Last Updated on March 8, 2022
Potato chips are a staple of American cookouts, and no small number of lunches. Tasty — if not nutritious — they are made to complement whatever burger, hot dog, or sandwich you want to pair with them.
If you want to know how popular potato chips are in the United States, just consider who sells them. You can find chips at gas stations and convenience stores, at big box stores and grocery stores. And you can find them at dollar stores. Like Dollar Tree.
The extreme discounter sells its own house brand of potato chips. We decided to try out the two styles we found in stores: wavy and barbecue. Both of them came in 5-ounce bags and cost $1.25, or 25 cents an ounce. That may seem like a cheap bottom line price, but the price per ounce is twice what I typically get at Aldi and about 30% more than what I’d pay at Trader Joe’s. Given that I can get Lay’s regular chips for 26-30 cents an ounce at my larger inventory grocery store, it’s not the bargain I wish it was.
Let’s talk, then, about quality.
Home Style Select Wavy Potato Chips
DT’s wavy chips taste more or less like what I’d expect. They’re crunchy and salty, with a baseline potato flavor that doesn’t try to add too much. They’re also crisp and hold together well, a must if you’re talking about dipping them in French onion dip or the like. They do have some oil to them, but no more than what I’m used to in a typical potato chip.
Nutritionally, the chips have their fair share of calories (150), fat (10g), carbs (15g), and sodium (180mg) per 1-ounce serving. On the positive side, the chips have just three ingredients: potatoes, oil, and salt. The bag notes that it contains a bioengineered food ingredient, but it otherwise does not indicate who makes these chips.
Wavy chips nutrition and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
Home Style Select Barbecue Chips
Dollar Tree BBQ chips are good. They have that familiar barbecue flavor — something I was not sure they would have — along with the crisp chip taste. In my opinion, they taste and feel pretty much like name brand chips. They’re a little flakier than the wavy chips and have a bit of that barbecue dust, but they’re consistent in thickness with other BBQ chips I’ve had elsewhere.
The nutrition is similar to the wavy chips, with fairly high amounts of calories (150), fat (9g), sodium (250mg), and carbs (15g). As you would expect, the ingredients list is longer than regular potato chips.
Barbecue chips nutrition and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
The Verdict:
Dollar Tree sells legitimately decent potato chips in both wavy and barbecue varieties. The texture and taste are both what you’d expect. The price is closer to name brand, though, so if you’re looking to save money, you’re better off with a grocery store generic or just springing for Lay’s or the like.
I recently bought corn chips @ DT. We ate them all! I think they compared fairly well to Fritos or Great Value. However, you make a good point regarding price per oz. I will have to pay attention to that. I don’t recall the size of the package we devoured. I appreciate your opinions on the products you review.
What’s the bio-engineered (which by the way is 2 words), food ingredient? As stated on your package. Very curious to say the least. I do Love the chips can’t believe how I always find good product at the dollar store 🤷♂️
We don’t know what the bioengineered ingredient is, and my suspicion is that Dollar Tree probably wouldn’t say.
(BTW, both government agencies like the USDA and groups that cover the grocery business render bioengineered as a single word.)
Assuming the ingredient label is complete and it should be, the bioengineered (i.e., GMO) ingredient is likely Canola Oil. Canola Oil is typically genetically modified to reduce or eliminate the toxic component of rapeseed oil; thus making it into Canola oil and safe for human consumption.
While your chip package may or may not utilize Canola oil as several oils are listed, it is listed as one possible ingredient oil which could be used. Many chip manufacturers do this so that they can choose which oil is most appropriate for the batch they are producing… probably so that Greenbrier Intl., Inc. (Dollar Tree’s parent company) can farm the chip manufacturing out to several different companies at the same time.
That statement on the label is also too definitive, but should really use the words “May contain…” to be more clear about which ingredient is the GMO.
Also, the “Home Style Select” brand is effectively Dollar Tree’s house brand.
Dear Sir:
Do you know whether the Idolatry…OOPS…Dollar Tree has discontinued the “Home Style Select,” brand?
I have no car to get around. By Instacart, the shopper, deliverer sent me some pictures of different brands of chips. The only chips from Home Style Select, were two bags of Kettle Cooked Potato Chips.
I sent a couple of emails to H.S.S. No response.
Why are the barbecue chips mostly broken, seems like they are a bag of crumbs.
Not when I had bought them, or any if the other H.S.S. brand chips! Yes some were broken up, but that happens with all brands chips!
I just want to know if the H.S.S. brand is still being carried in the Downey, California stores (Two.) I want the “Dippin’ Corn Chips” brought back!
The ingredients of the BBQ has changed. There use to be fewer ingredients. I like the taste with the fewer ingredients. Now it’s a little different taste that includes a torula yeast . For now I will just buy the original.