Which Chips (or Fries) Are the Best?

[CleverNickName]

Which fry is the best? Which chip is champion?

Vote for the best option on the list According To You, and leave a comment below if you would like to add any other nuance. And if I missed your favorite, let me know and I'll add it to the list!

(Tots, crisps, hash browns, and other heavily-processed potato-based foods are beyond the scope of this survey. We're trying to measure popular opinion of fries, not All Things Potato.)

The Nominees
(in no particular order)

Regular Fries

• Peeled potatoes
• Cooked from frozen
• The fast-food classic
• What most people think of when they think "chips" or "fries"
• Looks like this:

Crinkle-Cut

• Peeled potatoes
• Chopped with a special knife
• More surface area than Regular
• Popularized by Ore-Ida^TM
• Looks like this:

Battered

• Regular fries, but lightly battered
• Usually more oily (and therefore flavorful)
• Batter is often seasoned/flavored
• Looks like this:

Homestyle Fries

• Unpeeled
• Usually not frozen
• Sometimes cut into cubes instead of strips
• Seasoned with salt and pepper
• Looks like this:

Curly Fries

• Battered and spiral sliced
• Batter is usually seasoned
• Hard to make at home
• Looks like this:

Steak Fries

• Thick-cut potatoes
• Usually peeled
• Usually cooked from frozen
• Looks like this:

Jo Jos

• Potatoes cut into wedges
• Unpeeled
• Lightly breaded
• Looks like this:

Waffle Fries

• Unique waffle-like pattern
• Made by turning the potato 90° after each slice with a crinkle-cut knife
• Usually peeled
• Sometimes battered
• Looks like this:

Shoestring Fries

• Very thinly-sliced
• Usually unpeeled
• Most crispy option
• Looks like this:

Sweet Potato Fries

• Purportedly healthier than other potato options
• Bright orange, unmistakable
• Usually too soft to cut into waffles or crinkles
• Looks like this:

 

[aco175]

Never heard of Jo-Jos and Sweet Potato can only be marginally be called a fry.

Was torn between Crinkle and Battered. Crinkle reminds me of Friendly's back in the day, but now they are mostly ice cream. I think there are only a handful of restaurants left.

 

[CleverNickName]

and Sweet Potato can only be marginally be called a fry.

Oh I agree completely, but I know (and married) folks who would insist otherwise.

I'm all about the Crinkle-cut myself, and purely because of childhood nostalgia. But that's okay, nostalgia is delicious.

 

[Koloth]

Some of the best fries were had when I was a kid at the local Dixie Dog hamburger joint. When you ordered the fries, you could watch the owner put the potato into the magic curly fry maker and crank the handle. So really fresh fries. The place is still there. Don't know if they still hand crank the fries.

 

[trappedslider]

I love seasoned curly fries

 

[dragoner]

Had home fries this morning, the other day I did them long cut, with popcorn shrimp; not as greasy looking as those though. I have a nice seasoned cast iron skillet.

 

[Zardnaar]

Think we prefer crinkle for basic fries.

 

[dbolack]

You neglect the glory that is the Tater Tot?!

For Shame.

 

[dragoner]

Frying homefries in bacon grease is almost a religious experience.

 

[Morrus]

Not listed. The ones from a decent fish and chip shop.

Also no idea what most of those words are!