Potato salad

Marks & Spencer New Potato Salad, 2.99 for 380g, €7.86 per kg

Highs:If this were a beauty contest, the entrant from M&S would get top prize. It looks fantastic - rich and creamy with a sprinkling of what look like freshly-cut spring onions (or scallions as they were called when PriceWatch were a lad). It tastes fresh and could almost be passed off as home made. It has just five ingredients - potatoes, mayonnaise, spring onions, salt and pepper.

Lows:It tastes and smells great, but the packaging is ridiculous. A sharp implement is needed to gain access to this potato salad, but then it can not be resealed, leaving you to eat the lot or find a receptacle for the leftovers. Of more concern is the price, which we think excessive.

Verdict:Nice, dear and impossible to reseal

Star rating: ****

Dunnes Stores Luxury Potato Salad, 1.69 for 250g, 6.76 per kg

Highs:This is very cheap and quite nice, which was a surprise as normally budget deli items taste a bit ropey. It has nice big chunks of scall . . . sorry, spring onions and the mayonnaise, which has been generously laced with sour cream and a dollop of Dijon mustard is good and creamy. It has quite a delicate flavour and an old-fashioned authenticity that is pleasing.

Lows:PriceWatch is not exactly sure what they mean by "luxury" in Dunnes Stores but there is nothing that struck us as particularly luxurious about this. It's grand, but nothing special. The potatoes were quite soapy in texture and while the subtle flavours may be to some people's tastes, others might find it a little on the bland side.

Verdict:Cheap and creamy

Star rating: ****

Tesco Finest Potato Salad, €1.79 for 250g, 7.16 per kg

Highs:Tesco makes a range of different potato salads including a cheapo version and a slimmers' option but we decided to treat ourselves and go for the most upmaket one - and it was probably worth the extra few cents. This should prove easy for most people to get their hands on and it's well worth picking up. The potatoes with their skins still on have a nice texture and flavour. The sour cream lends it a pleasant tang and the abundance of mayonnaise makes it very, very creamy.

Lows:Too creamy, some people might say. There is just 57 per cent potato in this, making it comparatively insubstantial. The chives and the spring onions add colour but neither appear to add much in terms of taste.

Verdict:Fine, but not the finest

Star rating:  ***

Terry's Fine Food Potato Salad, 1.69 for 260g, €6.88 per kg

Highs:This potato salad comes from Castlebar but was picked up in a Dublin convenience store where it is on hand should you need salady goodness at 4am. Made with 80 per cent potato - more than the other brands tried - this is somewhat less creamy but a lot more substantial than the competition. It has a nice vinegary kick to it and some of the tasters found the mayonnaise bore a distinct resemblance to salad cream.

While the other brands are made with potato chunks this looks to have been made using something resembling mash.

Lows:Mayonnaisey mash is fine if you're having it in a sandwich - do people have potato salad in sandwiches? - but not so good if it is dumped into a bowl and served at a posh summer barbie.

Verdict:It's fine too

Star rating:  ***

SuperValu Supreme Potato Salad 1.69 for 225g, 7.51 per kg

Highs:If you like your potato salad creamy, then this is the one for you. The crème fraiche, the mustard and the vinegar compete vigorously for attention, with the vinegar ultimately winning out. The salad onions/spring onions/scallions are nice and crunchy and tasty.

Lows:While Tesco goes for "Finest" and Dunnes "Luxury", SuperValu has opted for the "Supreme" moniker, although it's hard to see what this gloopy mess has done to deserve such a lofty title. The potatoes - some of which have been very, very finely chopped - were drowning in a thick creamy soup which left some of them very much on the soggy side.

Verdict:Disappointingly soggy

Star rating: **