10 Potato Products At Trader Joe's To Buy And 10 To Avoid

There's no shortage of snacks and goodies to stumble across amongst the vast aisles of Trader Joe's, and while many of the popular grocery chain's products are triumphant winners, others don't quite reach gold status. If you particularly peruse the chip or frozen foods aisles, then you likely notice that Trader Joe's is absolutely stocked on potato inventory — not just straight-up potatoes (well, they have those, too) but potato products, ranging from gnocchi to potato chips to casserole-like sides. These potato-ridden aisles offer up delightful opportunities for the spud lover, though with such a vast selection, it can be tricky to know which products to splurge on and which ones to steer clear of. 

We've put some of Trader Joe's most popular potato products to the taste test and have determined the 10 products you should add to your cart and the 10 that you should avoid. Now, ranking Trader Joe's plethora of potato products is no easy task, though we've applied a methodology that will hopefully save you from disappointment during your next grocery run. Naturally, taste is the biggest factor here — were we wowed by the flavors of a certain snack or dish, or did it come across as lackluster? Other factors include price consideration, ease of cooking (if applicable), and texture once cooked (again, if applicable).

There's no denying that Trader Joe's everything but the bagel seasoning was (is?) a cultural phenomenon, so we really don't blame the chain for trying to milk the lackluster blend for all it's worth. Trader Joe's has done just that with its everything but the bagel seasoned kettle-cooked potato chips — and while these chips aren't downright offensive or inedible, they're just not necessary. The seasoning is boring at best, and considering that TJ's has a pretty stacked chip lineup, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by plucking these off the shelf.

Despite featuring an entire seasoning blend, these chips mostly taste salty with a slight sesame aftertaste. If you absolutely love Trader Joe's everything but the bagel seasoning blend, then sure, you'd probably like these chips. But for those who are over the fad, it's best to leave these chips on the shelf.

Trader Joe's gnocchi alla Sorrentina is not a horrible product, and if you prefer your gnocchi with a tomatoey sauce as opposed to a creamy one, then there's a good chance that this option has piqued your interest. The biggest issue with these gnocchi is that they pale drastically in comparison to TJ's other frozen gnocchi options — a lineup that's pretty stacked, in Sorrentina's defense, so not all of them can be the cream of the crop. 

A perk to these gnocchi is that, like the grocery chain's other frozen options, this meal is easy to heat up — and super quick, too. So you can have dinner on the table in record speed thanks to these gnocchi ... but it will be a dinner leaving you wanting more. The sauce does not cover the gnocchi nearly as abundantly as the package depicts, and there isn't a whole lot of flavor complexity in what little sauce you do get. 

We really wanted to love Trader Joe's tortilla Española, which is an eggy omelet jam-packed with potatoes and onions, but this frozen version just doesn't work. The biggest issue here isn't flavor (though the flavor is pretty bland at best) but rather the texture; ideally, tortilla Española has a certain lightness to it, seeing as it is supposed to be an omelet, after all. TJ's version is just too dense, and we never thought we'd say it, but it is possible to pack too much potato into something.

Coming in at $5.49, the tortilla Española is the most expensive item on this list, and we don't think it's worth your hard-earned money. You'd be much better off making your own version of this Spanish omelet at home or finding a good restaurant that whips them up to perfection.

This may be the most controversial item on this list, but we think Trader Joe's hash brown patties are overrated. Sure, there's a certain novelty to them, offering up something different to typical shredded hash browns or home fries. But once you get past any initial excitement about this product, you'll see them for what they truly are, which is an overly greasy breakfast food that isn't anything special at all.

We also don't like how tricky it is to cook these little patties. The best bet is the air fryer, but if you don't have one, the only other real option is the oven — and who wants to wait 15 minutes (plus the time it takes to heat up the oven) just for a few potato patties? Unfortunately, the microwave and stovetop aren't viable cooking options because you'll just end up with a mushy mess. Simply put, there are more effective and quicker ways to enjoy your morning hash browns.

The biggest crime that Trader Joe's trader potato tots commit, admittedly, is that they're just not special enough to be worth buying (and worth taking up precious space in your freezer). You can find tater tots at nearly any grocery store, and TJ's version doesn't stand out amongst the sea of options to be worth the $2.99 price point. 

There's no unique seasoning on these tots nor are they any easier to cook than your average variety — they're just an okay product, and you won't be missing anything if you pass them up in the frozen foods aisle. When you do cook these tots, they don't even crisp up super well, and are a bit too oily for our taste overall.

At first glance, Trader Joe's loaded potatoes seem like they'd make for the perfect dinner or even breakfast casserole in a pinch. Unfortunately, once you cook this bad boy up, it's just a disappointment through and through. First of all, it takes way too long to heat this product up; it calls for about 30 minutes in the oven, but it took us closer to 45 minutes to fully get those potatoes un-frozen. Sure, you could go the microwave route, but then you'd be making the texture even worse — and trust us when we say you don't want to do that to yourself.

Cooking qualms aside, the potatoes in this casserole-like dish are so incredibly dry and unappetizing. Once heated up, this product is quite oily from the beef and cheese, so it's a wonder how the potatoes still manage to taste so dry and starchy. Ultimately, we don't think you should spend $3.99 on this.

We're a bit confused about Trader Joe's frozen mashed potatoes price point — at $4.29 a bag, these potatoes are one of the higher-priced options on this list. The only way to really make these frozen mashed potatoes taste good is to add your own amount of seasoning, cream, and butter, which seems counterintuitive considering that you're essentially paying for those ingredients already being in the bag. 

These potatoes aren't the absolute worst thing in the world, but they do have that unappetizing, overly starchy consistency that comes all too often with frozen fare. Just take the extra time to whip up a fresh batch of mashed potatoes; it's not a difficult side dish to make, and we can guarantee that your homemade version will taste much, much better.

We're not going to say that anything truffle-flavored is an outright gimmick, though we do think that the flavor fad has most definitely run its course. For that reason, we've determined that Trader Joe's white truffle potato chips are on the "avoid" list, especially when the chain offers so many better options. These chips cater to a pretty niche demographic, and if you happen to fit into it, then go all out and buy them — otherwise, don't waste your time.

If something boasts a certain flavor profile, we'd expect that flavor to shine through drastically. Unfortunately, that isn't the case with these chips; they do taste like truffle, but just barely, and certainly not enough to make them worth your time or money.

Sorry to say, but Trader Joe's shredded potato hash browns don't get nearly as crispy and browned as the package would have you believe. If anything, these hash browns run on the oily side, so it's actually pretty hard to reach that perfect level of crispiness. 

The price point of these hash browns is $2.49, so it's not the most offensive price in the world, but you'd be better off going with a different grocery store's option. There's just nothing redeeming about these hash browns, and there's certainly nothing special about them to begin with. So unless you like limp, soggy, and sad potatoes in the morning, leave these out of your cart.

There's no doubt that Pringles lovers have given Trader Joe's version, saddle potato crisps, a try in hopes of finding a worthy dupe to their favorite chip. While Trader Joe's certainly got the shape and texture right, there's just something missing from these chips ... and that would be any flavor whatsoever.

If Trader Joe's revamped these crisps with a sour cream and onion or barbecue flavor, we might be telling a completely different story. But as-is, with an incredibly modest (if not virtually nonexistent) amount of salt providing the only flavor profile for these saddle crisps, they're a pass — just stick with Pringles.