I'm a chef comparing 5 brands of frozen waffle fries, and I found the best is worth paying a little extra for

• I'm a private chef and I've embraced the convenience of frozen waffle fries.
• I tried frozen waffle fries from McCain, Grown in Idaho, Alexia, Ore-Ida, and Market Pantry.
• Alexia seasoned waffle-cut fries were my favorite and I also liked McCain waffle fries. 

I rarely take shortcuts as a private chef, but I've embraced the convenience of certain foods and fries top my list of things I prefer not to make from scratch. 

After all, homemade fries, especially waffle-cut ones, are a pain to prepare.

So, with ketchup in hand, I set out to find the best brand of waffle fries at the grocery store. 

I purchased 5 brands of waffle fries for the taste test

I bought all of the frozen waffle fries I could find and ended up with a bag each from McCain, Grown in Idaho, Alexia, Ore-Ida, and Market Pantry.

Looking at the frozen fries, the main differences I noticed were the thickness of the cut and the presence of seasonings. 

Each bag was between 20 and 26 ounces and prices ranged from $3.20 to $5.30.

Alexia seasoned waffle-cut fries were thicker than the others but still had a great crunch

I liked that these waffle fries maintained their crispiness rather than succumbing to sad and soggy after 15 minutes. Any parents out there who have been lulled into the acceptance of lukewarm coffee will surely appreciate this factor.

The fries that still had skin on them were exceptionally flavorful. 

The 20-ounce bag of Alexia seasoned waffle fries I got cost $5, about $0.25 per ounce. 

McCain's fries were also preseasoned and pretty tasty 

I thought these fries had the best texture of the bunch. They were also not as thick-cut as the Alexia fries.

It should be noted that the seasoning on McCain's fries was a little bit hotter than Alexia's — my 5-year-old and 8-year-old both vetoed these fries due to "spice" level. Still, I liked the seasonings. 

McCain's 26-ounce bag of waffle fries cost me $4, about $0.15 per ounce. 

Target's Market Pantry fries were my kids' top pick

These Target-brand fries tasted the most like fries you'd find alongside your burger at a sports bar. They had a true deep-fried flavor despite being baked in the oven. These were also some of the cheapest fries I purchased.

My 22-ounce bag of Market Pantry waffle fries cost $3.20, about $0.15 per ounce. 

I thought the Ore-Ida golden waffle fries were fine

There weren't any glaring flaws to these fries, I just didn't think they just were as tasty as their competitors. The Ore-Idas had a nice amount of crispiness, and a light, earthy, almost baked-potato flavor. 

My 22-ounce bag of Ore-Ida fries cost $3.70, about $0.17 per ounce. 

I expected Grown in Idaho's crispy waffle fries to be my favorite but I was a little disappointed 

The pictures on the package looked appealing, and the advertised Idaho origin had me convinced these would be amazing. After all, Idaho is famous for its potatoes. 

Sadly, despite being the second-priciest option, these were not my favorite. The fries had a great crunch, but I found them to be a little dry and missing oil flavor of any kind.

This 24-ounce bag of Grown in Idaho fries came in at $5.30, or about $0.22 per ounce.

Alexia waffle fries were my favorite 

Alexia seasoned waffle-cut fries impressed me with their crispiness and flavor. Although these were the most expensive fries I tried, I think the price was totally worth it. 

McCain's seasoned waffle fries were a close runner-up for me for their crispiness and seasonings, but they may not be ideal for picky eaters or kids who don't want a "spicy" kick.