Who makes the best frozen fries? Putting nine brands to the test
The priciest fries weren't the tastiest.
Intro
A serving of French fries, one of nine similar frozen fry products tested for taste by the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. What did the reviewers think of the fries, purchased by reporter Bill Daley in Chicago-area grocery stores? Check out the gallery to find out.
—Chicago Tribune
8th Place (tie): Signature Kitchens Classic Cut French Fried Potatoes
A house brand found at Jewel-Osco and Safeway supermarkets, these fries tied for eighth place with Roundy's, the store brand for Mariano's. Very golden in color, these fries had a creamy interior but were not super crisp. One taster wrote: "Very potato-ey and not in a good way." Another grumbled, "Tastes like school cafeteria fries." $3 for a 28-ounce package. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
8th Place (tie): Roundy's Straight Cut Fries French Fried Potatoes
This Mariano's store brand tied with Signature Kitchens brand for eighth place. Golden in color, but a critic complained of a gritty interior and little crunch. A few tasters thought some of the fries tasted undercooked. "Oily, dense," wrote another. $1.99 for a 32-ounce package. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
7th Place: O Organics Organic Shoestring French Fried Potatoes
This store brand can be found at Jewel-Osco and Safeway supermarkets. The shoestring fries emerged crisp from the oven but were very dark. The browning gave them more flavor. "Much better than they look," a taster wrote. $3.79 for a 16-ounce package. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
6th Place: 365 Organic Shoestring French Fries
From Whole Foods Market, these shoestring potatoes with no added salt were "soft inside, crunchy outside, slightly smoky," according to one fan. "Like indifferent fast-food fries," wrote a second taster. Others found these fries "soft, boring" and "sad and steamed." $2.99 for a 16-ounce package. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
5th Place: Ore-Ida Golden Fries French Fried Potatoes
These yellow fries had a saltiness some panelists liked. One thought the fries were soft with "crispy corners" while a second complained the fries were "dry, pasty." But a third wrote: "Like fries found on the floorboard of a dirty car. I'd still eat it." Take that, I think, as a nod. $2.99 for a 32-ounce package. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
3rd Place (tie): Market Pantry Crispy Straight Cut Fries Classic French Fried Potatoes
This Target brand tied with Alexia. Fans liked the potato flavor of these "classic" fries, the fluffy interior and the crisp exterior. "Bleh," wrote one less-than-impressed taster. Another thought the fries were too thick, the middle dry and starchy. $1.89 for a 32-ounce package. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
3rd Place (tie): Alexia Organic Yukon Select Fries with a Touch of Sea Salt
This brand tied with Target's Market Pantry brand for third place. "The most like fast-food fries," wrote one taster who liked both the "pleasant creamy interior" and the seasoning. Another thought it, too, tasted like restaurant fries and a third compared it to a baked potato. That the ends of each fry still had skin was "a nice touch," wrote a fourth. Naysayers, however, faulted these fries for being too bland and oily. $4.19 for a 15-ounce package. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
2nd Place: Trader Joe's Handsome Cut Potato Fries
Trader Joe's skin-on fries have a good potato flavor and attractive crispness. But one critic complained of "wildly different textures" and thought some pieces were too small. $2.49 for a 24-ounce package. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
1st Place: Lamb Weston Hand Cut Style Fries
"Grown in Idaho" proclaims the package front for these skin-on, straight cut fries that combined a creamy interior with what one taster described as a "crackly coating" on the outside that gave a slight but welcome snap. "Tastes like a fry should taste," wrote another taster. $3.50 for a 28-ounce package. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune/TNS)