'I'm a chef - people make one 'biggest mistake' when cooking frozen chips'

Frozen chips are a beloved fixture in many British kitchens, yet achieving that ideal crispy finish without the dreaded sogginess can be quite the kitchen conundrum. It seems there's often one cardinal sin that spoils your spuds every single time, regardless of whether you're using an oven or an air fryer.

Chef David Nayfield from Che Fico has revealed that frozen chips can reach restaurant-level excellence with each cooking session, but nailing it hinges on a crucial step. The "biggest mistake" home cooks commit is cramming too many chips onto their oven trays or into their air fryer baskets.

When you heap an excess of chips on a single tray, they fail to crisp up as they should, instead steaming rather than roasting.

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David insists that for perfectly crispy chips, ample space is key.

Give them room to breathe, and they'll crisp up beautifully on their own.

He also stresses the importance of pre-heating your appliance before cooking, rather than trusting that the oven will be sufficiently hot without checking it first, reports the Express.

Tossing them into a cold oven or air fryer typically results in soggy or patchily cooked chips, according to the culinary expert.

A handy tip is to crank up your oven or air fryer to about 200 degrees before introducing the chips.

And for those pondering whether an air fryer or a traditional oven reigns supreme for chip cooking, chefs seem to have a definitive preference.

Celebrity chef George Duran, hailing from New York City, has revealed a game-changing tip for chip lovers, claiming that using an air fryer is like "giving them a fast-track to crispy heaven."

He points out that not only does this method trump the oven in speed, but it's also far safer than traditional deep frying, sidestepping the dangers of handling scalding oil.