I blind taste-tested No Name snacks against the big brand rivals — The results are shocking

Sour cream chips

The first chip I tried was tasty and crunchy, just like you want a chip to be. It seemed to have a good sour cream and onion flavour and was enjoyable. No notes. The second one looked the exact same, but when I bit into it, I thought it was a slightly thicker chip with a more satisfying crunch. The flavour was very similar but a bit stronger and punchier.

Based on more crunch and flavour, I guessed that second one was Pringles, but I was WRONG. The no name chips were the thicker-cut chip with more flavour. I liked them better and would choose them again. My friend disagreed and thought the Pringles had a more "sour cream and oniony" flavour.

• No name potato chips: $2 for 142 grams
• Pringles: $2.99 for 158 grams

Verdict: Both were quite good, but I thought the no name had a slight edge and would probably choose that again.

Microwave popcorn

This one was so easy. My friend brought over the two bowls of popcorn, I tried one kernel of each and could tell immediately that one was way more buttery and flavourful. I guessed it was the Cineplex brand option and was right. The no name popcorn was very mild; probably shouldn't be advertising a "butter flavour" only to disappoint.

• No name popcorn: $2 for three 82-gram bags
• Cineplex popcorn: $2.69 for three 85-gram bags

Verdict: No name is barely cheaper, so I'd easily pay an extra few cents for buttery popcorn! It's still not the same as you get at the movie theatre, but it's a lot closer.

Ice cream bars

I was pretty excited to try these ice cream bars because, well, ice cream. I had my friend bring them both out to me on a plate and I inspected them closely. One had visibly more chocolate, a thicker coating on the outside that wasn't cracked (see the pic). This made me immediately think it was the brand-name option because maybe no name was cutting some corners for a lower price.

I then tasted each and thought they were very similar. Taste-wise, pretty indistinguishable, except for more chocolate on the one — bonus points for sure.

I guessed that the one with more chocolate was Revello, but I was wrong. Wrong! The one with more chocolate was the no name option. I was super surprised by this outcome.

• No name vanilla ice cream bars: $3.50 for six bars (58 cents each)
• Revello bars: $5.49 for 12 bars (46 cents each)

Verdict: No name is better but actually a little more expensive per bar. Worth it for the extra chocolate.

Crackers

I'll start by saying that neither the Ritz nor no name crackers impressed me much. They're dry and taste like nothing. Crackers really are all about the dips and toppings, aren't they?

In any case, one had a slightly more cheesy and salty taste to it, so I guessed that to be the Ritz cracker. I was right. The no name version was — like so many things on this list — bland in comparison.

• No name crackers: $2.50 for 225 grams
• Ritz crackers: $2.50 for 180 grams

Verdict: While neither is amazing, I'd go for Ritz again.

Mac and cheese

Similar to the popcorn, this was one of the easiest guesses. Just one bite told me which option was KD — it was cheesier. Way cheesier. Now, is it a fake kind of cheese? Yes. But at least it has a flavour. The no name brand was very, very bland. I would 100% have to add more cheese into it to make it a true mac and cheese experience.

If the taste doesn't tell you which one is KD, then the colour will. It's super vibrant orange, unlike the no name, which is a boring beige.

• No name macaroni and cheese: $1.19 for 200 grams
• Kraft Dinner: $1.69 for 200 grams

Verdict: The KD box tasted more flavourful and therefore gets a slight advantage.

Chocolate

I have tried No name chocolate quite a few times in the past.

The Cadbury chocolate is significantly better — rich flavour, smooth texture, sweet but not overpowering. You can tell it's high-quality chocolate. No name, by comparison, is super sweet and has a slightly waxier texture. It's not bad, but it's not star-quality chocolate.

• No name chocolate bar: $2 for 100 grams
• Cadbury chocolate bar: $3.49 for 90 grams

Verdict: If your budget can handle it, splurge on Cadbury. It's way better.

Chocolate-covered almonds

I almost didn't add these chocolate-covered almonds into the mix because it sort of felt like comparing no name to another basically no name brand, President's Choice, the house brand of Loblaws. I assumed they would be the same because they're both budget brands — it's not Lindt or Cadbury or anything.

Visually, they looked the exact same. Texturally, too — both had a solid crunch to the almond, and the chocolate coating was the same thickness. The taste, however, was quite different. One was significantly sweeter and kind of fake-tasting, while the other was richer, smoother, and overall a tastier chocolate flavour.

I guessed that the sweeter option = No name, and I was right.

• No name chocolate-covered almonds: $4.49 for 225 grams ($2 per 100 grams)
• President's Choice chocolate-covered almonds: $7.99 for 340 grams ($2.35 per 100 grams)

Verdict: The higher price point for President's Choice does make for yummier chocolate, so I would get these in the future.