I tried own brand oven chips and a supermarket version beat McCain's – but one shop’s were a soggy disappointment

WHETHER you prefer them dipped in ketchup, lathered with salt and vinegar or in a butty, most of us love a good chip.

They're the ultimate comfort food – but with freezers full of different varieties at the supermarket, it can be hard to pick which will be the most delicious if cooking at home.

Most of us reach for the brands we know, with McCain still the market leader.

But as the price of groceries rises, can you afford to keep buying top brands or could a cheaper alternative give you the same satisfying taste?

It's time to find out.

We asked mum-of-three Lynsey Hope to test some best-sellers Here's what happened:

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Essential Waitrose French Fries (900g) £1

Lynsey says: "I was impressed with these Waitrose fries. They were the cheapest ones we tasted and came in a big 900g bag.

They looked almost identical to the McCain crispy fries but had a better flavour and were less than half the price.

I was so impressed I went back to buy another bag, but they were sold out. Clearly I'm not the only one who thinks they're a winner."

Taste: 10/10Value for Money: 10/10Appearance: 10/10Overall: 10/10

Total: 40/40

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10
Tesco's chips were soft and fluffy inside with a crispy outsideCredit: Gary Stone

Tesco Homestyle Straight Cut Oven Chips (950g) £1.40

Lynsey says: "One of my favourites. The Tesco chips cook well and have a nice flavour.

They crisp well on the outside but remaining soft and fluffy in the middle.

These are now a firm favourite and I'll be putting them in my shopping basket more often. Yum."

Taste: 10/10Value for Money: 7/10Appearance: 9/10Overall: 9/10

Total: 35/40

Sainsbury's Super Chunky Skin On Chips (900g) £1.25

Lynsey says: "These are a great price from Sainsbury's for a good sized bag.

They're described as 'super chunky', though they're not as big as others we tried. I thought the size was perfect though.

They browned well and had a nice crisp outside and fluffy inside. The skin added extra flavour and they cook from frozen in 25 minutes."

Taste: 8/10Value for Money: 8/10Appearance: 9/10Overall: 8/10

Total: 33/40

Asda French Fries (1.5kg) £1.35

Lynsey says: "These chips from Asda come in a great big bag which is ideal for big families and they only take 18 minutes to cook.

The flavour was fairly bland and they weren't as crispy as others but they had a lovely, golden colour and the kids demolished the lot.

For this price, I'd definitely buy them again."

Taste: 5/10Value for Money: 10/10Appearance: 8/10Overall: 8/10

Total: 31/40

Aunt Bessie's Homestyle Chips (900g) £1.90

Lynsey says: "These were classic golden oven chips made with sunflower oil and they are naturally gluten-free.

There was some variation in size, but most were a medium thickness with a crunchy texture and a nice fluffy middle.

They had a good amount of seasoning."

Taste: 9/10Value for Money: 5/10Appearance: 9/10Overall: 8/10

Total: 31/40

Lidl Harvest Basket Triple Cooked Beef Dripping Chips (650g)£1.19

Lynsey says: "A friend of mine raves about these Lidl chips so I was excited to try them.

They come frozen, pre-fried and sprayed with beef fat and take 25-30 minutes to cook.

The skins give them a nice colour as they come out of the oven. The beef dripping really adds to the flavour and had a lovely crispy texture on the outside but remained soft and fluffy in the middle.

I liked the chunkiness of them. They were a bit more potato wedge than chip, but I loved them. They are pricier than others, but worth it."

Taste: 9/10Value for Money: 5/10Appearance: 8/10Overall: 8/10

Total: 30/40

McCain Crispy French Fries (900g) £2.50

Lynsey says: "These are very thin and didn't crisp up as well as I'd hoped but they were quite moreish.

The Waitrose ones were almost identical and you get the same amount for £1.50 less, which is a no brainer.

If you like super skinny chips, buy those instead."

Taste: 6/10Value for Money: 4/10Appearance: 7/10Overall: 6/10

Total: 23/40

Morrisons Seasoned Fries (750g) £1.19

Lynsey says: "Made with sunflower oil, these Morrisons chips come in a southern-fried style coating which I didn't particularly like.

I can't put my finger on it but the flavour was just off. I was expecting a bit more kick.

They were quite greasy too and didn't have the nice crispy outside I was looking for. Big bag for the price though."

Taste: 3/10Value for Money: 7/10Appearance: 5/10Overall: 4/10

Total: 19/40

Aldi Specially Selected Chunky Oven Chips (1.5kg) £1.89

Lynsey says: "Enormous chips made with British maris piper spuds and cut to extra-thick dimensions. The packaging looked quite luxurious and I was expecting something special from Aldi.

But I thought they were too soft and after cooking them for the recommended 30 minutes, they were still very pale and didn't taste cooked enough.

They were missing the golden glow and crunchy outside I'd been hoping for.

You could leave them in for longer, but it was the slowest cooking time of all the chips we tried. I didn't rate them."

Taste: 2/10Value for Money: 3/10Appearance: 2/10Overall: 2/10

Total: 9/40

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Elsewhere, we've tested fish fingers from supermarkets to find the tastiest one.

And one supermarket expect reveals the aisles you need to go down to the cut the cost of your shopping.

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