I tried five store-bought french fries including Walmart and Target - and the winner may surprise yo

FRENCH fries are a dime a dozen.

The freezer section in grocery stores is filled with tons of brands to choose from - all around the same price point too.

While it's not the most health-conscious choice, fries do make for an easy side or snack when you're feeling something fried.

The Sun drove around to five supermarkets and tried each store-bought brand as part of our Bang for your Buck series.

The brands we tried were from major grocery stores around the nation: Stater Bros., Whole Foods, Target, Aldi, and Walmart.

The way we rated each was simple: taste, cost, and ease of cooking.

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Here’s how each brand faired starting with the winner.

1. Stater Bros. - 29 out of 30 points

The Stater Bros. brand was the clear winner as it got nearly a perfect score of 29 out of 30.

Not only did the fries taste great, but at $1.99, it’s worth the buy.

The fries had a great crunch and crisped up perfectly when I popped them into the air fryer.

They took just under 15 minutes to fully cook and get that crisp I look for.

If you don't have an air fryer fear not, you can pop them into the oven at 425 degrees for the same amount of time.

For those looking for a fast and cheap treat, these are the ones to grab.

2. Whole Foods "365" - 25 out of 30 points

These were a close second but because it was priced at $3.99, the fries were docked.

Again, these had a great crunch to them and the size was fairly large.

You also get a pretty good amount in the bag so I guess the price can be justified.

These took a little longer to crisp up which I took into consideration when rating them.

This brand was also the only one that had the option of organic or regular and had a no sugar added notifier on the packaging which I thought was nice.

3. Target "Market Pantry" - 23 out of 30 points

Next up we have the Target brand Market Pantry for $2.99.

If I could dock Target points for availability, I would.

I had to drive to multiple stores to find this brand as the french fry freezer section was low - which could be due to Labor Day weekend.

That aside, the fries tasted just okay.

They were quite large and very packed with potato which is to be expected.

There wasn't a ton of flavor and not a huge crunch factor which is what landed it in the third spot.

4. Aldi "Season's Choice" - 22 out of 30 points

The Aldi brand Season's Choice was priced at just $1.95 making this one the cheapest.

That being said, you get what you pay for.

The taste had very little flavor and no crunch at all.

Additionally, the inside of the fries had an interesting look and taste to them which lost some points from me.

On a positive note, these fries were massive and nearly every one I pulled from the bag looked the same.

This did lead to recooking them as they needed longer in the air fryer.

However, the size and cost were not enough to outweigh the flavor and cook time.

5. Walmart "Great Value" - 19 out of 30 points

The Walmart Great Value pack was priced at $1.98, so just a little more than Aldi but still cheaper than the rest.

Just by the packaging, I wasn’t impressed.

Once I opened and started feeling around, the actual fries were small, soft, and even a little slimy.

There was no crisp and absolutely zero flavor.

Typically, when I use the air fryer, I expect some crunch but there was none.

Plus, much like Aldi, since these had a ton of potato, they took longer to cook.

Based on all of those factors, this brand found itself in the bottom spot.