There's something satisfying about opening a bag of kettle-cooked potato chips and finding that one perfectly curled chip. Some are wavy, some fold over, some bubble around the edges, and every once in a while, you get one curled almost completely into itself.
So why does that happen?
It starts with something very simple: potatoes aren't perfectly uniform. Even when they're sliced to a similar thickness, every slice has small differences in moisture and structure. Once those slices meet the hot cooking fat, moisture begins escaping as steam. As the potato cooks and loses that moisture, different parts of the slice can change at slightly different rates. Edges lift, little bubbles appear, and some chips begin to twist or curl.
That natural variation is part of what gives kettle-cooked potato chips their character. Kettle chips are traditionally cooked in batches, creating the hearty, substantial texture people associate with a really satisfying crunch. The potato itself, the thickness of the slice, moisture, cooking temperature, and cooking time all play a role in how the finished chip turns out.
And those curls and folds make things even more interesting. They create extra edges, pockets, and layers to crunch through. It's one of the reasons reaching into a bag of kettle chips can feel a little different every time.
At Stella & Milo's, we think a little imperfection is a good thing. We're not looking for every chip to look exactly like the one beside it. We care much more about what goes into them and how they taste.
Our Original Tallow Potato Chips start with just three real ingredients: non-GMO potatoes, 100% grass-fed beef tallow, and mineral-rich salt. Those are the three ingredients Jason and Carolina chose when they set out to create Stella & Milo's chips.
