chips / fries recommendations for frying

[C_uk]

Hi I am new to these forums and I have a crazy question I hope a few can help with.

What are the best chips/fries for frying on a commercial fryer?

I have recently opened a deli takeaway which is situated next to a school so at lunch times as you can imagine its chips, chips and more chips !

I’m still not satisfied I have found a frozen chip brand I am happy with. I need them to be on the cheaper scale due to the sale price to school kids being so low,

Ive tried chips from bookers, Iceland, Asda.. and still searching to find a brand I can settle with .. hope some of you can help

 

[JpeeL]

We use Chefs Lader super crisp skinny fries from booker/makro. Not the cheapest but taste gorgeous if eaten fresh, £2.65 for a bag I think, or £11 something or other for a box of 4. Still cheap enough to make a decent wack from though surely? We knock them out for £2.50 a portion.

Becareful though as they also do a ‘skin on’ version which has almost identical packaging.

Alternatively invest in a rumbler and chipper and make your own chips, it’s easy and they taste great!

 

[Dan101]

I owned a burger diner previously where people travelled for miles for my fries. I totally ripped off Five Guys and it worked a charm....

Get a heavy duty lever french fry cutter. Smash the whole potato through it, these will be skin in fries.

Rinse the cut fries under cold wated to wash away the excess starch. Shake till dry.

Drop into the fryer at about 175 and shake the basket often. Pull out the moment there is a light rattle to the fries and they are soft. Place in a metal bowl and let cool for at least 10 minutes.

When someone orders you drop the half cooked fries back into the oil to finish.

You will be left with something really crispy on the outside with a mashed potato inside.

You need to use Maris Pipers and Ground Nut Oil for best results.

I used to pay £8 for a 25kg sack of Maris Pipers. Markup for fries was over a thousand %. The phrase "cheap as chips" really rings true, great product.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

We use spuds chopped up with a knife
I must point out though to date we have never found any customers for this side of the business

 

[C_uk]

We use Chefs Lader super crisp skinny fries from booker/makro. Not the cheapest but taste gorgeous if eaten fresh, £2.65 for a bag I think, or £11 something or other for a box of 4. Still cheap enough to make a decent wack from though surely? We knock them out for £2.50 a portion.

Becareful though as they also do a ‘skin on’ version which has almost identical packaging.

Alternatively invest in a rumbler and chipper and make your own chips, it’s easy and they taste great!

Thank you, they sound delightful but Unfortunately I’m surrounded by competition so prices for kids chips are £1.60 med £1.90 large, the only benefit is u get 30p extra for some curry sauce cheese or noodles over them . I do sell them at £2.50 for adults but the kids prices are making it difficult to afford a descent chip
I’ve been using the orange bag of chefs larder but they need to be cooked fresh to taste descent

 

[C_uk]

I owned a burger diner previously where people travelled for miles for my fries. I totally ripped off Five Guys and it worked a charm....

Get a heavy duty lever french fry cutter. Smash the whole potato through it, these will be skin in fries.

Rinse the cut fries under cold wated to wash away the excess starch. Shake till dry.

Drop into the fryer at about 175 and shake the basket often. Pull out the moment there is a light rattle to the fries and they are soft. Place in a metal bowl and let cool for at least 10 minutes.

When someone orders you drop the half cooked fries back into the oil to finish.

You will be left with something really crispy on the outside with a mashed potato inside.

You need to use Maris Pipers and Ground Nut Oil for best results.

I used to pay £8 for a 25kg sack of Maris Pipers. Markup for fries was over a thousand %. The phrase "cheap as chips" really rings true, great product.

These sound wonderful ! I’ll check the price of the fry cutter. It’s always fresh potatoes I use at home So I do prefer that if affordable and not too time consuming.
Where do you buy the ground but oil at a good price ? That’s another thing I’m using vegetable oil and I feel there’s an after taste with it but it’s the cheapest And most commonly used.

 

[C_uk]

We use spuds chopped up with a knife
I must point out though to date we have never found any customers for this side of the business

Why? I didn’t get that lol

 

[Mr D]

We have a chippy near where I used to live.
The owner sold it on and the new guy decided to cut costs - using cheaper chips.

He drove away so much business - the chips were pretty bad - that he sold the business on a while later for a fraction of what he purchased it at. And blamed everyone but himself of course.

Can end up being too cheap.

 

[Mr D]

These sound wonderful ! I’ll check the price of the fry cutter. It’s always fresh potatoes I use at home So I do prefer that if affordable and not too time consuming.
Where do you buy the ground but oil at a good price ? That’s another thing I’m using vegetable oil and I feel there’s an after taste with it but it’s the cheapest And most commonly used.

