REVIEW: Lay’s Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed Potato Chips

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Lay's Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed Potato Chips Bag

When Ruffles All Dressed burst onto the American scene in 2015, the stateside ridges game was forever changed. Simply put, Ruffles rule, and this new, formerly Canadian-exclusive flavor instantly became one of the best in the brand’s salty arsenal. The elusive and mysterious sweet and savory combination of BBQ, ketchup, salt, vinegar, and even a dash of sour cream and onion reads like it could be too much, but somehow, it’s just enough.

In 2021 Ruffles took back its love for the USA and returned All Dressed to being Canada-only. But what does Frito-Lay love doing more than anything these days? That’s right, putting the same old stuff on some other stuff, and thus, Lay’s Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed Potato Chips have arrived.

Using the name Ruffles alongside All Dressed feels like a bit of a hat on a hat, but I understand the need to solidify that this is the same seasoning from the currently unavailable chip. These kettle cooked chips do not have ridges, but they carry a decent amount of the glowing red/orange powder that will soon be coating my fingers.

Lay's Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed Potato Chips orange and red seasoning.

All Dressed remains delicious. I’m getting a touch less of a flavor punch than on the Ruffles, but it’s undoubtedly a tangy vinegar-forward BBQ with some extra onion on the finish. Citing sour cream and onion is a bit of a stretch, but there’s absolutely an oniony accent that stands out from your average BBQ.

What these chips lack in ridge-amplified flavor they almost make up for in satisfyingly bold crunch. These chips are LOUD, and I certainly think they’re proud, too (Canada’s never had All Dressed THIS crunchy, right?). With Lay’s Kettle Cooked, the thick chomp-y texture is no doubt the highlight, bringing a pleasantly hard-fried greasy potato undertone to the tangy, savory fireworks of All Dressed. The taste isn’t nearly as bold as I remember from my last bag of the Ruffles version, but it’s been a couple of years, and these chips are undeniably difficult to stop eating. There’s a level of intrigue in the seasoning; some are more sweet, some are more salty, and some are more tangy, which keeps me wanting more. Food Science 101: they got me.

Lay's Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed Potato Chips up close and personal

Aside from trying this killer seasoning on a different extra crunchy vessel, the other revelation of this bag is the insane amount of fold over chips. From what I recall, these folded over gems used to be more of a rarity, and here they make up a solid 65% or more of the bag, and I’m here for it. The Lay’s Kettle Cooked version of All Dressed won’t top the Ruffles for me, but they’re without a doubt one of the best flavors Frito-Lay has released with this line and one that’s worthy of a pickup.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 8 oz bag
Purchased at: Nob Hill
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (15 chips, 28g) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno

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Much like putting pineapples on pizzas, adding pineapple flavor to a Doritos chip is, um, unusual. And much like pineapple-bedazzled pizzas, I feel many folks won’t enjoy the uniqueness of Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno chips. Am I one of those people? Well, you have to read on to find out.

Having fruity-flavored Doritos shouldn’t be surprising since Frito-Lay added mango seasoning to its potato chips TWICE — the awful Lay’s Wavy Mango Salsa and the decent tasting, but not compelling enough to make me finish the bag, Lay’s Chile Mango. But now that pineapple flavor exists in the Doritos universe, which also includes pizza Doritos, should we expect a “Hawaiian” pizza variety someday?

When I first opened this Party Size bag, I got a strong hit of eau de pickled jalapeño with hints of something sweet that didn’t register as pineapple to my nose. Because of the bold peppery aroma, it reminded me of other Frito-Lay chips, like Lay’s Kettle Cooked Jalapeño. Their appearance also reminded me of other chips. If not for how they smelled, these could be mistaken for Doritos Cool Ranch or plain Toasted Corn Doritos at arm’s length.

My taste buds’ first impression of these wasn’t good. I guess they were shocked by the spicy, peppery, and fruity combination, which was a bit acrid at first. If I based my rating on those first few chips, I would’ve given these a three out of ten, but they got better after eating a few more. While the jalapeño and pineapple flavors were equal initially, the fruitiness stood out more after stuffing my face with more chips.

