We took the chips and salsa to the Children's Museum of Houston to see if snackers could taste a difference.
The gourmet brand we tested was called Salsa, Texas that we purchased at the grocery store for $4.99. The national brand we chose is the Tostitos jar for $2.50. Our cheapest purchase was a brand called La Victoria that we found at the 99 Cents Store.
We also picked up three different brands of chips. The pricey chip called Que Pasa is $4.99 a bag. Tostitos were our mid-price chip at $2.99, and we picked up Guerrero chips from the Dollar Tree.
First up, the salsa. Testers said the 99 cents purchase was not as flavorful as the others.
"It was a little too bland for me, it had some heat at the end but the initial taste is pretty bland," one parent said.
The gourmet premium salsa resonated with those with a more sophisticated pallet.
"You can definitely taste the smokiness, the flavors are more complex, and there is some heat," a tester said. "I like the roasted flavor on this and it had more of a complicated taste."
But most testers preferred Tostitos salsa because it was the most familiar to them.
"I like the big pieces and it's got a good taste to it," said one taste tester.
When it comes to chips, testers found the most expensive, organic chip fell flat for flavor and crunch.
Tostitos came in second for a consistent crunch, but it was the $1 Guerrero chips that got the most high marks. Testers said the chip was thick and salty.
We polled the ABC13 Facebook friends to see their favorite brands and received slightly different results. Julio's chips and salsa were the overwhelming favorite, followed by Pace Picante and Wright's of Texas. Clint's Picante and Arriba Hot Salsa were also among the top picks.
Pace Picante is the cheapest out of those, with the rest costing between $3.50 and $5 a jar.
Nearly everyone said the best salsa is the homemade kind, and I agree! Here's my family's (not so secret anymore) spicy salsa recipe.
Find Patricia on Facebook at ABC13PatriciaLopez or on Twitter at @patricialopez13
