Home > Categories > Food > Snack Foods > Proper Crisps - Big Cut review
The perfect crisps for the perfect IPA, two new creations to redefine your snack time! Proper's OG has gone BC - that Big Cut. Unpeeled, thickly sliced golden potatoes dusted in finely ground sea salt, and hand cooked to extremely crispy glowing perfection. For the ultimate flavour experience eat with Garage Project's Proper Crisp IPA.
Ingredients: Potatoes, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt
Product reviews...
These claim to be "perfect for the perfect IPA" so my husband was determined that he would try them as they were supposed to be enjoyed and it worked for him - suggesting we buy some more for the next time he has mates over.
These are a classic potato chip - ignore the fact they are called crisps - this is not some flowery gourmet experience, this is a plain potato chippie like you remember from many years ago. I have had really good experiences with the brand proper and although they are not the cheapest available sometimes you have to admit you get what you pay for. Another hesitation I have had in past is "too salty" and these cruised the perfect line for me - enough salt to know it was there but not "salty" tasting. If I was entertaining these would be a fantastic option. At the risk of sounding sexist however they are probably best suited to the market they are aimed at - IPA drinking males. If you are a fan of the Garage Project these crisps have your number!
These were seriously big and had little to no breakage thanks to the air-inflated solid pack. They opened easily and they were lovely and crisp. Probably not your friend if you like a disintegrating pringles reconstituted snack but I like a real potato feeling in my chippies and although they were a bit oily this is the nature of plain chips quite often so they aren't too dry. I felt they delivered on their promise well and there is a place for this type of thing for me (mainly with a nice creamy dip to soak the oil up). In fact, for me, that is where they suited perfectly as they have such good structural integrity they are a perfect dip chip, no annoying leftovers in the dip.
If you like a simple chip these are a winner. Perfect with a strong dip for me and an IPA for him. If you like a salted chip these are a great example so I have to say flawless as ever Proper.
I'm not a big fan of plain, salted chips, I always find that I can taste too much of the oil and it just isn't a pleasant taste at all for me. That is a bonus of reviewing items, I haven't lost any money on it if I decide that I don't like it at all. I enjoy the feel of these bags, always feels like there is a bit more weight to them than other, similar, products. The design is nice and simple, advertises what you are going to get and still manages to catch your eye. I opened up the pack and offered them to my three kids to try and got a mixed reaction to the treat.
I really enjoyed the crunch to these and whilst I didn't find myself thrilled with the overall taste, I wasn't put off eating more, so I would happily eat these if they were an option and I didn't like any other chip flavour on offer. My children all ate a few and agreed that the crunch was nice but they also all agreed that they have eaten other brands and would happily eat the cheaper option so as to save me some money. I can understand the cost with the quality of the packaging and the product, however given the kids enjoy less superior products just as much, I can't see us switching brands.
Finding a decent crisp that lives up to its name, and also has flavour can be a challenge at times. When I saw Proper Crisps had a 'Big Cut' crisp out I was rather keen to taste it. Another aspect I liked when I saw this product was that it comes in a compostable bag - how cool and innovative is that!
Looking at the packaging it is quite simple with only 3 colours, the bag is 150g and feels not much different in texture to a normal crisp packet, however this one is home compostable. The crisps themselves are gluten free and vegan friendly, with no added MSG and are GMO free.
I picked up my first crisp out of the bag, it was thick and golden, I was quite concerned that being so thick it may have limited flavour throughout. No need to be worried though as the crisp was full of crunch, and flavour, the balance between the potato crisp and the Marlborough Sea Salt is perfect, and there is not that strong aftertaste of salt that leaves you craving a drink.
These crisps are now on the shopping list for when we have guests over, I could not fault these crisps in any way. I am now looking forward to see if Proper Crisps will make different flavours for the 'Big Cut' crisps. My friend said after trying a handful with his beer. that the crisps are perfect accompanying a cold beverage of the alcoholic variety, on a nice summers day - bring on Summer!
I love Proper Crisps as they are hand cooked and have a uniquely delicious taste. I was looking forward to trying their Big Cut crisps and when I opened the pack, I wasn't surprised to find myself surrounded by the whole family. The bag was about half full which I have come to expect with packets of crisps nowadays. What did surprise me was the size of the crisps. Although the packet said 'Big Cut' I really wasn't expecting them to be so big, and so thick! When I put one in my mouth (well, half of one as even my mouth couldn't fit a whole one!) there was the most delicious and satisfying crunch. Hubby and kids tried one and all I could hear was crunching with my daughter likened them to eating crackling! They had just the right amount of salt on them without being too salty and you could tell they had been fried to perfection. Indeed, the packet says that each spud is hand-sorted, hand-trimmed, sliced double thick, and then cooked in small batches with the time and temperature adjusted to suit. They aim for perfect golden crispness and that is exactly what you get.