Be warned, ground nut oil can cause problems - you need to make people aware of it.
Most won't have a problem with it, a few people it will be lethal to.

 

[Noah]

You need to use Maris Pipers and Ground Nut Oil for best results.

Thank goodness for some common sense. I was going to suggest potatoes but thought there must be a good reason why one would choose to pay for pre-processed and packaged chips. Obviously there is a labour cost and capital set-up cost for making chips on site, but I suspect most people pay the difference for "convenience". Running a chippy business for convenience does not look like a rock-solid business plan to me.

 

[The Byre]

I’m still not satisfied I have found a frozen chip brand I am happy with.

That's because there's no such thing as a good frozen chip.

Ive tried chips from bookers, Iceland, Asda.. and still searching to find a brand I can settle with .. hope some of you can help

And they are some of the nastiest cheap rubbish available!

I need them to be on the cheaper scale due to the sale price to school kids being so low.

Then use the cheapest and best - fresh potatoes!

All you need is a rumbler and a couple of hand chipping cutters - it is every bit as fast as opening a package and waaaay better and cheaper.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Im thought that all good chippies use Lard not oil for chips, giving a much better fry

Chip peeler and fresh spuds are a good start

Some suggest frying twice, first three quarters cooked second final thirdafter a rest period

 

[The Byre]

When I worked in a restaurant (in about the year 49BC) we did three times frying. First to cook, second to brown (all 175C) and third just before serving to make crispy at 200C+. We were lucky to have several huge fryers that allowed the chips to float free of one another. The first two fries were done hours in advance, so one man (me) could do chips for 300 covers in a day and still man one other station.

 

[Mr D]

Im thought that all good chippies use Lard not oil for chips, giving a much better fry

Chip peeler and fresh spuds are a good start

Some suggest frying twice, first three quarters cooked second final thirdafter a rest period

Some of us love orange chips.
People apparently travel for miles to get such chips.

 

[Dan101]

I think my manual fry cutter was around £250. It took an absolute hammering, some days cutting around 75kg of potatoes. After a year it was beaten up but still doing the job fine.

I used friars pride for my nut oil as they also do a waste oil collection. Options for oil and waste collections down South (Essex in my case) are quite sparse in comparison to up North where they really love their chippys.

Now whilst its important to tell people that you use nut oil, in reality even someome with the most severe of nut allergies could drink it like water with mo issues. It is refined and that process removes the allergen. Legally though the best move is to display everywhere that you you use and when you get asked about the safety just tell people to do their own research and say nothing more than that. I lost to my knowledge about 1 potential customer a month who just wasnt comfortable taking the risk. Everyone else, including nut allergy sufferers appreciated a superior product.

Cost is an issue. Sunflower oil is 2nd best imo and nut oil is about twice the cost. Nut oil lasts a bit longer though. I got 3 days of heavy use out of nut oil and only 2 days out of sunflower before it died and needed changing.

 

[Dan101]

Yeah I cannot stress enough you need to be frying twice (3 is cool but not necessary in my opinion). Frying once all the way from raw makes for a hard, earthy, slightly raw tasting chip. Cook 3 quatres on first fry then finish on 2nd. Thats a crispy outside and mashed potato inside, exactly the words of Five Guys. By the way in addition to having my own place I worked 3 shifts at Five Guys and did their training programme just to learn how they do everything.

Another thing to remember is chips cool and lose their taste and texture faster than any other item on most menus. They don't travel well at all and there is very little you can do about it. The big boys have studied it and if it was possible to retain the wonders of cooked chips during transport, the clown with the Golden Arches would have figured it out by now. So if you do end up renowned for your fries it's worth putting a little disclaimer that they are at their best eaten in store.

 

[Mr D]

I think my manual fry cutter was around £250. It took an absolute hammering, some days cutting around 75kg of potatoes. After a year it was beaten up but still doing the job fine.

I used friars pride for my nut oil as they also do a waste oil collection. Options for oil and waste collections down South (Essex in my case) are quite sparse in comparison to up North where they really love their chippys.

Now whilst its important to tell people that you use nut oil, in reality even someome with the most severe of nut allergies could drink it like water with mo issues. It is refined and that process removes the allergen. Legally though the best move is to display everywhere that you you use and when you get asked about the safety just tell people to do their own research and say nothing more than that. I lost to my knowledge about 1 potential customer a month who just wasnt comfortable taking the risk. Everyone else, including nut allergy sufferers appreciated a superior product.

