Phantom Gourmet: Jalapeno-Flavored Potato Chips Taste Test

BOSTON (CBS) – The Phantom Gourmet recently purchased four bags of jalapeno-flavored potato chips.

The tongue-tingling contenders were: Cape Cod, Kettle Brand, Lay's and Utz.

All the brands scored well in Phantom's taste test but only one spicy snack could end up at the top of the food chain.

Lay's Kettle-Cooked Jalapeno Chips were the weakest of the bunch. These orange-tinged chips were way too mild, delivering hardly any heat whatsoever.  However, they are cut much thicker than traditional Lay's so the crunch factor certainly satisfies.

Next up was Cape Cod Sweet and Spicy Jalapeno Chips, cooked in 100 percent canola oil. This local favorite offers up the lumpy, bumpy potato chips Cape Cod fans crave. With a nice balance of spicy, sweet and salty, these chips are a crowd pleaser.

The runner-up is Utz Kettle Classics Jalapeno. From the second Phantom ripped open the bag he was overwhelmed by the smell of fresh-cut jalapenos and that great fresh flavor is exactly what these green-specked chips deliver. Slightly sweet with a slow burn that builds, Utz kept Phantom chomping his way through the whole bag.

At the top of the food chain is Kettle Brand. The front of this good-looking bag says it all. These chips are hot. They're thick cut so each bite is a satisfying crunch of heat and sweet. Plus, the added notes of onion and garlic give the chips a depth of flavor the other brands just couldn't match.

That's why Kettle Brand Jalapeno Potato Chips are at the top of the food chain.

Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.

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