Walkers Max Sizzling Flame Grilled Steak Crisps, 140g

Walkers Max is Walkers' deep ridged range, and Sizzling Flame Grilled Steak is its savoury, smoky flavour: the taste of a chargrilled steak on thick, ridged crisps. This is the 140g sharing bag, which the label suggests serves four to five. The full product name on the pack is Flame Grilled Steak Ridged Flavour Potato Crisps, and the pack names Walkers Snack Foods Ltd as the maker.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from potatoes, vegetable oils (sunflower and rapeseed, in varying proportions), a flame grilled steak seasoning (flavourings, onion powder, potassium chloride, sugar, salt, smoked salt and paprika extract for colour), and antioxidants (rosemary extract, ascorbic acid, tocopherol rich extract and citric acid).

Where the flame grill comes from

Smoked salt is salt that has been smoked over wood, and it carries the charred, smoky note of a grill in a dry seasoning. The flavourings give the meaty, steak like depth, onion powder a browned sweetness, and a little sugar the caramelised edge of seared meat.

No steak

No meat of any kind is listed, and the pack says the crisps are suitable for vegetarians. The steak character is built from flavourings, onion and smoke.

The salt figure

Potassium chloride comes before salt in the seasoning. It tastes salty but contains no sodium, and the salt figure on a UK label is worked out from sodium. The label gives 0.67g of salt per 100g and 0.2g for a 30g serving, lower than most of the Walkers Max bags we stock.

Deep ridges

Max crisps are cut with deep ridges, which makes each slice thicker and stiffer than a classic crisp. The ridges hold more seasoning and give a heavier, more pronounced crunch, the texture of a chunky chip rather than a thin crisp.

Numbers per serving

The label gives 152 kcal, 8.6g of fat, 0.7g of saturates, 16g of carbohydrate, 0.4g of sugars, 1.4g of fibre, 1.8g of protein and 0.2g of salt for each 30g serving. That is about 8% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 12% of the fat and 3% of the salt. Per 100g it is 506 kcal, 29g of fat, 2.2g of saturates, 53g of carbohydrate, 1.2g of sugars, 4.6g of fibre, 6.2g of protein and 0.67g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 29g is red, as it is for fried crisps generally. Saturates at 2.2g are amber. Sugars at 1.2g are green. Salt at 0.67g is amber, in the lower part of its band.

Allergens and diet

No allergens from the UK list of 14 are highlighted in the published ingredients. The allergy advice says the crisps may contain cereals containing gluten, milk, mustard and soya. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians; there is no vegan claim and no gluten free claim. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

What the pack leaves out

The pack says there are no artificial colours and no added MSG; the colour is paprika extract. The antioxidants, rosemary extract, ascorbic acid and a tocopherol rich extract, protect the oil from going stale rather than adding flavour.

How hot is it

There is no chilli on the list. The seasoning is savoury and smoky rather than hot, so it suits anyone who wants a big flavour without heat.

Who it suits

A savoury, smoky crisp with no chilli suits anyone who wants a meaty flavour without heat, and vegetarians who miss a steak crisp.

Compared with the rest of the range

Of the Walkers Max bags we stock, Flame Grilled Steak and Punchy Paprika have the least salt, at 0.67g and 0.65g per 100g, against 1.2g for Strong Jalapeño and Cheese and 1.3g for KFC Original Chicken.

A sharing bag

At 140g, the bag suggests four to five servings of 30g. Tip it into a bowl rather than eating from the bag, so the portion is easier to judge.

Steak night

For a steak night at home, a bowl of these on the side works like a portion of chips: salty, smoky and crunchy, with a peppercorn or blue cheese sauce for dipping.

Serving the bag

A steak flavour suits a barbecue, a pub style evening or a match on the television. Serve it with a pint of bitter or a red wine, a steak sandwich, or a blue cheese dip.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the crisps make a smoky crumb for a steak and ale pie or a mushroom stroganoff, giving a meaty note to a meat free dish.

Storage

The pack advises a cool, dry place and, once opened, eating the crisps within three days. The bag is packaged in a protective atmosphere, which keeps oxygen away from the oil until you open it.

Other sizes and flavours

For single portions, we stock Walkers Max Sizzling Flame Grilled Steak in a six bag pack of 27g bags, at 137 kcal a bag. In the same 140g bag there are Walkers Max Strong Jalapeño and Cheese, Punchy Paprika and KFC Original Chicken.

Sizes of Walkers Max Sizzling Flame Grilled Steak Crisps we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

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