Warning: My brother-in-law just told me I was wasting my air fryer on frozen fries

He came over last weekend and saw me making a bag of store-bought fries... he said 'You have a mini convection oven, why not just cut a potato?' I argued it was easier, but then he showed me his method. He cuts a russet into sticks, soaks them in cold water for 30 minutes, dries them, and tosses them with just a spoon of oil. He did a batch in my own air fryer at 400 for 15 minutes, shaking halfway. They were way crispier and tasted like actual potatoes... not just salt. It kind of made me feel dumb for not trying it sooner. Has anyone else switched from frozen to homemade fries and found it was actually worth the extra few minutes?

3 comments

3 Comments

gibson.elizabeth6d ago

Wait, you soak them in water first? That's the game changer, right? I tried skipping that step once and they were total mush. Now I do a big batch on Sunday, soak and dry them well, and keep them in the fridge. A quick spray of oil and 12 minutes in the air fryer any weeknight beats the bagged stuff every time. The texture is just so much better, like a real diner fry.

jake1896d agoMost Upvoted

Soaking pulls out the starch, it's the whole trick. Drying them completely is the other half of the battle. If they're even a little wet, they steam instead of crisp up. Your method of doing a batch ahead is smart, saves so much time. That air fryer finish must get them perfectly crunchy.

elliotadams3d ago

My buddy had the same wake-up call, his wife made him try the soak and dry method. He was a frozen fry guy for YEARS but now he says the homemade ones have way more flavor. He even bought a second basket so he can make a bigger batch at once.