Chips are one of the nation’s favourite comfort foods, but if you don’t eat them straight away, they can lose their crunch – so one expert has unveiled how to properly reheat them
Chips are the ultimate treat, always perfect for a hunger pang whether they come from your favourite chippy or straight from your own kitchen.
But we all know leftovers can turn into a sorry state, losing that irresistible crunch and becoming limp or flavourless.
However, food experts have cracked the code for resurrecting those leftover chips and it’s so simple, taking less than five minutes with a gadget you’ve probably got in your kitchen.
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Hunter Ebling, food expert at Maine Lobster Now, says an air fryer is the perfect way to breathe new life into your chips.
“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.”
The way you store your chips beforehand can also make a big difference. Hunter advised cooling them down as quickly as possible and refrigerating them with a loose cover, reports the Express.
“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,” Hunter warned.
Before returning them to the air fryer, he also recommended patting them dry with a kitchen towel or lightly salting them to remove any excess moisture, as dry chips crisp up far better than damp ones.
For those without an air fryer, there’s still a way to revive your chips. According to Hunter, a standard oven can do the job as long as you reheat them correctly.
He advised: “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.”
If you want to take it a step further, pan-frying is another great option.
“A really hot pan with just a little bit of oil can bring your chips back to life 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.”
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