long
and has a thickness of	not available
Crunchiness:	not available
Other features:	Flat cut. Weird labeling.
Origin:
Country, region	Spain
We got them from	Vending machine
Price / gram	1 € / 40 g
On-line:	http://www.lays.es/productos/lays-artesanas/