Proper Crisps Tortilla Chips - Salted product reviews

Love proper crisps and love these as well!

These were a light coloured corn chip with a classic taste - exactly what I wanted. I liked the extra information on the pack and the window that made it clear exactly what they looked like. I thought they were perfect for a snack and the little bubbles were fine as they didn't make the chips crumbly. Very few chips had been damaged in transportation which was good too (enough air in the pack to protect them). Lovely bright packaging too.

I used them with a creamy sour cream dip and a salsa. I also thought they would work well in nachos but didn't get a chance to try that as the family had already finished the chips in one sitting. In truth there is not a lot you can say to elaborate on a classic plain corn chip - they didn't turn to dust, they didn't have a synthetic flavour and they didn't overpower what they were served with. I think it is important to note that I don't believe corn chips are a centrepoint of a meal but more of a complement. These were a fantastic example of that and I will be buying them again. They were popular and did exactly what is expected. I look forward to what these guys bring out next as they have been very very good so far.

Proper Crisps have always been a brand I've loved because of the strength that their crisps had, compared to the low-quality, mass-produced, crumbly items that the likes of Bluebird put forward.

It's important to note that these are tortilla chips. When you see the triangular shape of these salted tortilla chips, it is easy to fall into the trap of trying to compare the product to the likes of Doritos of the, now defunct, CCs. This range of products is indeed quite different from the usual corn chip, instead, looking very much like a tortilla that has been baked and sliced into sixths. The biggest difference is in the texture, where these tortilla chips are formed from white corn that has been ground to an incredibly fine level. It removes the irregularities that the texture of a corn chip has, creating a very stiff, but smooth chip.

What this means for the mouth-feel is that the chip is simultaneously thinner and stronger than the average corn chip. This does create a feeling not dissimilar to that of a stale corn chip. It lacks the proper full crunch that other corn chips have; instead, requiring a bit of work to actually bite through. Not a lot of effort, but a noticeable amount. Personally, I would have preferred something slightly more brittle if it could bring that crisp and crunch factor back.

As it is, the chips work well in cooking dishes. You can dump cheese, sour cream, mince, and sauce on top, and they hold their shape really well. Unlike other brands that would need to be kept separate, or need a fork to eat, these tortilla chips hold their own well. I would really recommend this as a cooking only chip though, as the lightly salted flavour helps it accentuate the flavours in dishes without clashing flavours. But as a standalone food, the lightly salted flavour isn't strong enough or a full-enough flavour to leave one satisfied. Good for a strong flavour meal like nachos, but definitely not one of my top choices for salsa, guacamole or dips, where blandness of the tortilla chip is at the forefront.

The one thing I have found with Proper Crisps is that you can always be assured of quality. We have never been disappointed after eating a packet of Proper Crisps and were looking forward to trying their Salted Tortilla chips. They come in an attractive bag with a clear window which I personally prefer as I can see exactly what I'm getting. With a compostable bag, 100% natural ingredients, GMO-free corn, no added MSG and a 4-star health rating, I knew we would have another quality product to enjoy.

As soon as the packet was opened, the family dived in like a pack of vultures and I had to ration them in order to use them for something else other than snacking! The crisps were a reasonable size, and thin with air bubbles which meant they had a lovely crunch to them. I could see and taste the sea salt which wasn't overly strong.

Hubby had decided to make some enchiladas but had failed to prepare anything else to go with them. The plates looked pretty barren so I decided to add a handful of salted tortillas to each meal and what a difference it made! Not only were they filling, they provided a great vessel in which to scoop up the melted cheese and chicken. They didn't go soggy and retained their lovely crunch and the flavour complemented the meal nicely. I'll definitely be buying these again!

In our household we love tortilla chips, whether we are using them for nachos for dinner, or just eating them straight from the packet. We have tried several brands and flavours, but are always on the lookout for new products to try. In the past we have tried products from the Proper Crisps brand and been impressed, when I saw that they had made some tortilla chips I knew I had to try them.

The packaging is certainly eye-catching and really stands out, there is no confusion that these tortilla chips are Salted flavour. A few wonderful things this NZ company has done with these chips is that they are Gluten Free and vegan friendly, but also the bag itself is compostable. The window on the front allows us to see the chips are a decent size.

After opening the bag I was met by the undeniable corn scent wafting out. I noticed that the chips were of a good size, the colour is nice, and there are some air bubbles on the surface. I tried a few and there is a definite salty flavour that you taste with each bite, however it is not overpowering. For me personally I love a decent crunchy chip element, these certainly have a crunch. My daughter and I sat eating these plain, but we both thought that they were quite dry and seemed to stick to our throats, next time we would try with salsa or a dip. We both liked the fact that there was no flavouring residue left on our fingers after handling the tortilla chips.

I may purchase these again in the future for my family as I see they are healthy with a 4 star health rating, however I probably wouldn't go out of my way to source them often. Looking forward to trying more delicious products from Proper Crisps.

