French Fries, finger chips, chips, or just fries! Whatever you may call them, their deliciousness remains intact. The one thing we all associate with a good batch of fries is the crunch, crispiness, and the taste of potatoes. We tried and tested three popular and easily available brands of Frozen French Fries. After cooking all of them using two methods over a period of 3 days, we decided on ITC Master Chef Crispy French Fries as our Top Pick for its taste and crunch. Not only were they the crunchiest during our deep frying method, but they also aced when cooked in an air fryer.
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The Yummiest Frozen French Fries
Top Pick – ITC Master Chef Crispy French Fries
ITC Master Chef Crispy French Fries
The ITC Master Chef Crispy French Fries were the tastiest and crispiest frozen fries amongst all the brands.
MRP – Rs 95/-
Net weight – 500 grams
Why ITC Master Chef Crispy French Fries was our Top Pick?
ITC Master Chef Crispy French Fries were our Top Pick because they were the crunchiest and tastiest French fries amongst all the brands we picked.
During our dry inspection stage, we noticed that these fries are not long. The potatoes are cut to a short length but are consistent throughout the pack.
In our deep-frying test, the ITC Master Chef Crispy French Fries were the quickest to cook. Not only that, they were cooked the most evenly as well. In our taste test, ITC’s potato fries were the most perfectly seasoned and had the maximum amount of crunch.
Then came in our Mishry Secret Sauce – Air frying the fries. During this stage too, ITC Master Chef Crispy French Fries cooked the fastest and had an even color throughout. Needless to say, they were the crunchiest.
Our Review Process
From Belgium to Spain to France, the origin story of fries is a bit distorted. But whoever invented these do need a special place in heaven. With the increasing number of frozen French fries available in the market, we had to find out the tastiest, crispiest frozen French fries for you. Here is how we did it.
Who Is This Review For?
Who doesn’t love French fries? French fries can be of different varieties according to the way the potatoes have been cut – thick-cut, wedges, steak cut, shoestring, crinkle cut, curly fries, waffle fries and so many more. We all have a favorite. Don’t we? But, the most commonly available type of French fries is the standard variety that we get at most cafès and restaurants. Sure, homemade fries are great, but what to do when you need the convenience of restaurant-cut fries at home? This is where the frozen French fries come into action. This review is for every French-fries lover out there who likes buying the frozen variety for an anytime-snack or to be used as an evergreen accompaniment with burgers, sandwiches, or as a movie-night snack.
How We Picked The Brands?
We picked three brands that are easily available across India, across online portals, and in local grocery stores. We did not include fries that are cut differently (crinkle or wedges), nor did we include fries with extra seasonings or masalas. We stuck to standard fries, make with potatoes. We chose brands that offered frozen standard cut fries that contain mild salt as a seasoning.
The Brands We Picked
Our contenders for the review of frozen French fries are :
- McCain French Fries
- Safal Frozen French Fries
- ITC Master Chef Crispy French Fries
The Parameters
When we decide on parameters for our review, we want to cover every aspect a consumer would look for while buying a packaged product. Be it the price, quality, appearance, or the taste – we like to gauge every nuance which would make a product worth every penny we spend on it.
- Appearance – A big part of any food product is how appetizing it looks. If it doesn’t look appetizing, the overall experience of the product lowers. Here we wanted to see if the pieces are too broken or intact. What is the size of the fries and is that size consistent throughout the pack?
- Crunch – We were looking for that significant crunch sound when you dig your teeth into a batch of crispy french fries. (Slurrp!)
- Taste and texture – When we say taste, we consider the seasoning of the fries and the taste of potatoes. Bland or just perfect? Are the fries dry and chalky or soft and fluffy on the inside?
How We Reviewed?
We divided our review into three stages which were carried out over a period of three days –
- Stage 1 – Dry inspection
- Stage 2 – Taste Test: Deep Frying Method
- Stage 3 – Taste Test: Air Frying Method
For our stage 1, we conducted a dry inspection where we noted down the size, uniformity, and consistency of the fries.
For our stage 2 we made the fries using the deep frying method. We deep fried them using sunflower oil. We noted down the time of cooking and the evenness with which the fries cooked. During our tasting we looked for the crunch, potato taste and the seasoning.
For our Stage 3 (Mishry Secret Sauce), we cooked the frozen french fries using an air fryer. We lightly brushed them with vegetable oil. We cooked them at 180 degrees for 15 minutes in an air fryer. By this time, our Top Pick, ITC Master Chef was completely and evenly cooked. It took another 10 minutes to cook the other two brands.
Quick Comparison – The Yummiest Frozen French Fries
| Brands | Price | Net Weight | Dry Inspection | Flavor Notes |
| McCain French Fries | Rs 90/- | 420 grams | – Long – Uniform – Unbroken |
– Took the longest to cook. – Cooked unevenly. – Hollow from inside. – Crunchy |
| Safal Frozen French Fries | Rs 80/- | 400 grams | – Consistently short – Few broken pieces |
– Took the second longest to cook. – Medium crunch. |
| ITC Master Chef Crispy French Fries | Rs 95/- | 500 grams | – Consistently short – Lots of broken pieces |
– Cooked the quickest using both methods. – Cooked evenly. – Crunchiest. |
Results Of Our Review
After two days of munching on a batch of crispy French fries, we landed on our decision. ITC Master Chef Crispy French Fries (Top Pick) cooked the fastest, most evenly during both cooking methods. They were seasoned very well and the potato flavor remained intact. Simply put, these were the crunchiest and tastiest fries.
