McCoy's Classic Variety Crisps, 6 x 25g

The six bag McCoy's Classic Variety box is the small way to try three McCoy's flavours side by side: two bags of Cheddar and Onion, two of Salt and Malt Vinegar and two of Salted, six 25g bags of thick ridge cut crisps and 150g in total.

The three flavours

According to the published pack listing, every bag holds the same crisp, potatoes cut into thick ridged slices and cooked in sunflower oil, and the three seasonings do the rest.

The salted seasoning is salt, rice flour, dried yeast extract and natural flavouring, so the plain option still has a savoury edge. The cheddar and onion seasoning leads with dried onion and dried yeast extract, then builds its cheese note from dried whey, dried whole milk and dried cheese, with dextrose, salt, rubbed parsley, flavourings containing milk and onion extract, and paprika extract for colour. The salt and malt vinegar seasoning leads with salt, then natural flavouring, sugar, dextrose, citric acid, rice flour, dried yeast extract, maltodextrin, a potassium phosphate stabiliser and dried barley malt vinegar extract.

Allergens, bag by bag

The published allergy information for this box reads: contains barley, may contain cereals containing gluten, contains milk, may contain mustard, may contain soya. In practice that means the salt and malt vinegar bags contain gluten from barley, the cheddar and onion bags contain milk, and the whole box carries may contain advice for mustard and soya. The salted bags list neither milk nor a gluten containing cereal in their ingredients, but they share the box's may contain advice. The pack says all three flavours are suitable for vegetarians. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

The panels side by side

Per 25g bag, cheddar and onion gives 132 kcal, 7.5g of fat and 0.24g of salt; salt and malt vinegar 132 kcal, 7.8g of fat and 0.53g of salt; salted 133 kcal, 8g of fat and 0.33g of salt. Per 100g, fat runs from 30g to 32g across the three and sugars run from 0.5g in the salted to 2.4g in the cheddar and onion, all green on the front of pack scale. Salt per 100g is 0.97g, 1.3g and 2.1g respectively, so the salt and malt vinegar is the only one coloured high for salt on the UK front of pack scale.

Salted, not ready salted

The plain flavour in this box is called salted, and its seasoning is more than salt: rice flour carries it, dried yeast extract adds savoury depth and natural flavouring rounds it off. It is still the mildest of the three, with 1.3g of salt per 100g and only 0.5g of sugars, but it tastes seasoned rather than simply salty, which suits the thick McCoy's crisp.

The front of pack colours

On the UK scale, per 100g, fat is red for all three flavours, at 30g to 32g, because fried crisps sit well above the 17.5g threshold. Saturates are amber and sugars are green in every bag. Salt splits the box: amber for the cheddar and onion at 0.97g and the salted at 1.3g, and red for the salt and malt vinegar at 2.1g.

What ridge cut means here

McCoy's crisps are cut with a corrugated blade into slices that are thicker than a standard crisp and ridged on both faces. The thicker slice fries to a firmer, louder crunch. The ridges catch and hold more seasoning, which suits the strong McCoy's flavours, and the sturdier crisp copes with a lunchbox or a thick dip without falling apart.

How the crisps are made

Washed potatoes are sliced with the ridged blade, rinsed and fried in sunflower oil until the water has cooked out and the slices set firm. The seasonings are tumbled onto the warm crisps, which is why the grooves fill with powder, and each bag is sealed on its own.

Who the six bag box suits

Six bags cover a working week with one to spare, with a change of flavour most days. It is also the easiest way to find out which McCoy's flavour a household prefers before buying a single flavour pack. The order salted, cheddar and onion, then salt and malt vinegar goes from mildest to sharpest.

In the kitchen

Each flavour has a use beyond the bag. Crushed salted crisps make a plain, crunchy coating for chicken or fish. Cheddar and onion crumbs suit the top of a pasta bake or a cauliflower cheese. Salt and malt vinegar crumbs make a sharp crust for fish goujons, doing the job of the vinegar you would shake over fish and chips. The thick ridged pieces stay crunchier in the oven than thin crisp crumbs.

Bigger box and single flavours

The twelve bag McCoy's Classic Variety box has four bags of each flavour. For single flavours we stock McCoy's Cheddar and Onion and Salt and Malt Vinegar in six bag multipacks and 45g bags, plus Flame Grilled Steak and Thai Sweet Chicken, and the limited edition Hot Kick Ketchup and Yellow Mustard in six bag packs.

The packets and storage

The published listing says the whole packaging can be recycled with bags at large supermarkets and should not go in home recycling. Store the box in a cool, dry place, keep the bags sealed until needed and finish each bag once it is opened.

Sizes of McCoy's Classic Variety Crisps we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

The published listing gives the United Kingdom as the country of origin and names KP Snacks as the maker. The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.