Potato Waffles
Birds Eye Potato Waffles €1.85 for 680g, €2.73 per kg
When if comes to irritatingly catchy jingles, Birds Eye wins hands down. We haven’t seen this product advertised for many years but we can still tell you that Birds Eye potato waffles are waffly versatile. The market leader – 75 per cent of the waffles sold here are from Birds Eye – these are the only waffles to claim to be made with “specially selected 100 per cent potatoes” and go on to say that they are “made with freshly mashed potato”. We’re not clear how fresh the potato granules listed among the ingredients can be. With 0.9g per 100g, they were very salty but they crisped up well and the potato actually tastes of, you know, potato, which was something of a surprise.
Verdict: Waffly tasty ****
Green Isle Potato Waffles for €2.29 for 680g, €3.36 per kg
With the 50 per cent extra free these are good value for money – without it, we’re not sure. They are quite similar in taste and texture to the waffles from Lidl, although they are a little bit saltier.
They are made with 88 per cent potato and rice flour is also included in the mix. They crisped up well and were not as dense as some of their cheaper rivals – in fact we would go as far as to say they were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, which is kind of what you want in a waffle. The have a high salt content and at 188 calories per 100g they are
the most calorific.
Verdict:Crispy and fluffy ***
Harvest Basket from Lidl €1.25 for 680g, €1.83 per kg
These waffles are made with 87 per cent mashed potato with reconstituted potato flakes and rice flour also included among the ingredient list. The rice flour is significant as it lends these a texture reminiscent of potato cakes and means they lack the light and fluffy airiness of the Birds Eye waffles. They are a very good price. If forced to choose – and all things, including price, being equal – these would not be the first waffles in our shopping trolley as we reckoned they were just a little stodgey and greasy but they are okay and certainly represent good value for money.
Verdict: Grand ***
Dunnes Stores Potato Waffles €1.25 for 680g, €1.83 per kg
Along with the Lidl waffles, these are the cheapest we tried and they also have the lowest salt content – at just 0.3g per 100g and the lowest calorie count – 134 calories per 100g. The low salt level doesn’t really alter the taste which is good and they are not as greasy as some of their rivals.
The are also the only waffles to eschew the traditional 16 mini-square design and have, controversially, gone with just nine squares. This is all well and good but it means the holes are too big and when cheese is melted on them, it has a tendency to fall through the gaps onto your grill, which is not ideal.
Verdict:Best value ****
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