When I first started eating these, I thought having the pineapple there was weird. However, just like I got used to eating pineapples on pizza, my taste buds eventually accepted the fruitiness of these Doritos. I mean, the idea of pineapple flavor on Doritos is still odd, but it ended up tasting better than I thought it would. There were also times when my taste buds thought they noticed a bit of lime, which goes very well with spicy seasoning on chips, so maybe that’s why these grew on me. With that said, these aren’t as tasty as Doritos Flamin’ Hot Limón.

They’re also not as spicy as Doritos Flamin’ Hot Limón, but if you find Taco Bell’s Hot Sauce to be too hot, then you might want to avoid these.

Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno is not a flavor that will end up on my favorites list, and I think the pineapple and jalapeño combination might be too weird for some. But I do like it, and it has a unique taste that I feel is worth the money if your taste buds are adventurous.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 13 3/4 oz bag (Party Size)
Purchased at: eBay (available at Walmart and Target)
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 11 chips) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Takis Dragon Sweet Chili

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Instead of making spicier products, Takis has recently been making tamer ones to grab the taste buds of more snackers. Earlier this year, it released a line of non-spicy snacks called Intense Nacho that don’t cause your mouth to wish it had a built-in fire suppression system. The brand’s newest product, Dragon Sweet Chili, is significantly spicier than the heatless Intense Nacho but less hot than Takis’ most popular flavors.

Fuego, Nitro, and Blue Heat all have an “Extreme” level of heat, but these Dragon Sweet Chili chips are one step below that and are rated “Hot” by the unscientific thermometer on the side of the bag that all Takis flavors have. Unlike Fuego, these sweet and spicy chips will not make you think your taste buds have been burned off or that you’ve just made out with all the gods and goddesses of fire (there are many of them). After eating an entire bag with my lunch, there was no overwhelming desire to stick my mouth under a Slurpee spigot to cool it down, but my head did sweat a bit.

Their initial flavor reminded me of Fritos Honey BBQ Flavor Twists, which is my favorite Fritos variety and not at all spicy. However, by the third chip, the taste morphed into something a bit more unique, with the garlic powder and cayenne peppers making themselves more noticeable. Throughout it all, the sweetness remained and helped cut through the spiciness.

So how does this compare with a similarly named flavor from a famous competing chip brand that I will not name here? (But you can probably figure it out by looking at the photo below.)

Well, these Takis are spicier, sweeter, and, um, chili-er than the other chip. Also, despite their somewhat similar names, their flavor profiles are entirely different, with the other having a strong soy sauce taste. Of the two, I prefer the Takis.

Dragon Sweet Chili chips have a lot of flavor, a decent level of heat, and their spiciness doesn’t get in the way of the sweet chili pepper seasoning. While they don’t have an extreme level of heat, they do have an extremely great flavor.

DISCLOSURE: I received free product samples from Takis. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 3.25 oz bag
Purchased at: Received from Takis
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/about 12 pieces) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar (including 1 gram of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Pringles Harvest Blends Potato Crisps

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The name “Harvest Blends” might make one think these Pringles are a fusion of farm finds and actually might be healthy-ish, but their nutrition facts are the same as regular Pringles, and there aren’t any claims that these provide any whole grains or vegetable servings. They’re just Pringles with either multigrains or sweet potato blended into them to create different textures and flavors than just dried potatoes.

Pringles attempted multigrain chips before, which, if I remember correctly, were around for a few years and then disappeared like Julius Pringles’ hair. Also, a few years ago in Australia, the brand rolled out a Pringles Veggie Creations line, which included a sweet potato and sea salt flavour.

Of the two Harvest Blends I picked up, the Sweet Potato Sea Salt variety had me sticking my hand in the can more often than I would like to admit. A wise old man with a gigantic mustache and no hair once said, “Once you pop, you can’t stop,” and that’s the case with these crisps. It’s similar to sweet potato fries, although, with the first few crisps, I thought I was eating regular Pringles for some reason. But the more I ate, the more the sweet potato came out of these slightly orange-hued crisps. I love the flavor of sweet potato fries, but I can’t say I’ve ever had crispy ones. These crisps blend their taste with a crispiness I’ve never experienced with the fries.