Nachos is a meal that I really enjoy having but rarely make as I find the chips get too soggy, too quickly (a problem I've always had using vegetarian mince) but I was feeling tired and wanted an easy meal to make with the kids, so out came this packet and off we went cooking. In a pan I threw some vegetarian mince, onion, garlic, grated carrots and courgettes and half a tin of tinned tomatoes to really give the chips a solid test. When it came to dishing it out, the kids asked to have their chips on the side, which I happily accommodated them with.

My eldest tried the chips both on their own and covered in our mixture and decided that either way, he didn't like the taste of them at all and requested to only eat half of his chips. My middle child ate theirs without complaint but said that they weren't worried about having any in the future. My youngest thought they were simply the best, ate all the chips on their plate and promptly requested more, so it was a sure fire hit with her. We had a family member over, who also dove into the meal, but whilst they thought that the chips were nice, they were too hard for their liking and they weren't interested in having more. Personally, I didn't like them, they either tasted too plain or too oily, neither of which was a hit for me.

For my youngest, this will be a good treat, but I won't be rushing out to buy more.

Opening the pantry the packet screamed at me to open it. The vibrant packet, reminding me of Mexico - telling me its a compostable bag and that they are gluten free, with no added MSG, vegan friendly and was made using volcanic stone and traditional Mexican ways. That it is made in Nelson using local and imported ingredients and the peek-a-boo window showing me what I was in store for really had me won over within a second.

I had some garlic hummus in the fridge so grabbed a handful to start off with. I found, like the Cheese-peno variety, that it was a hard bite but with this flavour was not as much of an issue and I could quite happily munch away at the Tortilla chip version. I did not find the salt that strong and instead found it rather bland or more like the basic kind. The chip size is rather large and could quite comfortably hold a lot of hummus without any fear of the chip breaking or it turning soggy.

I had left over mince/nacho filling from last night so quickly microwaved it to heat up. The mince, onions carrot, garlic heated nicely and then I covered about a dozen chips with cheese and sour cream. It tasted divine and like last night the chips worked perfectly as giant spoons scooping up the mixture. Where as my husband baked a potato and put the mince and Tortilla chips around the plate. He preferred the Salted variety as they were not competing in flavour and just were a nice addition to the meal letting the mince mixture provide the main flavours instead.

The girls also agreed that they preferred this flavour for basically the same reasons as us - it just enhanced the meal. With that being said I think if I saw this on special in the supermarket I would probably purchase it as I do like how secure the meal ended up feeling. One packet worked perfectly for the four of us as it catered for rather a few options and it worked out being a nice quick lunch.

I always look forward to trying a new product from Proper Crisps - no matter what the flavour or variety, I have yet to encounter one that does not meet their consistently high standards of freshness and crunch. This product fully met expectations: as a corn-based product, it offers the extra strength needed to maintain its shape when it comes in contact with wet food (eg when served as nachos with chilli and cheese).

We tried the bag with friends, finding that the contents were ample as a first course for seven people when served with a hearty dip. Avocados and tomatoes were in season so I made a rough salsa/guacamole cross, adding lemon, balsamic vinegar, chopped nuts and fresh herbs, and we took it out on to the deck. Chilled lager completed the entree; surprisingly, we delayed the next course for another half hour as we were feeling quite full after all that.

Everyone enjoyed the chips, with two people commenting on how attractive they looked compared to other tortilla chips. One person did say that he thought they were lacking in taste and could have done with more salt being included, but I thought this was a strength as they took on the flavour of the dip without competing for recognition. However, I take his point as some people do like to eat this type of product as a ready snack; in this case, I guess he would need to add some salt of his own and shake the packet well before eating the contents. Personally, I tend to have chips of any kind with either a dip or a complete meal so I would add any condiments to the other ingredients.

I had kept a few chips back deliberately as I wanted to try a little experiment once the barbecue was going. I added a small piece of camembert to the top of each chip and then put them on one side of the grill plate. The result was yummy if very decadent, and we had to be careful to remove them from the heat as soon as the cheese melted or it would bubble right over the side of the chip like a mini volcano.

Incidentally, they were all intrigued by the packet design. The personalised comment was appreciated - our batch was made by Matt - and the small print outlining the manufacturing process prompted several questions. The main one concerned the lime used for nixtamalization: was it the fruit or the mineral? I stayed out of the discussion as I already knew the answer, but the others were determined to find out. Unfortunately (although that in itself is debatable) we had neither cell phone nor internet coverage up in the hills, so there was an agreement made that our no-dip chip man would look it up when he got home and then let the rest of them know!

The nutritional value of the chips is high; there are no empty calories, and as mentioned earlier, they are quite filling! Every single person agreed that they would buy them again, and would be looking out for the packet on the supermarket shelf. As for me, I went home with the recyclable packet to join the others (now almost returned to the soil) in my compost bin.