This week, Value for Money samples five vareties of cheese and onion crisps

Marks Spencer Four Cheeses Crisps

€1.99 for 150g, €13.26 per kg

Highs:These "lovingly made" crisps are, quote, "potatoey" and not at all greasy. That may be because they are made with sun kernel oil, a trademarked type of sunflower oil that is higher in good mono-saturated fats and lower in bad saturated fats, although we're not that convinced this makes them a healthy option by any means. They don't taste too salty and are made with four cheeses - Red Leicester, cheddar, mozzarella and mascarpone.

Lows: The fact that we couldn't discern any of said cheeses was a bit disappointing - while they are light and easy to eat, they are a little flavourless. It's not only the cheesy flavours that are notable by their absence - the little green flecks dotted throughout each crisp were presumably the added parsley, but they didn't seem to taste of anything either.

Verdict: A little bland

Star rating: ***

Tayto Mature Irish Cheddar and Spring Onion Bistro Crisps

€2.30 for 150g, €15.34 per kg

Highs: Ah, bless Mr Tayto, even if he has been prone to adopting all sorts of unnecessary airs and graces in recent years. This is another attempt by the Irish crisp to go all upmarket in the face of multiple threats. For all the fancy talk about bistros, these taste more like old school Tayto than anything else, and for that we love them. They have a really strong oniony flavour that you will either love . . .

Lows: . . . or hate. Either way it lingers. They are slightly greasy and vaguely translucent and were apparently a labour of love for Tayto - something we don't believe for a second. The ingredient list says they were made with the flavour enhancer E621; calling it monosodium glutamate would probably have been a clearer description.

Verdict: New packaging, old school

Star rating: ****

Tesco Hand-Cooked Mature Cheddar and Caramelised Onion Crisps

€1.49 for 150g, €9.94 per kg

Highs: These incredibly crunchy crisps have a delicate flavour that grew on us. They are a whole lot more solid than the competition, making them perfect for dipping into a chunky salsa, as they certainly won't fall apart. They also score extra points for being comparatively cheap.

Lows: We tried them out on five people separately and all five independently came to the conclusion that they were just a bit too crunchy. They are also the greasiest of the crisps we tried. While we like the delicate flavours, they may veer a little close to the bland side of the street. And how a serving suggestion of a hunk of cheese and half a dozen raw onions got past the people in Tesco's marketing department is beyond us.

Verdict: Nice and cheap

Star rating: ****

Salty Dog Strong Cheddar and Onion

€0.99 for 35g, €28.28 per kg

Highs: These are the business; wonderfully irregularly shaped and full of flavour. The potatoes are obviously chipped in their jackets and all the crisps have traces of the dark-coloured potato skin on their rims. These crisps are good and crunchy without being brittle. The flavours are pronounced and each crisp tastes of cheese and not the synthetic flavours to be found in some other options. They aren't even slightly greasy so we felt a whole lot better about eating them. Each packet has a joke printed on the back.

Lows: Admittedly a terrible one: the crisps are very salty. The company doesn't seem to make big bags, so you're stuck buying the smaller bags and consequently paying a higher price - the highest price of the lot, in fact.

Verdict: Lovely

Star rating: ****

Burts Hand-Fried Potato Chips

€0.95 for 40g €23.75 per kg

Highs: These are a decidedly peculiar crisp which you might love or hate. All the crisps are sprinkled with a light coating of cheese powder that is very, very strong and quite pleasant tasting, we thought. We liked the sharp, cheesy edge to the flavour. They seem to be cut slightly thicker than the competition and so are a little less crispy.

Lows: There are no half measures with these crisps - we gave them to six or seven people and every one had strong feelings about them. Some people loved the heavy cheese flavours, others hated them - in fact a slight majority of people felt they were a bit too strong. We, on the other hand, liked them a lot but were less impressed by the price, although, to be fair, they do suffer in price comparisons for being in a much smaller bag.

Verdict: Not for everyone

Star rating: ***