Whoever HUIA is, they are doing a great job of making my crisps. Although it is a name I recognise on the majority of Proper Crisp packs, I haven't been disappointed yet! The ingredients are simple - potatoes, high oleic sunflower oil, and salt. No nasties, no added MSG, and vegan and gluten-free. The bonus with Proper Crisps is that they also come in a compostable bag. My biggest complaint would be the size as these didn't last long with four people munching on them. I was impressed that most of the crisps were huge, and not just a token few. They are quite pricey for the amount but these are the nicest salted crisps I have ever tried and they are cooked in small batches. Whilst they won't be a regular addition because of the price, I will be purchasing them as a treat (which won't be shared with the kids!) It would also be great to see these in some other flavours - I'd bet they'd be great in BBQ flavour!
These are by far the most crunchy chips I have easten. My partner and I decided to eat these once the kids were in bed, and wow did we make the right call. Otherwise we would have had none to ourselves. We both talked about how amazing these chips were, every single bite, every single chip. Cooked to perfection, the best flavouring and right amount of salt, not to greeasy and just an all round amazing chip.
I love the packaging, the strong bag which is easy to open and great for the environment. Bright yellow so it catches your eye. All the healthier ingredients used. This is one brand of chips I always rate, they have the best chips. But these are next level, I really look forward to trying more flavours and eating them again. My partner is a snack monster and nearly every night while watching tv when the kids are in bed he will eat a bag of chips. These are now to be added to the shopping list he says.
We also have lots of friends over and head camping so I can't wait to eat these while we are camping and watching the ocean, what a perfect combo to enjoy summer with. I will recommend these to friends and family. We did have a few left in the bad, not much which we left for my toddler. He ate them up saying these are yummy aye mummy. He relly enjoyed them. As he was eating them I was thinking, you lucky thing. If you buy these, I do say hide them from the kids if you want to keep some for yourself. Anything like my kids they munch them down so fast. A all rounder amazing chip and flavour from the best brand out.
When it comes to snack products, the one company which consistently delivers on quality, taste and all-round style is Proper Crisps. I have been a huge fan of theirs for a long time, and have never been disappointed in a product from their, now extensive, range. I am always keen to put their new offerings to the test, especially when the words 'Big Cut' feature as the product name, as I am all about the chip crunch. I have very high expectations, so I was eager to see if these chips could live up to my own hype, never mind anyone elses.
As expected, the bag was a great sharing size- perfect for a few snack attacks, but not so many that they start to go sad before you can get to them. Once again the ingredients list was reassuringly short, another big tick for me. I could tell from feeling the bag that these chips certainly seemed to be as thick as the description, but nothing quite prepared me for what was inside. The first thing which hit me was the smell- like the most gloriously crunchy roast potatoes you have ever eaten. Just one look at the rich golden colour of the really thick crisps and that was it- I was going in!
The flavour and texture of these not-so-wee beauties certainly didn't disappoint. They were everything I had hoped- rich, perfectly seasoned and amazingly crunchy. The big cut here actually means what it says, larger and thicker than even the Proper Crisps standard. The sea salt was the perfect compliment to the overall taste- just enough without being overwhelming. Because they were made to be partnered with The Garage Project's IPA, I thought I'd better sample them with that too, you know, just to make the review thorough. What a combination- the pair are a match made in heaven.
So, in short, I loved these chips and you will too. They were everything my high standards expected and more. My family didn't get a look in with them as they were too delicious to share. I will definitely be buying these again to partner with The Garage Project's IPA- believe the hype of these two things together and give them a try if you are able to. Once again, a triumph in snacking supplied by Proper Crisps- a company continuously raising the bar.
It is not really a movie unless you have a snack to go with it. Waiting for the girls to go to bed I sat on the couch planning out what steps I were going to do to prepare for the movie with my husband. Chips, cheese and crackers and a yummy passionfruit cider. Perfect. After years of doing this we have become very good at eliminating any unnecessary noise from packets, so I dipped the contents of the crisp bag in to a bowl. Bonus is the bag is compostable so instead of hiding in the rubbish bin I put into our compost bin with a mental note to empty before girls get home from school.