Sunchips were the first thing to pop into my head after munching on the Multigrains Farmhouse Cheddar variety. Since Sunchips are also multigrain chips, it makes sense why these Pringles taste similar. As for the seasoning on these, its cheesiness doesn’t explode like on a Doritos or Cheetos. Also, I couldn’t tell you if it truly tastes like “farmhouse cheddar” since I’ve never had it. But it’s definitely cheddar, and it’s good. The crisps have an aftertaste that reminds me of regular Pringles, which makes sense since they also have dried potatoes in them. They also crunch slightly duller than regular Pringles, but it doesn’t take away from how snackable they are. Although, I didn’t inhale them like sweet potato ones.

Pringles’ Harvest Blends line also includes Multigrain Homestyle Ranch and Sweet Potato Smoky BBQ varieties, which I might try if able to find them since these two flavors I did try were great.

Purchased Price: $3.29 each
Size: 5.5 oz cans
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Sweet Potato Sea Salt), 7 out of 10 (Multigrains Farmhouse Cheddar)
Nutrition Facts: (1 ounce/about 14 crisps) Sweet Potato Sea Salt – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar (including 1 gram of added sugar), and 1 gram of protein. Multigrains Farmhouse Cheddar – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar (including less than 1 gram of added sugar), and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Smoky Ghost Pepper Puffs

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I’ve never been much of one for eating something hot just for the sake of saying I did it. I don’t need a Guatemalan Insanity Pepper to make me feel macho. But I like spicy things. I usually get my Thai food “Thai hot.” I over-wasabi when I eat sushi. A little burn – when correctly applied – makes me feel alive.

While I’ve never had an ACTUAL ghost pepper, the flavor seems to have popped up everywhere over the past year plus. Burger King did an orange-bunned ghost pepper Whopper last October. Arby’s had the Diablo Dare last year, too. And within the past few months, Wendy’s has gotten in on the act with a ghost pepper sandwich and fries.

I’ve had none of these. It’s not because I’m not interested, don’t get me wrong. It’s more like if I’m not eating fast food to review for this site, I’m usually only interested in getting something tried and true. Something I know I’ll enjoy. Like everything else, fast food has gotten too expensive; my metabolism ain’t what it used to be.

The nice thing about the new Flamin’ Hot Smoky Ghost Pepper Cheetos Puffs, however, is that it’s pretty low risk — even if they’re terrible, I’m only out a single Abe Lincoln. And I don’t mind tossing a bag of chips.

(Okay, that’s a lie. I’ll hang on to it for years, slowly nibbling away and also offering them up to unsuspecting guests with a friendly, “Hey, you like to consume food. Would you like a handful of these? How about the whole bag?” Eventually, they’ll grow stale and inedible, at which point I will still have a few pieces at a time for the next three months before I finally pull the trigger on a full expulsion.)

From an appearance standpoint, you know exactly what you’re getting into with these. In addition to being shaped like peppers, they are an aggressively violent shade of red. A slight smoky vinegar aroma wafts up when you open the bag. That artificial smoke flavor is prevalent in the first second of the bite – I was surprised by that and appreciated the layered flavoring – and then the heat immediately sets your tongue on fire. There was no “slow build” here, just immediate and unapologetic mouth-arson.

If you don’t like hot, well… come on. Did you really think you might enjoy these? If you’re someone who doesn’t like chili unless it makes you weep and you end each night with half a pack of Tums, you may be unimpressed. These didn’t make me cry. They were tolerable, but even still, the hottest Cheeto (or chip or cracker) I’ve ever eaten.

Additionally, I enjoyed the fact that these weren’t just novelty-hot. There were nuanced layers of flavor and an appreciable complexity you don’t find in many other “hot” snacks. But still, a little goes a long way, so let’s not be surprised if this bag sees the next presidential election. As long as the other people in my house keep remembering to close the bag up tight, anyway.

Purchased Price: $4.30
Size: 7 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (28 grams) 160 calories, 12 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

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