Cost is an issue. Sunflower oil is 2nd best imo and nut oil is about twice the cost. Nut oil lasts a bit longer though. I got 3 days of heavy use out of nut oil and only 2 days out of sunflower before it died and needed changing.

Agreed most can handle the nut oil.
Not all can. So worth noting to customers. Who then take responsibility.

 

[The Byre]

Three fries gives a different sort of chip - crispier. But it has one huge advantage - speed! The plate goes on the warmer with the rest of the food and the chip-man just 'blasts' as many portions as he needs at that moment for 30 seconds and hands over to front-of-house or directly to the punter.

BTW, I love the fact that this forum gets so animated over the subject of chips!

 

[Noah]

Im thought that all good chippies use Lard not oil for chips, giving a much better fry

Vegetarians don't appreciate lard. And remember the kerfuffle about beef fat served to unsuspecting Hindus a few years ago?

 

[The Byre]

I used to pay £8 for a 25kg sack of Maris Pipers. Markup for fries was over a thousand %. The phrase "cheap as chips" really rings true, great product.

This needs to be repeated. If you are running a served food outlet of any sort, you can use frozen stuff for things like meat and some fish types, but everything else must be fresh if you are to keep costs down and serve food that tastes of something. This is especially true for vegetables of all sorts and not just tatties!

This goes right across the board - ready-made mayonnaise (that tastes revolting IMO) costs £3 a litre wholesale and some stupid price retail and you can make real mayonnaise using eggs, vinegar and olive oil for half that. Ketchup is even more extreme.

 

[Mr D]

This needs to be repeated. If you are running a served food outlet of any sort, you can use frozen stuff for things like meat and some fish types, but everything else must be fresh if you are to keep costs down and serve food that tastes of something. This is especially true for vegetables of all sorts and not just tatties!

This goes right across the board - ready-made mayonnaise (that tastes revolting IMO) costs £3 a litre wholesale and some stupid price retail and you can make real mayonnaise using eggs, vinegar and olive oil for half that. Ketchup is even more extreme.

Any halfway decent cook can do better tasting sauces than the commercial ones. Not everyone chooses to take the time - the commercial stuff is ready made in quantity.
Agree about the taste of the cheap mayo.

 

[CVRO]

When it comes to allergy, there's a difference between refined and unrefined ground nut oil. The latter still contains the protein that triggers the reaction.
My son is allergic to nuts and given that I'd not be able to deternine whether the ground nut oil used is refined I'd stay clear of the chippy.
Yes, maybe I'm an isolated case...

 

[C_uk]

Thank you everyone for your advice ... it’s not a chippy though it’s a deli sandwich / home cooking takeaway... as I don’t specialise In chips most places like this serve frozen chips so I was just wondering if anyone has come across a good value reliable frozen chip.
I don’t know if three times cooled applied to frozen chips aswell as fresh but we do go with twice cooked to keep up with the school kids demands at lunchtimes

 

[The Byre]

The words 'deli' and 'home cooking' imply good and fresh food. Not frozen. 'Deli' comes from 'delicatessen' and that was (and still is) a German word meaning to eat fine food. Frozen chips from Asda is the very opposite!

Quite honestly, I would never serve frozen chips or any other frozen vegetables at home and I would be very annoyed if that is what I got at a deli.

A small fryer and a used rumbler is hardly a major investment!

 

[C_uk]

I agree trust me I would much rather be making fresh potato chips but unfortunately the school kids want otherwise. It’s the same in most other fast food places that’s not a chippy, such as Chinese takeaway, Indian, Italian, sandwich shops... they use frozen or chilled chips, they don’t use fresh potato chips.

 

[The Byre]

They serve tasteless crap that costs a great deal more than fresh potatoes - so you have to do the same?

 

[Mr D]

When it comes to allergy, there's a difference between refined and unrefined ground nut oil. The latter still contains the protein that triggers the reaction.
My son is allergic to nuts and given that I'd not be able to deternine whether the ground nut oil used is refined I'd stay clear of the chippy.
Yes, maybe I'm an isolated case...

My sister would as well - my youngest niece is extremely allergic to nuts. Anaphylaxis is not pleasant.

 

[Mr D]

The words 'deli' and 'home cooking' imply good and fresh food. Not frozen. 'Deli' comes from 'delicatessen' and that was (and still is) a German word meaning to eat fine food. Frozen chips from Asda is the very opposite!

Quite honestly, I would never serve frozen chips or any other frozen vegetables at home and I would be very annoyed if that is what I got at a deli.

