Tater tots, potato puffs, potato rounds, potato barrels — these crispy, slightly snacks go by many names.
They've followed me from the middle-school cafeteria to late-night study sessions in college and always hit the spot.
To find the best, easy-to-make frozen tots, I reviewed the offerings from six brands: Sonic, Signature Select, Ore-Ida, Alexia Foods, McCain, and Cascadian Farm.
For consistency's sake, I bought the most basic flavor from each brand and followed each package's cooking instructions.
Here's how I'd rank the store-bought tater tots from my least favorite. to my top pick.
The Sonic tots were crispy but didn't have any other notable qualities.
Gia Yetikyel
My expectations for the Sonic tots were already low because I don't love the fast-food chain. However, even when I put my bias aside, they still disappointed me.
I baked the tots at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 minutes. When I pulled them out of the oven, they looked crispy and brown.
Unfortunately, the crispiness was all these tots had to offer.
Though the outer texture was good, the tater tots didn't have much flavor. I thought the soft interior kind of just tasted like plain, undercooked potato.
In my opinion, the Ore-Ida Tater Tots left much to be desired.
Gia Yetikyel
Ore-Ida created the original Tater Tot and owns the trademark, so I expected the brand to set the standard for the rest of the potato-based snacks.
I cooked them in the oven at 425 degrees for 25 minutes until golden brown.
If you love the thin, crispy fries at the bottom of a takeout bag, these tots are probably for you. They had the crispiest texture of all the brands I tested.
But even though they were supposedly seasoned according to the package, I didn't think these had much flavor. Compared to some of the others, they left something to be desired.
Cascadian Farm's organic spud puppies tasted like a lighter version of a tater tot.
Gia Yetikyel
I had high expectations for Cascadian Farm's organic spud puppies because I have enjoyed other frozen products from the brand.
Out of the bag, these tots were a darker shade of brown than Sonic or Ore-Ida. The color only deepened when I baked them at 450 degrees for 18 minutes.
They almost felt and tasted like a lighter version of tater tots — they definitely weren't as greasy as some of the other brands I tried.
The spud puppies were decently crispy, but unfortunately, I found the flavor a little underwhelming.
McCain's quick-cooking tots reminded me of a latke.
Gia Yetikyel
McCain offers a quicker-cooking bag of frozen tots. I baked them at 425 degrees for 12 minutes.
They were less crispy than some of the others, but I still enjoyed the texture.
Despite what the packaging said, the taters didn't appear to be heavily seasoned. When I tried them, though, I tasted a hint of onion.
The flavor almost reminded me more of a latke. Unfortunately, this is a tater-tot comparison, not a latke review; otherwise, I would've ranked these higher.
Signature Select's crispy tater rounds had a slightly different shape.
Gia Yetikyel
Signature Select's tots were round and flat instead of barrel-shaped like the other brands. I baked them at 425 degrees for 12 minutes.
They didn't disappoint in the crispiness department, but they were a little plainer than I'd like. Still, the tasty, overall potato flavor made them stand out from the competition.
I think these rounds were the closest option to the cafeteria tots I remember so fondly.
The Alexia Foods crispy seasoned potato puffs were my winner.
Gia Yetikyel
Alexia Foods' seasoned tater tots have flavors listed on the packaging — roasted garlic, cracked black pepper, sour cream, and chives — so I was hopeful.
I baked them in the oven at 425 degrees for 18 minutes. These puffs were crispy, herby, and had a good russet-potato flavor.
Without question, Alexia Foods ranked first on my list. The light garlic and pepper flavors set them apart from the other options.
This story was originally published on February 5, 2025, and most recently updated on February 5, 2026.