Battle of the fake potato chips: Stax v. Pringles

[Chad]

And, just for the record, I like the Pringles cans.  Modern packaging all looks the same to me.  Makes me want to yawn.  I like the distinctive plain-ness of the Pringles can.  And it brings back memories of making crafts in grade school.  Anyone else ever cover a Pringles can with wallpaper scraps and call it a pencil holder??

I like the Pringles cans, too. Two empty ones with the lids on make the best impromtou bongos in the snack aisle .

Chad

[hillbill]

An old boyfriend of mine and I challenged each other to finishing the entire can of Pringles before we got them home from the 7-11, which was like 3 minutes away. 

We did it.

No spillage, that I can recall.

I bet you were using the NEW! IMPROVED! PATENTED! NEAT-O Pringles extraction and consumption tool!

[Human Bean]

Potatoes, corn, and wheat -- a carbo-trifecta!

Don't forget the maltodextrin - a polysaccharide (starch, basically), so that's even MORE carbo-goodness! And there's more maltodextrin than salt according to the ingredients list.

[bloviatrix]

How do the fat contents compare. My experience shows a simple formula: %fat + potato chip = good eats.

The scary thing about Pringles -- I have never been able to duplicate this with a normal potato chip -- is that you can hold a match to one, and it will catch on fire and burn like a little potato candle until there is nothing left.

Pray tell, why did you set a Pringle on fire?

It just occurred to me, the Pringle is a potato flake tuile.

[slkinsey]

How do the fat contents compare. My experience shows a simple formula: %fat + potato chip = good eats.

The scary thing about Pringles -- I have never been able to duplicate this with a normal potato chip -- is that you can hold a match to one, and it will catch on fire and burn like a little potato candle until there is nothing left.

Pray tell, why did you set a Pringle on fire?

To see if I could do it.

There has to be a lot of fat in something like that to burn like a candle. You can see the fat bubbling out of the burning Pringle like tar from a Russian cigarette.

[Varmint]

I am leaving my office in 30 seconds to purchase samples of all 3 chips. Am I going to report back here with the results? Probably not -- I just want some munchies.

[jhlurie]

I agree that the Stax are somewhat better. But they are SO much more expensive. And people buying fake chips probably care as much about that as they do convenience or taste.

[sherribabee]

OK, raise your hand if you're heading to a store within the next 12 hours to buy some Pringles so you can light them on fire.

*raises hand*

[slkinsey]

OK, raise your hand if you're heading to a store within the next 12 hours to buy some Pringles so you can light them on fire.

*raises hand*

These demonstrations were performed on a closed track by a trained driver. eGullet and slkinsey, inc. do not recommend using Pringles in a manner inconsistent with the manufacturer's instructions, and are not responsible for any property damage or bodily injury that may result from such use.

[hillbill]

OK, raise your hand if you're heading to a store within the next 12 hours to buy some Pringles so you can light them on fire.

*raises hand*

What I wanna know is, if I light a Pringles can on fire, will it fly up into the air like a giant Amaretti di Saronno wrapper?

[Fat Guy]

Upon further examination of the Stax cans, I've found something new to admire: I really appreciate that they refer to the plain flavor as "original," even though all the flavors came out on the same day.

[Fat Guy]

Pray tell, why did you set a Pringle on fire?

To see if I could do it.

I think you mean, "Because it was there."

[Fat Guy]

And, just for the record, I like the Pringles cans.  Modern packaging all looks the same to me.  Makes me want to yawn.  I like the distinctive plain-ness of the Pringles can.  And it brings back memories of making crafts in grade school.  Anyone else ever cover a Pringles can with wallpaper scraps and call it a pencil holder??

I like the Pringles cans, too. Two empty ones with the lids on make the best impromtou bongos in the snack aisle .

When you two are the only Pringles customers left in the universe, we'll be sure to note that you bravely stood together against the tide of progress.

Is there such a thing as stock in Pringles? Sell it now, people!

[Fat Guy]

I agree that the Stax are somewhat better.  But they are SO much more expensive.  And people buying fake chips probably care as much about that as they do convenience or taste.

Why do you think they care about price? Aren't Pringles themselves significantly more expensive than regular potato chips?

I'm sure the Stax people can compete on price if they determine that's the way to go -- they can even sell the product at a loss for however long it takes to put Pringles out of business. But my guess is that they're pricing them higher in order to create the impression that they're a premium item that's better and fancier -- more prestigious, if you willl -- than Pringles and therefore worth the extra money.

[Fat Guy]

Okay, looking at the nutrition labels, it appears there's very little difference between the two products on that front: both claim to have 160 calories per ounce, 90 of which are from fat. Interestingly, that's 14 Pringles but 13 Stax, according to the labels. Sodium content is pretty close -- a little higher for Pringles -- though Stax have added sugar and Pringles don't seem to.

Stax doesn't list corn and wheat as ingredients -- that's probably why they taste more potato-like -- but does list both modified and unmodified food starch.

[jhlurie]

One advantage of Pringles. They are virtually ALWAYS on sale somewhere.

If you live by a Rite-Aid Pharmacy, for example, they are 99 cents this week.

[Fat Guy]

I just made a Pringles movie:

http://www.pringles.com/cgi-bin/cheesenoni...id=354813&bw=hi

[Fat Guy]

One advantage of Pringles.  They are virtually ALWAYS on sale somewhere.

If you live by a Rite-Aid Pharmacy, for example, they are 99 cents this week.

If you go to http://www.laysstax.com you can spin the virtual roulette wheel and get up to a $1-off coupon.

Also noted, regarding Stax: "Questions or Comments? 1-800-352-4477 weekdays 9 to 4:30 central time."

[fifi]

But we have not answered the seminal question... Can you make decent duck lips with the competitor?

[jhlurie]

I just made a Pringles movie:

http://www.pringles.com/cgi-bin/cheesenoni...id=354813&bw=hi

Groan. That's so bad, I'm going to have to counter with a Pringles themed Fanta Shokata film:

http://www.fanta.dk/showmovie.asp?mid=4C40...F1-29F02A91DDF8

[Basilgirl]

Fat Guy: I just bought the Stax and ate half the can. But I like Pringles better. The Stax are not salty and greasy enough for me.

Fifi: I think they make fine duck lips.

[Fat Guy]

You have to eat more of the Stax and you have to do it side by side with Pringles. I can virtually guarantee you that you're just reacting against an unfamiliar product. Objectively the Stax have roughly the same amount of salt and grease in them as the Pringles -- they just seem to have a snappier texture.

[Basilgirl]

OK. Will purchase Pringles and consume side by side with Stax.

[Toliver]

OK. Will purchase Pringles and consume side by side with Stax.

Thanks for taking a bullet for the team!

[Jinmyo]

So I steeled myself and went down the junk aisle in the Loblaw's Superstore.

Pringles. Lots of Pringles. A wall of Pringles stretching over my head like a vast wall of, well, round cans filled with Pringles of varied chemistry.

No Stax. No Munchos.

Before retreating I saw that Loblaws' No Name brand has a version of potato-slurry tuiles too.

Several years ago I actually used Pringles as tuiles with, I think, creme fraiche and chives and caviar just to see if I could get away with it. They were quite well-liked.