A small fryer and a used rumbler is hardly a major investment!

Frozen chips can be quite nice when you have not got time to do fresh.

A café I worked at one year as a kitchen porter had me just weekends at start of the season.
The chips were fresh and I kept baskets of them in a bath of water until called for. When I wasn't around the boss would pull a basket when needed. Even if a few days sitting in the stagnant water...
Rather than waste water or chips he would keep them to next day or day after or whenever...

He would have been better using frozen for times fresh that day stuff was unavailable.

 

[Newchodge]

I agree trust me I would much rather be making fresh potato chips but unfortunately the school kids want otherwise. It’s the same in most other fast food places that’s not a chippy, such as Chinese takeaway, Indian, Italian, sandwich shops... they use frozen or chilled chips, they don’t use fresh potato chips.

I am always surprised by the number of people who seek advice and then, when they get the advice they seek, argue about why the advice is wrong.

 

[Mr D]

I am always surprised by the number of people who seek advice and then, when they get the advice they seek, argue about why the advice is wrong.

Some seek validation of their ideas rather than a change. Its not uncommon on forums.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

How do you know your young customers taste, have you offered a trial?, or just think thats all they like

 

[C_uk]

I seemed advice on frozen chips though, I know fresh potato is better. But

Frozen chips can be quite nice when you have not got time to do fresh.

A café I worked at one year as a kitchen porter had me just weekends at start of the season.
The chips were fresh and I kept baskets of them in a bath of water until called for. When I wasn't around the boss would pull a basket when needed. Even if a few days sitting in the stagnant water...
Rather than waste water or chips he would keep them to next day or day after or whenever...

He would have been better using frozen for times fresh that day stuff was unavailable.

I agree with you, Many many places sell frozen chips, there must be good ones out there that fry better than others. To make fresh chips profitable you need to have a steady flow of chip orders hence why generally only chippies only sell them and everywhere else go frozen.

 

[C_uk]

I am always surprised by the number of people who seek advice and then, when they get the advice they seek, argue about why the advice is wrong.

I asked for advice on frozen chips I wasn’t asking to change my product. I fully appreciate everyone’s advice and I too would much prefer to sell fresh cut chips but sometimes that’s not possible. I am not arguing that anyone’s advice is wrong, everyone is offering great comments and tips and I think that’s wonderful

 

[C_uk]

Some seek validation of their ideas rather than a change. Its not uncommon on forums.

Yes that’s all it was, just to see if anyone knew of some good frozen products as chips is not a big focus for me outwith a 30 minute school rush. I love all the feedback here and am ever so greatful for them all Fabulous forum very glad I joined

 

[C_uk]

How do you know your young customers taste, have you offered a trial?, or just think thats all they like

No I haven’t offered a trial of fresh chips.
Theres chip shop very near to me so anyone choosing fresh chips go to the chippy. There is also McDonalds, kfc, Greggs, aswell as other deli’s/ fast food takeaways. The kids just go between them on based on how they prefer to eat that day but unfortunately when they come to me all they want is chips / cheese / curry / noodles (despite everything else I have to offer that adults enjoy).

I do get a good footfall from the school rush, so they don’t have any issues in what I’m serving, I just wondered really if there was a good brand of frozen / chilled chips out there that is good value and good quality.

 

[JpeeL]

You could try the frozen chips and put seasoning on after they have been fried, just a small amount to give a subtle taste.

 

[C_uk]

You could try the frozen chips and put seasoning on after they have been fried, just a small amount to give a subtle taste.

Yes I like that idea, Do you mean like a piri piri seasoning on top ? I’ll need to look out for something, I think the kids would quite like that, thank you

 

[JpeeL]

Yes I like that idea, Do you mean like a piri piri seasoning on top ? I’ll need to look out for something, I think the kids would quite like that, thank you

Try different ones see which you/they prefer. We just use the regular ‘chip seasoning’ it makes the chips taste like a fluffy crisp (can’t figure out what flavour it reminds me of). But that’s on the fresh potatoes, we use it on the frozen fries aswell and it’s still good!

 

[C_uk]

Try different ones see which you/they prefer. We just use the regular ‘chip seasoning’ it makes the chips taste like a fluffy crisp (can’t figure out what flavour it reminds me of). But that’s on the fresh potatoes, we use it on the frozen fries aswell and it’s still good!

Thank you so much I’ll definitely pick up some chip seasoning it’s a great idea for making them a little different to everywhere else too

 

[JpeeL]

Just remember not to go over the top, just a dusting.