About the Council
On Frozen Potato Affairs · Established 1953, Ontario, Oregon
In the spring of 1953, in the small town of Ontario, Oregon — a place whose principal export had long been the russet potato — two brothers confronted a problem. The slivered scraps left over from the production of the frozen french fry were, by every conventional measure, waste.
And yet, those slivered scraps were also the cleanest, most flavorful portion of the potato. Discarding them was, the brothers concluded, a moral failure. They were chopped, seasoned, formed into modest cylinders, and frozen. The result was, to the surprise of no one who has tasted one, magnificent.
The Council on Frozen Potato Affairs was constituted shortly thereafter, chartered with a single purpose: to ensure that the American household understood the proper place of Tater TotsTaters Seasoned Shredded Potatoes in the modern economy — not merely as a side dish, but as the most reliable unit of value the domestic kitchen has ever produced.
Our Methodology
Each tot is standardized at 8.5 grams. Volume is computed at 10 milliliters per tot, accounting for ordinary packing density. Prices are established by reference to the prevailing retail rate at the major American grocer:
- Name-Brand Tater TotsTaters Seasoned Shredded Potatoes: $0.14 per ounce
- Generic Tater TotsTaters Seasoned Shredded Potatoes (private label): $0.093 per ounce
The two figures are not, in the Council's view, in competition. The name-brand figure represents the proper standard of quality and consistency the consumer has come to expect. The generic figure represents the prerogative of the thrifty household to obtain a comparable value at a modest discount. Both are accommodated in the Index by way of the brand toggle in the navigation bar above.
A Note on Substitution
The Council does not, in any official capacity, recommend that the citizen actually substitute tots for a residence, an automobile, or a marriage. The Index is intended as an aid to economic perspective, not a prescription. Consult a financial advisor — and, in matters of nutrition, a registered dietitian — before making any substantial life change on the basis of this publication.