Top 8: The best budget-friendly gluten-free crisps and those worth the splurge 

Today’s Top 8 gluten-free snacks have about 30% fat content and 100-135g sharing bags have around 600 calories. (I pop a handful into a bowl for portion control and to avoid dipping mindlessly into packets.)

Watch ingredient lists for other allergens, such as lactose, a milk product used as a base for flavours to coat crisps.

Whether gluten-free or not, the best snack offerings come with few additives, leaving the raw ingredients to speak for themselves.

Crisps are one of life’s simple pleasures. Enjoy them on their own, with dips or a glass of wine. They also work well floated onto a healthy soup or in a salad sandwich.

We have introduced a new feature today — save or splurge — a tag given to products worth the extra money or are particularly good for their low price.

O’Donnell Irish Sea Salt crisps 125g €2.55 (Splurge)

The shortest list of ingredients here has salt, potatoes and sunflower oil. Compared to other offerings, it’s not so difficult to keep a salted version simple, but we were impressed that the salt content was just 1%. This suits serious wine drinkers who don’t favour vinegar flavours. The brand’s Ballymaloe Relish & Cheddar Cheese flavour (1.4% salt) also excited tasters for the decent crunch and a good sweet and sour taste. Irish from farm to packet.

Score: 9

Wicked Kitchen Cool Triangles 85g €3

Children liked these immediately. It took more than one bite for the peppers and sour cream flavours to come through. There are spinach and broccoli powders with dried potato, but we didn’t get a green vegetable taste. Rice flour is used. Their structure is fascinating – two convex triangular webs fused with space in between, resulting in a light mouthful. 1.8% salt. Expensive, but an interesting talking point. From Tesco.

Score: 9

Kettle Irish Cheddar & red onion crisps 130g €2.99

We gave additional marks for the relatively low 1.1% salt content and flavours that are not overdone. One taster would have liked more cheese flavour. A good crunch, but not brittle, and they have a relatively short list of ingredients. This US-based company owned by Campbell Soup Company was the first to introduce many of us to the idea of spending more on crisps.

Score: 8

Tesco Finest Crinkle Cut Sea Salt & white wine vinegar crisps 150g €2.25

Commendably made from Irish potatoes, tasters found these flavoursome and liked the crunch that comes with crinkle cut. At 2.23%, salt is high, but it and the wine vinegar flavour were not overdone. Contain lactose.

Score: 8

Aldi Specially Selected Sea salt & Chardonnay vinegar hand cut crisps 150g €1.79 (Save)

The mention of Chardonnay vinegar excited and brought out the cynic in tasters, but all agreed that the vinegar with sharpish added dried spirit vinegar was not for the faint-hearted, yet most still liked them. At 2.35%, salt is high. Contain lactose.

Score: 7.75

Keogh’s Extra Crunchy crinkle cut Atlantic sea salt and balsamic vinegar crisps 125g €2.79

Well-balanced vinegar to salt, not too tangy, yet at 2.13% high in salt. Tasters liked them. Rice flour is used instead of wheatflour.

From an innovative range, tasters also loved the mature Irish cheddar and onion. Fully produced in Ireland.

Score: 8.5

Tayto Occasions Crushed sea salt and aged malt vinegar crisps 135g €2.70

The ageing of the malt vinegar served to mellow the volatile flavours that come with a young vinegar. At 2%, salt is high, though not obvious in the taste. Rice flour is used instead of wheat flour. Tasters liked them.

Score: 8

Mister Free’d Tortilla chips avocado guacamole flavour 135g €3.29

Corn chips have avocado flavour and dried avocado flour deliver a saltiness, though just 1% salt is included with rice flour with dehydrated onion and garlic. Some got the avocado flavour - some did not. Suitable for usual use as a dip with some fresh tomato and onion. Made in the EU.

Score: 7.5