Is The Air Fryer The Best Tool For Homemade Potato Chips?

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It often seems like there is nothing an air fryer can't do. But the real question might be, is it always the best option? Your air fryer can easily toast nuts in a jiffy, and it can make deliciously crispy baked potatoes, but what if you wanted to turn those spuds into appetizing chips? Well, according to Chloe Hammond, the head chef at Asana Lodge, not only does your air fryer do a stellar job, but it should be your go-to option.

Now, that's not to say that going the traditional route and deep-frying potato slices wouldn't perhaps generate the nearest approximation to what you typically purchase in the supermarket, but the benefits associated with using an air fryer for the job make up for any loss of deep-fried flavor. "A deep fryer gives the closest to shop-bought crisps, but an air fryer is healthier, cleaner, and easier to manage," Hammond said. "It uses very little oil, cooks evenly with good airflow, and avoids the faff of hot oil splattering everywhere."

Still, using an air fryer to make potato chips does have its drawbacks, one being that you will have to cook multiple batches if you want them to come out crispy. "The biggest pitfall is overcrowding," Hammond said. "If you pile too many slices in, they'll steam instead of crisp." And that's not the only caveat to making potato chips in an air fryer. Hammond added, "Uneven slicing is another issue; thicker bits stay soft while thinner bits overcook." The easiest way to create uniform slices is to use a mandoline, such as the Gramercy Mandoline Food Slicer on Amazon. However, the easiest way to cut thin potato chips without a mandoline is by using a vegetable peeler, which still works wonders in a pinch.

Like anything culinary, things can take a turn for the worse in a heartbeat if specific procedures aren't followed. Thankfully, Chloe Hammond broke down some of the steps necessary for cooking crispy potato chips in an air fryer so folks don't have to figure it out through trial and error. Thin, even slices are paramount, but before they go anywhere near the heat, they need a little TLC to achieve the ultimate crunchiness. "Soak the slices in cold water for at least 30 minutes to remove excess starch, which helps with crisping," Hammond said. "Drain and dry them thoroughly with a clean tea towel."

Once the potatoes are prepped with a light coating of oil and salt, they are ready to take chip form in the air fryer. "Arrange them in a single layer in the air fryer basket — don't overlap," Hammond said. Don't get too ambitious — if you load the basket to the brim, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

At this stage, you get to experience a bit of that set-it-and-forget-it action. Hammond said, "Cook at around 160 to 170 degrees Celsius for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through." For folks like myself who couldn't convert the temperature in Celsius if their life depended on it, without looking it up, 325 degrees Fahrenheit is a nice round number in the middle that you might be more familiar with, when cooking other foods. After the potato slices are cooked, it's crucial not to ignore the last step, lest all your work be for nothing. "Once done, transfer the chips to a wire rack or tray to cool," Hammond said. "This last step keeps them from going soft."