Pringles Cheese and Onion Crisps, 165g

Pringles are a different kind of crisp. Instead of a slice of potato, each one is formed from a dough of dehydrated potato and flours, pressed into the same curved saddle shape and stacked in a tube. This is Pringles Cheese and Onion in the 165g tube, which the label suggests serves five to six. The full product name on the pack is Cheese and Onion Flavour Savoury Snack.

A crisp made from dough

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from dehydrated potatoes, sunflower oil, corn flour, wheat flour, a cheese and onion seasoning, rice flour, maltodextrin, an emulsifier (E471), rapeseed oil and a colour, annatto norbixin.

Dehydrated potato gives the potato flavour; corn, wheat and rice flours give the dough its structure and the fine, even crunch. The emulsifier helps the fat and dough combine evenly. Because every crisp is formed rather than sliced, each one is the same size, thickness and shape, which is what lets them stack neatly in the tube and why a Pringle breaks with a clean, crumbly snap rather than the glassy crack of a sliced crisp.

The seasoning

The cheese and onion seasoning lists onion powder, dextrose, modified maize starch, glucose syrup, salt, flavour enhancers (monosodium glutamate and disodium 5'-ribonucleotides), lactose, yeast extract, hydrolysed vegetable protein, cheese powder, and lactic and citric acids. Onion leads, dextrose and glucose syrup bring a gentle sweetness, and the flavour enhancers, yeast extract and hydrolysed vegetable protein build a deep savoury note. Lactose and cheese powder give the dairy side, and lactic acid adds a cheese like tang.

Why the shape matters

The saddle shape curves up in one direction and down in the other. That curve makes each crisp stiffer than a flat disc of the same thickness, so it resists breaking in the tube, and it means one crisp nests neatly on the next. It also explains the even crunch: every crisp is the same thickness, so every bite breaks the same way.

Modified maize starch and maltodextrin

Two starch based ingredients sit in the seasoning: modified maize starch and maltodextrin. Both are mild powders that help a seasoning spread evenly and stick to the crisp's surface. Because every Pringle has the same smooth face, a carrier like this is what keeps the coating even from the top of the tube to the bottom.

Numbers per 100g

The label gives 517 kcal (2158 kJ), 30g of fat, 2.7g of saturates, 54g of carbohydrate, 1.9g of sugars, 4.8g of fibre, 5.4g of protein and 0.64g of salt per 100g. On the UK front of pack scale fat is high, saturates and salt are medium, and sugars are low. The label suggests five to six servings per tube, so a tube is a sharing size rather than a single portion.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight cereals containing gluten, from the wheat flour in the dough, and milk, from the lactose and cheese powder. The allergy advice says the crisps may contain soya. The published listing marks them as suitable for vegetarians and as halal. They are not vegan, because of the milk, and they are not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

The tube

A tube protects the crisps better than a bag: nothing presses on them, so they arrive whole. The label says the tube is packaged in a protective atmosphere, which keeps oxygen away from the oil. Once opened, put the lid back on firmly between servings and keep the tube somewhere cool and dry. The pack names Kellogg's, at MediaCityUK in Salford, as the distributor, and the published listing gives the origin as produce of the EU and the United Kingdom.

Serving the tube

Pringles suit a party table because they are so easy to share: tip a stack into a bowl, or pass the tube round. Because they are all the same size, they also make neat canapé bases: a dab of soft cheese and a slice of spring onion on each turns a tube into a plate of nibbles. They work with a soured cream dip, a cheese board or a bowl of salsa, and a stack of cheese and onion makes a good crunchy side for a burger. The tube also travels well to a picnic, because nothing inside it gets crushed.

Other Pringles flavours

In the same 165g tube we stock Pringles Original, Sour Cream and Onion, Salt and Vinegar, Paprika, Texas BBQ Sauce, Smokey Bacon and Prawn Cocktail. For salt, cheese and onion is among the lower Pringles at 0.64g per 100g, close to Original and Sour Cream and Onion at 0.62g on their labels, and well below Salt and Vinegar at 1.9g.

Storage

Store the tube in a cool, dry place, with the lid on once opened.

Other 165g packs of Pringles we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.