This $7.39 Costco Find Is the Only Reason I Go

It's only sold at Costco.

Some of my happiest moments in childhood were reading fantasy books of heroes and heroines on wild journeys, with a big bag of chips next to my non-page-turning hand. While the characters sought epic rewards, I sought potato chip perfection, eating through many different brands and types of chips to find the ideal companion to more exciting worlds.

Potato chips seem simple, but if there was ever a food where the devil was in the details, plain chips would be it. Change the cut, shape, or thickness, leave the skin on, or swap the kind of salt, oil, or potato used and it’s a whole other ball game.

Because these minuscule variations make all the difference, I’ve been on a 30-year mission to find the perfect classic salted potato chip. I finally found the closest thing to a perfect 10 at the treasure chest we know as Costco: Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Pink Salt Potato Chips.

Why I love Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Pink Salt Potato Chips

A Kirkland Signature item, these chips are a Costco exclusive, which means you can't find them anywhere else. Because my household consists only of myself and a dog, I don’t often need to buy in bulk, but when friends head to Costco, I tag along just for these chips.

Their potato flavor is rich, buttery, and deep, with a hint of earthiness from the peel that’s left on. Because they’re extra, extra thick, most of the chips are delightfully large and unfolded. This allows them a more even cook, flavor distribution, and texture, which is, by the way, outstanding. The crunch resounds, echoing in your head as the chips break apart.

I love Kettle Brand's use of subtle Himalayan salt—it’s not as sharp as table salt and feels less immediately dehydrating than your typical potato chip salt. At 110 milligrams per serving, the chips also have slightly less sodium than most regular potato chips, which is why they taste more of potato than other brands.

The chips are also perfectly cooked, a sunny yellow with the slightest hint of browning. Rarely are they burnt or undercooked. Bubbled-up chips are also not as frequent, which indicates that the potato slices aren't dried out before hitting the kettle.

My Pro-Tip for Storing Kettle's Krinkle Cut Potato Chips

If there’s one chink to these chips’ armor, it’s that Kettle chips are known to hold onto their grease more tightly. In the regular-sized Kettle Brand bags, I’ve come across pools of liquid gold... and not the mythical kind.

There seems to be less retained oil in the enormous 32-ounce bulk bag, which makes them considerably less greasy than Kettle's other varieties. This is a double win: having so many chips for the cost of roughly two seven-and-a-half-ounce bags, and a higher percentage of perfect bites.

However, I still like to open the bag from the bottom—where any extra oil would settle—and cram a couple of paper towels inside. Then I gently shake the bag to soak up as much oil as possible. From there, I clip the bag shut until I crack open another book, my fried potato treasure at my side as always.

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.