One thing I was not expecting was how much of a crunch noise we would be making each time we ate a chip. They feel rather hard and there really is no easy way or subtle way of eating them. Nor is there any potential way of eating quietly. Lucky the movie was not quiet as my husband got massive delight crunching down on the chip and it sounded like he was making as much noise as he possibly could.
The chips themselves were a great size and I do like how they curl on top of each other. They were rather salty which was perfect with the cider, but on there own I would guess the salt would be very over powering. I am not a huge fan of salted chips and do prefer flavours over the plain ones unless I have dips of some sort to help me out. Unlike other varieties of chips there were a good helping of them and I wasn't just faced with an empty bag where most of it is just air which I was very thankful for.
The chips did last pretty much for the whole movie which was great as you only need a few at a time to satisfy that hunger. Although nice I would not recommend with a quiet movie or eating with someone if you can not handle the crunch. The price is getting up there compared to other varieties but in all honesty Proper Crisps are definitely the best on the market.
Having tried and enjoyed Proper Crisps before, and living in the beautiful Marlborough area that the sea salt used on these is from, I was very happy to see them included in my review box. Whilst neither my husband nor I are huge fans of IPA beer, next time around we would definitely take the recommendation and try having the Garage Project's IPA with them to see if there was any flavour change/difference.
As the name alluded to with Big Cut crisps, I guessed they would either be big potatoes used, or thickly cut, and was pleased to see they were a little of both. They are similar to a kettle chip, feeling more handmade and less of the stock standard potato chip. There was a lot of big chips in the bag, which I thought was good - I was less able or likely to ''hoover'' them as my Grandma used to say. My kids on the other hand seemed to be like penguins or seagulls and open their mouths wider to accommodate the big chips!! They are a really lovely taste and texture - beautifully cooked, crispy and crunchy, but are, at the end of the day most a ready salted. They are nice and strong though and stood the test of dipping and scooping.
These are on the fancier side of potato chips and are not the ones I would buy for my kids, but rather for hubby and I to enjoy. One thing I really like about Proper Crisps back is that the are compostable, and I'm supporting an NZ company by buying them. I will buy these again as I really enjoyed them and look forward to other flavours too!
It's certainly not usual to find a packet of crisps that pairs with a specific craft beer. Part of a collaboration with Wellington brewery Garage Project, these Proper Big Cut crisps are supposedly best eaten paired with the Garage Project Proper IPA. Unfortunately, I couldnā ™t try them out this way. In fact, despite driving to six different liquor stores, the three that did sell Garage Project beers did not sell Proper IPA (most citing that it did not sell well). Honestly, not a promising start.
Having to compromise and try the crisps with a Monteiths IPA instead, I can't really speak to how well the crisps pair with the Proper IPA. With a Monteith's IPA though, it clearly did not match well at all. The IPA came across lacking flavour but having some refreshing acidic tones. This refreshing acidic nature of the drink actually ended up completely separating the drink and food elements, as the crisp was unable to break through that alcohol flavour in any fashion. Both flavours remained completely separate.
Having completely lost faith in the odd choice to try and pair a crisp with a craft beer, there is nothing left but to judge these chips on the product alone. The packet is an odd texture and feeling, but that is due to the product having compostable packaging, which I love. A packet of chips never lasts long, so it's always going to be a big source of rubbish is if it has a plastic or foil packet. I don't know how they did it, but compostable packaging is an amazing feat.
The crisps themselves are beautifully yellow and golden. These big cut crisps are actually something that I really enjoy. The thickness adds to the sturdiness and strength of the chip and closer matches the texture and consistency that I have come to expect from the kumara crisp varieties. The big cut gives them a brilliant level of crunch. Nice and airy with a huge crunch these would be a lovely chip with the Barbecue Rub flavouring.
The only real downside is that the flavour is effectively Ready Salted. Nothing new or spectacular. having a packet of Big Cut Proper Crisps in my possession, the saltiness is great and is a lovely burst of flavour that creates a moreish nature that will have you consuming half of the packet before you realise it. But is the flavour enough to have me searching it out at the supermarket? Probably not. If I had to pick a Ready Salted variety, this would probably win, but it pales in comparison to other flavours. for entertaining purposes, it's definitely a good choice, because while it doesn't pair great with an IPA, it certainly does pair well with salsa and hummus.
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