Does double-frying French Fries in an air fryer make it crispier?

Question

I didn't find this question asked on this site, and didn't find it being answered anywhere on the Internet.

I've tried the recipes that are given online. They're all more or less the same where they ask you to single fry the potatoes (and they all stress on shaking it in between).

There's got to be a better way. I'm sure that there exists another way to make the fries crispier. My question is focused on double-frying rather than "how to make fries".

I have gone through the other questions on this site and come to know that the normal process of making crispy french fries is to fry them twice (and freezing them in-between).

However, what about the case when we're making them using an Air Fryer? Should we follow the same procedure of frying them once, freezing them, and then frying them again after a few hours?

If not, then how can I make crispy french fries using an Air Fryer?

Answer 1

I tried out the following procedures with Air Fried french fries and concluded that the best way to make them is to cut, wash and air-fry.

Note: Any kind of "frying" here refers to air-frying. Also, the potatoes were picked from the same batch, they were cut in exactly the same way with the same width, using a cutting tool.

1. Blanching in water, freezing in the refrigerator overnight, frying the next day:

Resulted in slightly sweet french fries. I don't prefer them sweet.

2. Blanching in water + salt + vinegar, freezing in the refrigerator overnight, frying the next day:

Resulted in slightly sweet french fries. I didn't notice any difference in texture or crispyness as compared to #1.

3. Blanching in water + salt + vinegar, deep-freezing overnight, frying the next day: Resulted in much sweeter french fries

Resulted in exactly the same kind of french fries as in #1

4. Cutting the potatoes, frying them immediately after that:

Made the fries stick to each other. Also, the edges of the fries were burnt.

4. (Best) Cutting the potatoes, washing them with water to remove the surface starch from the potatoes, frying them immediately after that:

This made the best result, IMO. It was almost the same as #1, except that it wasn't sweet. The fries were not sticking to each other and crispy.

4. Cutting the potatoes, frying them in one batch. Waiting for 15 minutes so that they cool down, and the moisture escapes. Then frying them again:

The fries felt half-normal, half-hard like crusty cheese. I had to throw the ends of the resulting french fries because they were difficult to chew.

My two cents:

• French fries cooking methods from oil-frying don't exactly port over to air-frying.

• Air-frying is much quicker and faster. However, it doesn't reach the crispiness of oil-frying. That said, considering the health-benefits, I would go for air-frying any day.

• The best way to fry is also the quickest way. Cut, wash, drain, and fry. I've also noticed that adding the spices after they are fried results in better french fries.

Answer 2

The strategy for making crispy fries in an airfryer is really similar to deep frying:

1. You need starchy potatoes for making great fries.
2. Dehydrating the fries, before browning is a must, this you can achieve by frying multiple times. You need to first fry them at 110C for 15 minutes for the starches to set. Then when it’s cold to the touch, 140C for 15 min and then 180C for 7 min to finish. Remember to coat in small amounts of oil in between everystep.
3. If you want a better result, instead of frying at 110C, you can parboil them in a salt+vinegar+water solution. This would help getting rid of the surface straches, and fortify the outer layer of the fries, so you get get a better crisp and the iconic yellow/golden-brown color.