I used to be skeptical when my mother introduced my future stepdad Mike round for the primary time.
In any case, she hadn’t dated anybody for so long as I may keep in mind. “Was he type? Would he make my mother pleased? How would he match into our tight-knit household?” These had been simply a few of the many questions I requested myself as an overprotective daughter letting a brand new man into her life.
Because it turned out, he and I had far more in frequent than I anticipated. We’re each delicate Piscean souls, hockey fanatics, and, on a sillier however equally vital be aware, potato chip connoisseurs. (For the document, I’m a Cape Cod type of gal, and he’s a Lay’s Traditional type of man.)
Our knack for ending a large bag of potato chips in a single sitting quickly turned one among our strongest bonding factors. A lot so, that after he realized this, he started exhibiting up at my mother’s place with a family-size bag of Cape Cod chips to assist win me over. It labored.
Since then, my stepdad and I’ve shared limitless bowls of potato chips. Though we normally end a whole bag with ease, discovering a approach to hold our chips crispy, for these uncommon events after we didn’t scarf them down, was our high precedence.
Luckily, after making an attempt dozens of chip clips over time, we found, for the sake of our spuds, our saving grace—our beloved Gripstic Bag Clips—and we’ve by no means seemed again.
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These reusable chip clips seal baggage of potato chips shut and hold them from getting stale for days—and even weeks—on finish.
Discovering the right chip clip wasn’t simple. We went via dozens of them to no avail. The spring-loaded ones typically collapsed beneath stress. Others had been ineffective at holding air, moisture, and even critters out. We grew more and more pissed off as our valuable stash of potato chips saved turning into unhappy, stale messes as a result of crappy chip clips, again and again.
However all of that modified when my stepdad found the Gripstic at a home-improvement commerce present over eight years in the past. (Sure, that’s what he and my mother take into account “enjoyable” weekend plans.) He purchased a set for himself and gifted me one other, and even after virtually a decade, we each nonetheless use our unique units of Gripstics frequently to maintain our potato chips as crispy as ever.
Upon first look, the Gripstic’s slender, stick-like determine could perplex you. It seems nothing like most abnormal chip clips. And I too puzzled how on earth a tall, skinny stick may seal a bag of chips. But it surely’s really fairly easy, and this little gadget’s ingenuity and sweetness lie within the simplicity of its design.
In a nutshell, a Gripstic is a stick-like pole encapsulated in one other stick-like pole that creates a seal while you fold a bag between the 2. It is available in varied sizes (and colours), starting from 5 inches all the way in which as much as 13 inches, to suit the size of nearly any bag of meals. It’s additionally dishwasher- and freezer-safe, and it doesn’t take up a ton of room in a drawer.
However what makes these the very best chip clips I’ve ever tried is their capability to maintain oxygen—which is infamous for inflicting issues to spoil or go stale—away from meals.
Utilizing this software doesn’t take a lot effort, however the outcomes are at all times spectacular. Merely fold the highest of an open bag to create a crease, squeeze as a lot air out as potential, and slide the clip between the U-like bend to type an hermetic seal. This technique has helped hold my chips crispy for weeks on finish, and that’s no exaggeration.
Past my never-again-stale potato chips, the Gripstic has been an absolute game-changer for almost any bagged merchandise in my kitchen, together with snacks, cereal, and even the flimsy zip high on a bag of shredded cheddar cheese that I would’ve torn. It retains all of these objects completely sealed and retains all the things inside securely trapped to stop unintended spills.
It additionally works wonders for holding baggage of frozen meals shut and shielded from the tough, chilly air in my freezer. I typically use a Gripstic clip to stash an open bag of frozen spinach, and due to its superior sealing talents, it helps hold freezer burn at bay—a job at which abnormal chip clips fail miserably.
I’m not the one one who’s totally obsessive about these clips. Many Wirecutter staffers additionally swear by them. That features senior editor Marguerite Preston, who as soon as instructed me this stuff are mainly “Wirecutter lore” because of the devoted following they’ve earned throughout many people on the crew over time. “I like them; we’ve got a bunch within the check kitchen,” she famous.
Drawbacks are almost nonexistent, too. Other than the small studying curve of maneuvering the Gripstic for the primary time, utilizing these clips is sort of at all times foolproof and simple.
Nevertheless, to succeed, it’s vital to create a pleasant, even crease earlier than sliding the stick into place, as it could actually get caught if there are wrinkles within the bag’s floor. Additionally, if the bag’s materials is simply too thick, you will have problem getting the Gripstic throughout because of the slender house, however this is a matter I seldom encounter.
Luckily, they’re comparatively cheap. An assorted 12-pack retails for rather less than $25, and contemplating they’ve lasted me almost a decade and spared many chips from going stale, I’d say they’ve been value each penny.
Plus, you possibly can relaxation assured understanding your chips might be crispy and crunchy even if you happen to don’t eat them shortly, which is priceless for my stepdad and me.
This text was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Maxine Builder.
