Chips are one of those classic foods that always hit the spot no matter what.
Whether it’s a portion from the chippy or a batch you’ve rustled up at home, chips are the ideal accompaniment to so many meals – however, cold leftovers rarely measure up.
Their crunch fades fast, leaving them limp and dull. But food experts have a swift solution for reviving your chips using a common kitchen gadget, taking under five minutes.
Hunter Ebling, culinary expert at Maine Lobster Now, says you can use the air fryer to restore leftover chips to their perfect crunchiness, reports the Express.
“An air fryer works wonders for leftover chips because it circulates hot air around them, crisping them up evenly without making them greasy,” he said. “If you set it to 190°C and leave them in for around four minutes, you’ll get chips that taste freshly cooked with no limp or soggy bits in sight.”
How you store your chips beforehand is really important too. Hunter advised cooling them down as quickly as possible and refrigerating them with a loose cover.
“Sealing them in an airtight container might seem like a good idea, but it actually traps moisture, which makes them even soggier when you reheat them,” he warned.
Before returning them to the air fryer, he also recommended drying them with a kitchen towel or sprinkling a bit of salt to remove any extra moisture, as dry chips crisp up much better than wet ones.
For those who don’t have an air fryer, there’s still hope for reviving your chips. Hunter suggested using a conventional oven, as long you reheat them correctly.
He said: “Preheat your oven to 220C, spread the chips out in a single layer on a baking tray and don’t pile them up or they’ll steam instead of crisp. Bake for about five to ten minutes. This will warm them through while keeping that much-loved crunch intact.”
For an additional touch, pan-frying is another excellent method.
“A really hot pan with just a little bit of oil can revive your chips beautifully,” Hunter said. “You don’t need much, just enough to coat the pan, and you should keep the chips moving so they don’t burn.”