CC’s has corn-troversially taken out the bottom position with these disastrous tornado-shaped chips. Reminiscent of Bugles – a cone-shaped American snack favourite – these corn chips have a texture that dances an undefinable, unsatisfying line between the rigid bite of a corn chip and the airy crunch of Cheezels. Ultimately it was the flavour, though, that had me tossing this bag out before it was done, the decent kick of cheese dusting quickly overpowered by the strange, artificial aftertaste of the chips themselves. Cornado? More like total cornage… 3/10

What is a corn chip? That’s the corn-undrum these light, puffy bites made from popped corn (rather than whole-ground corn kernels) forced me to ask myself. In the end, the fact that they’re made of corn, shaped like chips and dusted in cheese powder convinced me to include them in the corn chip taste test. I’m glad I did. Their satisfying crunch, delicate but resilient structure and bright, well-distributed cheesy flavour make this a surprisingly enjoyable bag to munch through. Being different can be tough, PopCorners, but you’re beautiful just the way you are. 6.5/10

Maybe I’ve been walking through the chip aisle with CC’s-shaped blinders on, but until this taste test, I’d never heard of The Real McCoy brand. And with words ‘BIG VALUE’ taking up as much packet space as the brand name, my expectations were low. But, there wasn’t a lot to quibble about when comparing these and the Doritos. Made by the same company that makes CC’s (also behind Kettle chips, Thins and Cheezels), these were held back from higher marks by their more artificial cheese flavour and slightly strange aftertaste. Still, great value compared to the CC’s and Doritos, and a great match for a jar of salsa. 6.5/10

Hide the bag and I think anyone would have a tough time picking one of these orange chips from the Doritos. Their colour, shape and cheese flavour are pretty much indistinguishable from what’s going on in the big brand’s bag, with this supermarket-branded pack only losing points for their slightly muted crunch and the (very) occasional overcooked chippy. With a 170g bag of Doritos going for just under $5 these days, the $2.30 price tag on these taste-alikes makes them not just a passable snack, but a great deal too. 6.5/10

Like Kleenex, Hoover, Google and Xerox all did for their competitors, Doritos are such a fixture that their name has become a shorthand for all corn chips. With a much bigger range – and more shelf space – than any other brand, odds are if you pop to the shops for a bag of corn chips, you’re coming home with a bag of Doritos. Perfectly crisp, with a great corn flavour and an excellent cheese kick, they’re only let down by the unevenness of the flavour powder distribution; some chips are totally cheese-free, while others are covered in more orange than a former American president. 7/10.

Packed in a paper bag and hidden in the ‘international food’ aisle of the supermarket along with the taco kits and pickled jalapenos, these Mission chips are a little different from the rest of the bunch. Calling themselves ‘restaurant style tortilla chips’, they’re thicker, crunchier and more corn-forward in flavour than their ‘corn chip’ buddies. And while there’s nowhere near enough of the delicious cheese powder distributed (unevenly) across these chips, they withstand even my most aggressive guacamole- and salsa-dunking tests. A solid chip, in every sense of the word. 7.5/10.

The packet tells me there’s cheese flavour ‘baked in’ and ‘on top’ of these chips, and when I finish the pack I realise every single bite has had a satisfying cheese kick. Even the CC’s that aren’t generously dusted with cheese – and there aren’t many of those – are big on flavour. Add consistent crunch and the pleasant aftertaste of the local corn they’re produced with, and it’s hard not to feel a bit of national pride for these Australian-made snacks. Half a point off for the unnecessary apostrophe in their name, but otherwise corn-gratulations to a perfect chip. 9.5/10