Evaluating Apple Chips

I am OBSESSED with the apple chips my employer (AU) serves with "healthy staff" luncheons. So naturally I've been trying to find how to purchase them myself. I haven't been able to figure out exactly how AU does these chips, if they purchase them from somewhere else or quite what the process is to end up with crispy apples that aren't greasy. I rank the AU chips 5/5 and they are the baseline against which I measure other apple chips.

I have tried the following brands:

Seneca Apple Chips

These are fried, as far as I can tell, and a bit greasy. The density of the chip is similar to the AU chip, but I don't believe AU's chips are greasy like these are. These are kind of expensive at our grocery store ($3+ for a little bag). I rate them 2/5 

https://www.senecasnacks.com/product/original-apple-chips

Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Fuji Apple Slices

These are a bit thicker than I wanted, though I like the freeze dried texture. They are at least all sweet, which is not the case with all apple snacks I've found so far. They're also inexpensive ($3 for a good sized portion). I rate them 3/5 https://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/1685

(Target Brand) Simply Balanced Freeze Dried Apple Slices

Again, these are a bit thicker than I wanted, though the texture is ok. They're a mix of sweet and tart apples (some have green skins so I suspect they are Granny Smiths). Quality was similar to Trader Joe's. I rate them 3/5 https://www.target.com/p/freeze-dried-apple-slices-1-25oz-simply-balanced-153/-/A-15909821

Brothers All Natural Freeze-Dried Fruit Crisps - Fuji Apples

These had the best texture and width of the freeze dried apples. Also no peels, seeds, or stems to be found. I ate the whole 1/2 cup package in a few minutes! These were available at Wegmans for 99¢, though the portion is pretty small. The texture is still not quite AU level, but I'd eat these again. I rate them 4/5.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0019413WA/ref=twister_B01LXTEWT4?th=1

Bare Baked Crunchy Apple Chips - Fuji & Reds

These came closest to the texture of AU's chips, so I suspect AU's may also be baked. These were still slightly thicker than AU's final product and some were a little soft. Overall I liked the texture and thickness of these though and I'd definitely buy and eat them again. I think this brand is pretty widely available too, so they'd make a nice snack. I'm pretty sure I've seen them at Sheetz. I picked these up at Wegman's for something like $3.50 for a 3.4 oz. package. A little pricey, but certainly not at the top of the spectrum. I rate these 4.5/5

https://smile.amazon.com/Bare-Natural-Apple-Chips-Gluten/dp/B007TG662Y?th=1

Verdict

I haven't quite found commercially available apple chips with the same texture and thickness as AU's, but plan to continue trying them. The Bare Baked Crunchy Apple Chips seem to be the closest of the ones I've tried so far.