At Food & Wine, we rarely favor frozen over fresh — but we make an exception for french fries. Most frozen fries are par-cooked (often double-fried) and coated in a thin layer of starch and sugar, which helps them crisp up beautifully in the oven or air fryer with that signature golden snap.
But are some frozen french fries superior to others? We tried six different options from three brands to find the french fry bags worth stocking in your freezer.
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French fry cuts
Like diamonds, french fries come in unique shapes and cuts. When you picture a french fry, the traditional, straight-cut variety likely comes to mind. In France, potatoes are cut into a batonnet — French for “little stick” — a shape tied to classic culinary knife techniques and the inspiration for the straight-cut french fry. This thin-cut style became a favorite at fast food restaurants because of its quick cooking time. But when it comes to french fry cuts, straight-cut is just the beginning. Below are the five basic fry cuts and their characteristics:
Traditional: Often labeled and sold as “straight-cut,” this is the most common french fry shape, found everywhere from grocery store freezer aisles to fast food chains and upscale restaurants. Long and slender, these fries strike a balance between crisp exterior and fluffy interior.
Shoestring: Named after their shapes that resemble shoelaces, these fries are cut about one-eighth-inch thick and considered the thinnest.
Crinkle-cut: Defined by their distinctive ridges, crinkle-cut fries have a wavy texture thanks to a special crinkle-cut tool. The wavy ridges help them hold onto sauces and seasonings.
Waffle: Waffle-cut fries are round, thick-cut fries with a lattice pattern.
Steak: Steak fries are the largest and thickest cut, and resemble elongated potato wedges.
How we selected the fries
We selected widely available frozen french fry brands based on popularity and availability. For shape and cut, we narrowed our scope to straight-cut fries, which are the most popular style sold in stores, and shoestring varieties, which are popular in restaurants.
Finally, to keep things fair, we only tested fries seasoned with salt and avoided fries pre-seasoned with other spices.
Food & Wine / Andee Gosnell
We tried six popular frozen french fries without knowing which ones we were tasting.How we tested
All of our taste tests are conducted with the tasters unaware of the chosen brands. Our editors and staff sampled six brands of frozen french fries side-by-side, rating each on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the lowest, 5 being the highest) for overall flavor and texture. To account for temperature-related bias, we encouraged the tasters to try the samples in a randomized order.
For this test, we asked our tasters to evaluate the fries based on a few established criteria. We were looking for well-seasoned, but not overly salty, french fries with a mild, natural potato flavor and minimal oiliness. Texture-wise, the fries needed to have a crisp exterior and tender, fluffy interior. Tasters also noted the overall uniformity of shape and size. Bottom line — the fries had to walk the line between drive-thru delicious and restaurant finesse.
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We oven-baked the fries according to the package directions and tasted the fries plain, cleansing our palates with water between samples. While we didn’t evaluate the fries’ flavor with ketchup, tasters dipped them in ketchup to assess how well they held up to the condiment.
In contrast to past taste tests, most of the frozen fries we tried were surprisingly pleasant to eat. After putting the french fries head-to-(potato)-head, these are the three bags we’re making freezer space for.
Best overall: Lamb Weston Super Crispy Shoestring Fries
Food & Wine / Lamb Weston, Inc.
Lamb Weston’s shoestring fries had us reaching for seconds — and then thirds. It’s no wonder that Los Angeles chef Ari Kolender has called them the “Rolls Royce of Fries.” Made from 100% certified Idaho potatoes, these had a shatteringly crisp exterior that gave way to a tender interior. Flavor-wise, they reminded us of salty potato chips and buttery roasted potatoes with a nuanced savoriness. Despite their thinner cut, the fries held up well to ketchup — and were downright delicious. These fries would make an excellent side to everything from juicy burgers and hot dogs to bigger meals like steak frites.
Best fast food style: Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Fast Food Fries
For a fry that delivers on that classic drive-thru experience without any unpleasant artificial flavor, Ore-Ida has you covered. While not as crisp as Lamb Weston’s, these fries still offered a more than satisfying snap. Sturdy enough for dunking in ketchup, they would also hold their own under heavier toppings like melty cheese and salty bacon bits for loaded fries.
Best classic: Ore-Ida Crispy Straight-Cut Fries
This is our pick for reliable, all-purpose french fries. They had a solid, crispy texture and took on an appetizing lightly golden brown color in the oven. They also had good potato flavor without leaning overly earthy. “This one tastes nostalgic, like what I had growing up,” said designer Ann Martin Foley. Serve them alongside sandwiches and fish and chips, or snack on them solo.
The full list of contenders, ranked from highest to lowest
Lamb Weston Super Crispy Shoestring Fries
Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Fast Food Fries
Ore-Ida Crispy Straight-Cut Fries
McCain Craft Beer Battered Fries
McCain Quick Cook Straight Cut Fries
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