You can’t have a roast dinner without the trimmings of honey parsnips and pigs wrapped in blankets.
A crispy potato is difficult to prepare so many chefs buy them ready-made.
So do you need to pay a premium for perfect potatoes this Christmas?
Which is the consumer giant? Blindly tasting 11 frozen patties of major supermarkets and large brands, we decided which one was best to pair with turkey.
In first place was Aunt Bessie’s – at £2.38 per kg – which were praised for their delicious flavour, golden colour and crispy texture while Aldi’s Four Seasons Roasting Potatoes at just 75p per kilo came in second and were named the best budget option
Meanwhile, Morrisons Roast Potatoes, at 99p per kg, were a miss with judges noting they had a soggy texture and weak flavour.
1. Aunt Bessie’s
£2.38 per kg
Aunt Bessie’s big brand produced the best-scoring potatoes in this year’s competition, after receiving high marks for texture, flavour and appearance.
Which? loved their golden color and delicious flavor. Their golden colour and delicious flavour impressed the Which? panel as well as their crisp exteriors and fluffy centre.
Aunt Bessie’s are sold at most big supermarkets so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a pack, but at £2.38 per kg they are also one of the most expensive roast potatoes on test.
Big-brand Aunt Bessie’s produced the top-scoring roast potatoes this year, after rating well for flavour, texture, aroma and appearance (left) Meanwhile, Aldi’s ultra-cheap roasties scored slightly lower but their delicious flavour and crispy texture was still a hit with our tasters (right)
Which? Which?
2. Aldi
75p per kg
Aldi’s super-cheap roasties were slightly less popular, but they still received rave reviews from our tasters for their tasty flavour and crisp texture.
You can also get them for 75p per kilogram, which is great news for those who are catering to large groups this Christmas.
3. Sainsbury’s
£1.39 per kg
Which? Which?
The flavour was perceived as too bland by more than half the tasters. They could also be crispier but they were soft and delicious. They are still tasty.
4. Asda
£1 per kg
Asda’s roast potatoes won a lot of admiration for the texture and cost.
They did not score as high as other spuds as 58% thought they were too strong and only 46% said they were crisp enough.
JOINT 5. Bannister’s Farm Farmer’s Roasting Potatoes and M&S Jersey Royal
£1.88 per kg & £4.17 per kg
Bannister’s and M&S were pushed down the rankings by their average flavour, appearance and texture, which is particularly disappointing from M&S as they are the most expensive on test.
These are still great for fluffy roasties. They have a soft potato center that is delicious. Bannisters were also the only gluten-free option for testing.
Bannister Farm Farmer’s Roasting Potatoes can be purchased from Ocado and Tesco. M&S Jersey Royal Roasties are available from M&S (in-store) or Ocado.
Asda’s Roast Potatoes won a lot of admiration for the texture of the interior. They cost half as much as Aunt Bessie’s packs.
Bannister’s (left) and M&S (right) were pushed down the rankings by their average flavour, appearance and texture, which is particularly disappointing from M&S as they are the most expensive on test
7. Co-op Crispy Roast Potatoes
£1.33 per kg
Many of Which?’s customers were satisfied with the results. The soft center of Co-op roast potatoes tasted great, according to most.
Their average scent and soggy exterior let them down.
Some panel members also thought Co-op’s potatoes looked too pasty. You can save money by buying a bag of Best Buy Aunt Bessie’s if you shop at Co-op.
8. Tesco Roast Potatoes
75p per kg
Tesco’s roast potatoes were delicious. But, they had a lovely texture in the middle. Half of us tasters found them too dry. 61% thought they didn’t have enough crispiness.
However, they are not joint-cheapest in test so it is worth considering if your Tesco shopping trip involves a lot of savings.
Many of the Which? tasters thought the soft centre of Co-op’s roast potatoes was just right (left) Tesco’s roast potatoes impressed with their lovely texture on the inside, but half of our tasters felt they were too dry and 61 per cent thought they weren’t crisp enough (right)
Although Iceland is well-known for its frozen foods, its frozen roast potatoes were not very impressive in Which? taste test
9. Iceland Roast Potatoes
£1.10 per kg
Although celand is well-known for its frozen foods, its frozen roast potatoes were not as impressive in Which?’s taste test. taste test.
Some were disappointed by the bland flavor and others found that the outer texture was not crisp enough.
10. Lidl Harvest Basket Roast Potatoes
75p per kg
Lidl has some of the best roast potatoes, but it’s not worth your time.
These potatoes are ranked as the worst because of their weak flavor, pasty color and soggy texture.
Lidl has some of the most affordable roast potatoes, but that shouldn’t deceive you. Morrisons roast potatoes were not well-received by tasters. We found the texture to be soggy worse than other roasties (e.g. Lidl) and about half of the panel thought the flavor was weak.
11. Morrisons Roast Potatoes
99p per kg
Which? Morrisons roast potatoes were blandly praised by tasters.
We rated the soggy texture worse than any other coffees we tried (alongside Lidl) and about half the panel thought the flavor was too bland.
To cover these awful spuds, you’ll likely want to add gravy.
Lisa Barber, Home Products and Services editor at Which? FEMAIL Magazine’s Lisa Barber, Home Products and Services Editor at Which?
“If you’re looking to make Christmas dinner easier, a stash of extra potatoes in your freezer could be the answer. This will allow you to spend time with family and less in the kitchen.