Air fryers leaving chips pale and soggy? The one pre‑soak step that makes them pub‑style crispy

You know that sinking feeling when you open the air fryer, expecting golden pub chips, and find a tray of pale, bendy wedges staring back at you? They taste… fine. But they’re not the crisp, craggy, salty chips you were promised by every internet reel and supermarket box. You nudge them back in “for a few more minutes”, then pull them out again, slightly tougher but still oddly limp, like they’ve had a long day.

Most people blame the machine. “Mine’s rubbish,” you mutter, scrolling past yet another video of someone else shaking perfectly bronzed chips in slow motion. But the problem isn’t your air fryer, or even your potatoes. It’s the step almost everyone skips because it sounds optional, old-fashioned or like too much faff.

It’s not. The one thing standing between you and pub‑style air fryer chips is a simple, salty pre‑soak.

Why your air fryer keeps making sad chips

Air fryers are just tiny, enthusiastic fan ovens. They blow very hot air around quickly, which should dry and crisp the outside of a chip while the inside steams and softens. When chips come out floppy, it’s usually for three quiet reasons working together.

First, your potatoes are still wet – not just on the surface, but inside the first millimetre or two. Raw potatoes hold a lot of water. If you slice, oil and cook them straight away, that trapped moisture steams before it evaporates. Steamed potatoes are lovely, but they don’t go shatteringly crisp.

Second, there’s too much loose starch and sugar clinging to the outside. That gummy layer turns into a sort of beige jacket that resists browning and goes leathery instead of brittle. Your air fryer is trying to crisp a raincoat.

Third, everything’s crowded. A double layer of chips, no space between pieces and a quick shake once at the end is a recipe for patchy, sweaty results. Hot air needs room to move; so do chips.

The good news: you can fix the first two problems with a bowl of water and a teaspoon. The third just needs a tiny bit of discipline.

The pre‑soak that changes everything

Think of this as giving your chips a short spa break before the heat hits.

Cut potatoes straight into a bowl of very warm, well‑salted water with a tiny pinch of bicarbonate of soda. Leave them there for 15–20 minutes. That’s it. No simmering saucepan, no complicated brining chart.

Here’s what that soak is quietly doing while you tidy the worktop:

• The salt draws out excess surface moisture and seasons the chips right through, not just on top.
• The warm water loosens the outer starch so it rinses away instead of baking into a gluey coat.
• A pinch of bicarb (really just a pinch) raises the surface pH, roughening the outside so it browns faster and crisper in the air fryer – the same trick restaurants use for roast potatoes.

When you drain and dry the chips afterwards, you’re left with pieces that are lightly seasoned, less watery and primed to go golden. The air fryer finally gets to fry, not steam.

If you’ve ever wondered why pub chips are crisp outside but fluffy inside, this is the home version of that double‑cooked magic – without needing a pot of hot oil.

Step‑by‑step: pub‑style chips in your air fryer

You don’t need a cheffy set‑up; just a bowl, a tea towel and a bit of patience.

1. Choose the right potato

Floury, “all‑rounder” potatoes work best:

• Maris Piper
• King Edward
• Estima, Desiree or similar

Waxy salad potatoes (Charlotte, Anya, Jersey Royals) will fight you. They brown unevenly and stay firm inside. Save those for salads.

2. Cut once, soak straight away

1. Peel if you like pub‑style; leave the skin on if you prefer a rustic edge.
   
2. Cut into thick chips – about finger‑width, 1–1.5 cm. Thicker chips are easier to get fluffy inside without drying out.
   
3. As you cut, drop the chips straight into a large bowl of warm water so they don’t oxidise.

Now make it a proper pre‑soak:

• Refresh the bowl with very warm tap water (not boiling, just hot enough to feel properly warm).
• Add 1 tablespoon of fine salt per litre of water.
• Add a tiny pinch (about 1/4 teaspoon) of bicarbonate of soda for every litre.
• Stir, then leave the chips to soak 15–20 minutes.

3. Rinse and dry – this bit really matters

After soaking:

1. Drain the chips in a colander.
   
2. Rinse briefly under cold water to wash away loosened starch.
   
3. Tip onto a clean tea towel or a couple of layers of kitchen roll.
   
4. Pat completely dry. Roll them in the cloth and pat again.

If they still look shiny, they’re too wet. Drier chips = crispier finish. This is the moment most people rush, then blame the air fryer later.

