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The best hash browns to have with your fry-up
We put nine hash browns through our taste tests to find out which brand has the crispiest offering
It all starts with the humble potato, shredded and mixed with slices of onion, then gently seasoned with salt and pepper to create a deliciously crispy hash brown. Best served with a traditional fry-up, the ideal hash brown should be soft on the inside with a defined julienne grate and wonderfully crunchy on the outside. We put the best on the market to the test, including supermarket own-brands, to find out which ones are worth adding to your shopping trolley. Out of the nine brands tested, our joint winners didn’t disappoint.
JOINT WINNER Aviko Golden Hash Browns
Overall Score: 75/100
Large and golden brown with a light crispiness, these hash browns have an inviting potatoey scent. They're well seasoned too, and the chunky potato filling has a delicious salty, savoury onion taste.
BUY NOW Ocado £1.29 for 630g
JOINT WINNER McCain Hash Browns
Overall Score: 75/100
Crunchy on the outside and beautifully soft on the inside, these golden hash browns have a comforting scent, similar to a potato waffle. The potatoes are buttery with a touch of salt, which gives the hash browns a homemade taste and feel.
BUY NOW Ocado £1.80 for 625g
RUNNER-UP Waitrose & Partners Potato Rosti
Overall score: 73/100
These hash browns have a pleasing scent of buttery potatoes and onions, although some found the smell of onions a little too strong. Wrapped in a golden crispy coating, the sliced potato and onion were beautifully soft when cooked. And unlike some of the others tested, these rosti-style hash browns were not too greasy.
BUY NOW Waitrose £2.59 for 750g
Iceland Hash Browns
Overall score: 72/100
The lovely umami aroma of these golden hash browns is thanks to a strong potato scent mixed with a hint of onion. Seasoned with salt, white pepper and turmeric for added flavour, testers loved the fried potato taste that was likened to McDonald's chips. However, many also found them a little too soft and slightly cloying once cooked, and wished for a slightly crisper coating.
BUY NOW £1.00 for 800g
by Sainsbury's Hash Browns
Overall score: 71/100
We loved the chunky pieces of onion and potato found in these hash browns, and the sweet onion scent. The fresh taste marries well with the savouriness of the potato and, although pale, they do have a slight crispness and a soft filling, which pleased testers. Despite the addition of salt and white pepper, testers did find the hash browns a little under-seasoned.
BUY NOW Sainsbury's £1.25 for 700g
Aldi Champion Hash Browns
Overall score: 69/100
Gentle in both aroma and taste, these hash browns have a subtle smell of potato and onions, and a delicious buttery flavour. Though enjoyable, some found the taste of onions dominated the flavour and that the texture was too soft. The exterior could be crisper, too.
In stores only, Aldi £0.69 for 750g
Co-op Hash Browns
Overall score: 66/100
Here, a hint of caramelised sweetness from the onions is paired with the potatoes to create an enticing aroma. They were pleasingly soft on the inside but a tad too greasy and lacking in crispness on the outside. Testers also found that they lacked seasoning, needing a touch more salt to boost the natural flavour of the potatoes.
In stores only, Co-op £1.10 for 700g
Tesco Hash Browns
Overall score: 66/100
A chunky offering, these golden hash browns are filled with large slices of potato. Onions, white pepper and salt give the spuds a pleasing savoury aroma but many found the taste too bland and the potatoes a little too firm.
BUY NOW Tesco £1.20 for 750g
ASDA Crispy Hash
Overall score: 64/100
Pale in appearance but surprisingly fairly crisp, these hash browns have a soft texture inside with slices of onion and a few firmer strips of potato. When it came to the taste, our panel was disappointed by the lack of seasoning, finding the hash browns a little bland and slightly under-baked.
BUY NOW ASDA £0.90 for 800g
Janet Leigh is the acting food testing manager at the GHI. From Easter in January to Christmas in July (and all that falls in-between), she leads the taste test team as they munch their way through sample after sample trying to find you the best products on the market. Whether it’s the latest trending foods or your cupboard staples, she covers it all. She now writes for Digital Spy
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