A little-known fact: The air fryer was first developed as a quick way for Dutch inventor Fred van der Weij to make crispy French fries at home (without the oily mess of a deep-fryer).

His creation, which stole the hearts of home cooks everywhere during the two years of pandemic lockdowns, has since been used to make everything from crispy tofu to cheesecakes.

But at its core, the beloved appliance remains a fancy fry cooker, capable of transforming pale, frozen chippies into salty, starchy flavour sensations with little-to-no oil.

Now, as the national frozen chip shortage comes to an end and supermarket freezers across the country are restocked, it’s time to determine which chippy is best suited to air frying magic.

Is it the short, crispy French fry? The beer-battered pub-style chip? Or the sweet potato wild card, with its extreme length and charred edges? To arrive at the final ranking, chips were assessed for flavour, crunch and colour.

Each of the following chips were seasoned with salt and a sprinkling of neutral cooking oil before being cooked for 15 minutes at 180C.

10. Seasons Pride low-cholesterol sweet potato chips
$4.69 for 750g

These sweet potato chips looked promising straight out of the bag. They were very long and very orange, with a middling thickness that typically translates into an ideal crunch-to-fluff ratio. Alas, they had a muted, sweaty, vaguely salty flavour.

9. Woolworths essential French fries
$3.50 for 1kg

Small and thin, these straw-like chips became golden and crispy in the air fryer but offered little in the way of flavour. All starch, no substance. Pass.

8. McCain’s gluten free thin cut home style crispy golden chips
$5 for 750g

Simple is not always superior. With just potato, canola oil and dextrose, these chips had the most pared-back ingredient list of the bunch. They burned before cooking through, leaving blackened edges with barely a crunch.

7. McCain’s quick-cook straight cut crunchy chips
$5.30 for 750g

Are you someone who simply cannot wait another six-ish minutes for your chips to be cooked? Then McCain’s quick cook chips are for you. They’re bright yellow straight out of the bag, with a long list of ingredients including pea fibre, pea protein and thickening agents. They taste fine, if a bit dry.

6. McCain’s Delish Gourmet Kitchen rosemary and sweet potato chips
$7.40 for 750g

These thin sweet potato chips do not hold up to the heat of the air fryer, emerging as long, gnarled fingers. While deeply unappetising, they were satisfyingly crunchy, with a soft, fluffy interior and a decent enough flavour.

5. Bird’s Eye deli seasoned chips with sea salt and rosemary
$4.80 for 600g

Ah, the difference a little seasoning can make. These chips are chunky, flat and flavoursome, ideal for those who love a pale, soft chippy.

4. Coles beer battered steakhouse chips
$4.20 for 750g

An acceptable chip for when you want to go to the pub but cannot be bothered leaving the house. These long, thick-cut chips benefit from beer batter, which creates a slightly crispier, golden exterior.

3. Birds Eye golden crunch
$5 for 900g

The crinkled edges promise “MAX” crunch. I’d say it’s an “OK” crunch, with lovely golden edges and fluffy potato interior. A solid chip, like the ones you buy at a music festival or school fair. Ideal for the liberal application of tomato sauce.

2. Seasons Pride cafe series sweet potato chips seasoned with paprika
$4.79 for 600g

Deeply caramelised edges and subtle spices make these sweet potato fries stand out. Unlike their predecessors, these Aldi chips emerge hot and crispy from the air fryer before quickly disappearing from my plate.

1. Birds Eye deli seasoned chips with golden ale beer batter
$4.80 for 600g

Thick cut, heavenly crisp and deeply comforting, these frozen chippies are about as good as it gets. The beer batter is thick and flavoursome, delivering a satisfying crunch with every bite.