Chips timer

How to use the online timer

Fifteen minutes suits oven-baked chips of a moderate thickness at a high temperature, tossed once partway through — deep-fried chips cook considerably faster, and very thin shoestring-style cuts will be done well before a thick steak-cut chip reaches the same point. Spreading them in a single layer with space between each piece makes more difference than almost any other factor, since crowded chips steam in their own moisture instead of crisping.

Soaking cut potatoes in cold water for twenty minutes or so before cooking, then drying them thoroughly, removes surface starch that otherwise makes chips gluey rather than crisp. It's an extra step that's easy to skip when you're in a hurry, but it's the one most responsible for the difference between soggy and properly crunchy results.

Look for a deep golden colour with genuinely crisp edges rather than just lightly browned — chips that look done but still feel soft when pressed usually need another few minutes. Serve them straight away if you can, since chips left sitting in a covered dish steam themselves soft within minutes of coming out of the oven or fryer.