Can we talk about frozen french fries in the air fryer

I used to bake them on a sheet pan and they always came out soft. Last week, I saw a tip online to soak them in cold water for 30 minutes first, then dry them well. I tried it with a bag of store brand crinkle cuts and the difference was huge, they got so crispy. Has anyone else found a simple trick that fixed a basic food like that?

4 comments

4 Comments

cole_baker1mo ago

Wait, you guys aren't drying them after soaking?

elliot_gibson271mo ago

You're telling me you actually wait for them to dry? That's just adding another pointless step. I've done both ways and honestly can't tell the difference in the final fry. All that soaking does is make your kitchen counter wet and waste more paper towels. The air fryer gets hot enough to blast away any extra moisture anyway.

evan_green521mo ago

That soaking step adds a whole extra half hour I don't have. I just toss them straight from the bag into my air fryer with a little oil spray, and they come out plenty crispy for me. The extra work isn't worth the small difference.

rowan_thomas841mo ago

Soaking for just 10 minutes in hot water works for me, evan_green52. It's not a full half hour. That quick soak pulls out a lot of the extra starch that makes fries soggy. Skipping it means that starch stays on the fry and steams in the air fryer instead of crisping up. You get a fry that's crispy outside but can be gummy inside. The texture difference is actually pretty big once you try it.