There is nothing more disappointing in the world than stale chips in the bag. Closing a bag of potato chips is a necessity to avoid the rubbery, stale discs of sadness that lost a courageous battle with moisture.
There's little consensus on how to fight battle. The list below is a collection of the most commonly-employed methods for closing a bag of chips. They range from lazy to more complex, from free to cheap.
The right answer on how to close a bag of chips is in the eye of the owner. But consider the below if your current method isn't making the grade. The Methods Finish the Bag or Do Nothing (cost: $0) Method: Alleviate the need for closing the bag by consuming all the chips. Or, just leave it open.
Pros: This takes the least amount of thought and effort. It also costs nothing.
Cons: You could be labeled as a pig or a lazy oaf. Not finishing the chips put you at the highest risk for chip staleness. The Crumple (cost: $0) Method: Roll the open end of a bag of chips several times, as if it were a beach towel.
Pros: It's free. And it requires no thought. Depending on the kitchen cabinet, there could be something to wedge against the top of the bag to keep it shut.
Cons: It's the least effective in keeping the bag from re-opening. There's nothing to hold the edge of the bag in place, so it naturally (and noisily) uncoils. The Fold-over (cost: $0) - ** EDITOR'S CHOICE ** Method: Fold the open end of the bag under the remaining chips. Set the bag of chips sideways so that the weight of the remaining chips holds the bag down
Pros: This is also free. It requires perhaps a little more thought than the crumple. However, it requires no props to keep the bag end closed.
Cons: It's only a step above the crumple. You have to be careful of how you get the bag out, otherwise you may be at risk of dumping chips all over the place. It may be troublesome if there are too many chips in the bag where you can't get a good tuck underneath it, or if there aren't enough chips for a weighty enough tuck. The Origami pocket fold (cost: $0) Method: As documented here and here, this method uses origami to create a self-closing pocket.
Pros: This is perhaps the most effective of the prop-free closing methods. The only investment is the time to learn the technique. It does a better job of keeping the chips from falling out from the other free methods, as well as keeps the chips fresher.
Cons: It requires practice and learning! In all seriousness, it takes a few tries. Also, there's an emotional stigma that could come with it. If you are the expert at closing bags, you'll either be called to action frequently, or annoyed by others that do not close the bag properly (using the methods described above). The rubber band (cost: $4 for like several hundred rubber bands, so less than $.01) Method: Use the crumple or the fold over. To hold the closure in place, put a rubber band around the bag.
Pros: Depending on the skill level of your crumple or fold-over, it's effective in prolonging freshness. Plus it's a nominal cost.
Cons: The right size rubber band is required. Too small and you risk snapping the band. Too big and you risk the ability of the band to snug against the bag. There's also a risk of crushing some of the chips if they're more delicate. The binder clip (cost: $4-$5 for 12, so about $.38) Method: Use the crumple or the fold over. To hold the seal in place, clamp a binder clip on top of the fold.
Pros: The clip prolongs freshness better than just the crumple or the fold over. Comparable performance to the rubber band.
Cons: There's limitations to how the bag can be stored (it has to be upright, closed end closest to the ground). Plus, it looks incredibly tacky. There's a decent chance the clip could break, depending on the clip size. The smaller the clip, the higher likelihood of breakage. Two Paper Clips (cost: $2.78 for 1000, so about $.00278) - ** EDITOR'S CHOICE ** Method: Use the crumple or fold the end of the bag at least twice. At each end of the bag, fasten a paper clip to prevent unraveling.
Pros: It's cheaper than the binder clip, and better at keeping the seal than the clip or the band. There are multiple points to reinforce the closure.
Cons: Paper clips are hard to track. Like the binder clips, they could be perceived as tacky. Clips can also slide off the bag if handled carelessly. In a pinch, if you have to clip some papers, you may have to remove one of the clips, which puts you back at one closure. The Chip Clip (cost: anywhere from $5 to $11) Method: Use the crumple or the fold. At the open end of the bag, fasten the chip clip. One from any of the following purveyors will work similarly.
Pros: The chip clip works better than the crumple or the fold alone. It offers a larger surface area than the binder clip or rubber band. Plus it frees up office supplies for their intended use.
Cons: If you can get over the tackiness of office supplies, it's puzzling why one would spend upwards of $5 for something that a few cents can solve. Plastic chip clips have a habit of breaking frequently. The author has broken no more than five (5) chip clips in the last 20 years.