I tried 8 kinds of store-bought tortilla chips and ranked them from worst to best

First Impression: I didn't particularly enjoy how these felt coming out of the bag. They seemed brittle and looked quite bland. The bag even says they're saltless, which might make them more ideal for people watching their salt intake. 

Review: In my opinion, the chips tasted like a fried piece of paper. They also had a strong avocado oil taste to the point I almost felt like I was sucking on an avocado pit.

With Salsa: These chips were flat, so getting a good chunk of salsa was challenging. They also had a wide surface area, so getting everything in one bite was tough.

A positive was the chips broke evenly, so I didn't need to worry about spilling.

Unsurprisingly, this was far better with salsa. The flavor masked the negative aspects of the chip. I enjoyed the crunch quite a bit and liked the fluffiness they brought to the equation. 

First Impression: These are a classic for a reason. I remember them being salt-filled and perfect for dipping. 

Review: They're great. The chips have more salt than you need (a good thing) and are a great size.

My one complaint is that they don't have the same oily crisp as many other chips in this review. I didn't realize how essential that was until now.

With Salsa: Though designed for scooping, I found the chip dug into the roof of my mouth frequently, which was unpleasant. That's an issue with chips as a food group, but I would've enjoyed these more if they weren't circular.

Still, I'm a fan of the curved nature of these chips and think it's a feat of modern engineering. 

First Impression: It was thrilling to pull these out of the bag.

Salt and lime flaked off in my hand as I poured them into the bowl, making me hopeful for a robust flavor combination. 

Review: I appreciated the lime flavor on these chips. It came off as natural as if someone squeezed a lime as they passed through the conveyer belt and into bags.

The first chip I tried wasn't well-coated, and I initially thought the lime flavor wouldn't be strong. But the others held up.

These weren't as bold as I'd hoped but were still delicious. 

With Salsa: The lime made the salsa pop here, which not every lime chip does. I think it's just a high-quality seasoning. 

First Impression: These chips smelled much better than the original version, and I was surprised to see they had a nice curve.

Maybe the last bag was an aberration. I was interested to see if the nicer appearance and scent corresponded to taste. 

Review: I enjoyed them quite a bit. They had a powerful lime flavor — one that worked better than the lackluster original.

The light and crispy nature of these chips shone. I'd buy them again. 

With Salsa: Everything about this chip is better than the original. They're easier to scoop and have a better taste.

Interestingly, I liked them more without salsa.

First Impression: They looked decently fried with an excellent shape, but chips that look like these often have minimal salt.

Taking them out of the bag, however, I felt an excellent amount of residue and had higher hopes. 

Review: These are excellent. I let out an audible "mmm" when I tried my first chip.

The salt really hit me in the face after the first bite, and it even came with a hint of oil, which I appreciated. I could see myself filling up on these before ordering food at a restaurant. 

The more I ate, however, the less I enjoyed them. They don't have as nice of an aftertaste as most of the others. 

With Salsa: The chips held up well, even though they're flat.

I could see them being an issue if you're trying to scrape the bowl of salsa. But this was all excusable because the chip holds its own even without salsa.

First Impression: The bag said these are "superior dipping chips," which made me look forward to trying them.

Review: A delicious chip. I liked the salt quite a bit, it almost tasted like sea salt.

These chips also had a nice airy crisp, and I could chow down on quite a few. They had almost a corn-puff aftertaste, which is a great way to end a bite. 

With Salsa: If restaurant-style means perfectly made for salsa, then that's what these are.

The chips had an even better crunch and more salt than the Sietes, which elevated the taste of the salsa.

First Impression: These are simply the best. I fully expected them to be my favorite chip. 

Review: Top tier.

The lime flavor wasn't as powerful as it was on many of the others, but it did infiltrate the entire chip, which is unique. It's like they inject lime flavor into the corn before baking it. 

With Salsa: I'm a big fan of these with salsa, but the strength lies in the chip itself.

It didn't add as much to the salsa, and I spent much of the time hoping to eat another plain lime chip.

First Impression: I liked the char marks on these, and I could literally see crystals of flavor (mostly salt) piled up on the chip.

I expected these to be delicious even though I wasn't sure how Brazilian lime was different from regular lime.

Review: These had a great, strong flavor. Some chips were bolder than others, but I found them to be excellent chips.

The lime tasted fuller than any of the others. I don't think I'll be able to stop eating them. 

With Salsa: These were very good with the salsa as well.

I was slightly worried about the lime overpowering everything, but it didn't. If anything, it added to the flavor of the salsa better than other lime chips.

It's hard to believe anything could beat Tostitos' hint-of-lime chip. I had it penciled in as the front-runner from the beginning — I almost just bought eight bags of those and called it a day.

But this is why thoroughness pays off. I somehow found a chip that's more addictive and flavorful than the one I run to every time I see it.

This summer, I'll be bringing a Tortiyahs Brazilian lime to the party as my new favorite tortilla chip.