The great frozen french fry debate: bag directions vs. my own method

I tried making a bag of Ore-Ida crinkle cuts in my air fryer last night. The bag said 12 minutes at 400 degrees, but they came out pale and soft. I ended up having to run them for another 8 minutes, shaking every 3, to get them crispy. So, do you all follow the package times or just ignore them and cook by sight? What's your go-to time and temp for frozen fries?

3 comments

3 Comments

leo2383mo ago

Bag directions are a total lie, maybe it's just me but I never trust them. I just keep shaking the basket until they look right, idk. My air fryer is basically a guessing game with extra steps.

taylor.jessica3mo ago

Honestly my air fryer is just a tiny food casino where I gamble on whether things will be burnt or frozen.

matthewperry1mo ago

Oh man, @leo238 you're speaking my language... I swear those bag directions are written by someone who's never actually used an air fryer. The time and temp are always way off, like they think we're cooking in a normal oven or something. I do the same thing, just keep jiggling the basket and checking every 30 seconds until it looks edible. It's more art than science at this point, and honestly the guessing game is half the fun even when I end up with charcoal fries.