4. Oil and season the smart way

In a dry bowl:

• Toss the chips with 1–1.5 tablespoons of oil per 750 g of potatoes (about 2 medium‑large potatoes). Rapeseed, vegetable or groundnut oil all work well; olive oil is fine if that’s what you have.
  
• Add salt and pepper now, plus any extras you like (paprika, garlic granules, smoked salt).
  

Optional but brilliant:
Add 1–2 teaspoons of cornflour (cornstarch) and toss again. It clings to the chips and turns into an extra‑crisp, pub‑style shell in the air fryer.

5. Give them space in the basket

Preheat your air fryer to 190–200 °C for 3–5 minutes if your model allows it.

• Arrange the chips in a single, fairly even layer, with a bit of room between pieces. A little overlap is OK; a heap is not.
  
• If you’re cooking a lot, do two batches rather than one giant soggy one. You can always reheat all the chips together at the end for 3–4 minutes.

6. Cook, shake, then finish hot

As a starting guide (this varies by machine and chip size):

1. Cook at 190–200 °C for 12 minutes.
   
2. Shake the basket well or turn the chips with tongs.
   
3. Cook for another 8–10 minutes until deep golden and crisp.

If they’re cooked inside but not quite pub‑golden, turn the heat up to max for the final 3–4 minutes. High heat at the end gives colour without over‑drying the centre.

Let them sit for 1–2 minutes in the basket before serving. The crust sets slightly as steam escapes, just like good roast potatoes.

Common snags and easy fixes

You don’t have to get everything perfect at once. These are the usual culprits and what to do differently next time.

• “They’re cooked but still pale.”
  Your air fryer might run cooler than the display says. Push the temperature up 10–20 °C (or to max) for the last few minutes, and don’t be shy about extra time. Chips need proper browning.

• “The outside’s tough, not crisp.”
  That’s often starch and sugar baking into a shell. Make sure you do the warm salty pre‑soak, rinse, and pat very dry. Go easy on sugar‑heavy seasonings (BBQ rubs, honey, bottled sauces) until the end.

• “They went soggy after I added more later.”
  Crowding. Cook in batches, then reunite all the chips in the basket for 3–5 minutes at high heat just before serving. Pubs do the same: part‑cook, hold, then finish to order.

• “Some chips are burnt at the tips and pale in the middle.”
  The pieces aren’t the same size. Aim for even, finger‑thick chips; trim any very thin ones or cook them as a separate “cook’s snack” batch.

• “I don’t want to soak and dry on a weeknight.”
  You don’t have to. Cut and soak the chips in the morning or the night before, keep them covered in the fridge in clean salted water, then drain, dry and cook in the evening. The work is front‑loaded; cooking is fast.

Quick reference

Use this as a snapshot while you cook:

Step	Time	Why it matters
Warm salty pre‑soak with a pinch of bicarb	15–20 min	Pulls out moisture, removes gummy starch, primes for browning
Drying really well	5–10 min	Stops steaming, helps edges go crisp not leathery
Air‑frying in a single layer, shaking once or twice	20–25 min total	Even airflow = even colour and crunch

“Your air fryer isn’t failing – it’s just asking for drier, better‑prepped chips.” Once you give it those, the machine you thought was over‑hyped will suddenly start behaving like the pub fryer you were hoping for.

FAQ:

• Do I have to use bicarbonate of soda in the soak?
  No. The soak will still help a lot without it. Bicarb just gives an extra nudge towards pub‑style browning and rougher, crispier edges.
• Can I skip the soak if I’m using frozen oven chips?
  Yes. Frozen chips are already blanched and pre‑treated. Cook them from frozen with a tiny bit of extra oil and enough space in the basket.
• What if I like skinny fries, not chunky chips?
  The same method works; just cut thinner and reduce the cooking time. Keep an eye from about 10–12 minutes total so they don’t over‑brown.
• My air fryer has no preheat function. Is that a problem?
  Not really. Just run it empty for 3–5 minutes at cooking temperature before adding the chips. A hot basket helps them start crisping immediately.
• Can I season with garlic, cheese or herbs at the start?
  Add fragile things like garlic, cheese, fresh herbs or chilli flakes in the last 3–5 minutes so they toast instead of burning. Salt, pepper and paprika are fine from the beginning.