Six Air-Fryer Potato Hacks, One Greasy Tea Towel: What Actually Works
Photo: air fryer roast potatoes in basket close up golden crisp, via static1.simpleflyingimages.com
Roast potatoes are a Sunday thing. The air fryer is a Wednesday thing. In autumn 2026, with energy prices still making the oven feel like a luxury, the internet has decided these two things should merge. So I cleared the counter, borrowed a mid-range 4.3-litre basket air fryer, bought a sack of standard supermarket Maris Pipers and tested six of the most-shared methods side by side.
The test rules
Every batch used 1kg of potatoes cut into rough 4cm chunks. I scored each method out of five for crispness, fluffiness, oil use (five means barely any), time (five means fast) and washing-up (five means one basket and a knife). I did not use a thermometer, a sous-vide rig or anything that requires a label maker. This is real-kitchen stuff: one hob ring, one basket, a tea towel that has seen things.
The six methods, scored
| Method | Crisp | Fluff | Oil | Time | Washing | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bicarbonate parboil | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | Winner |
| Cornflour dusting | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | Good, but fussy |
| Two-temperature no-parboil | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | Keeper |
| Cold-start | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | Fine, not special |
| Mayonnaise coat | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | Reject |
| Frozen straight from bag | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | Fail-safe |
The winner: bicarb parboil, then rough them up
This is the method that made me say a small, involuntary word in the kitchen. Put 1kg of peeled and chunked Maris Pipers in a pan, cover with cold water, add a good pinch of salt and half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. Bring to the boil and cook for eight minutes. Drain in a colander and leave for two minutes so the steam can do its work. Then shake the colander hard until the edges of the potatoes look scuffed and floury. Tip them into a bowl, add one tablespoon of rapeseed oil, toss, and tip into a preheated air fryer at 200C. Cook for 24 minutes, shaking at 10 and 18 minutes. Season after.
Why it works: the bicarb slightly breaks down the surface, the shake creates craggy edges, and the air fryer turns those edges into proper crunch. The insides stay fluffy. It is not the fastest method because of the pan, but it is the only one that tasted like a Sunday roast potato. If you are doing two batches, keep the first warm in a low oven or a bowl under a tea towel.
The keeper: two temperatures, no parboil
If you cannot face the hob, this is the one. Cut 1kg of potatoes, rinse them for a minute under cold water, dry them properly with a tea towel, then toss with one tablespoon of oil. Air fry at 160C for 12 minutes, shake, then turn up to 200C for 12 to 14 minutes, shaking once more. You get a solid roastie with a crisp shell and a decent fluffy middle. It is not quite as light as the bicarb version, but it is a genuinely useful Wednesday shortcut and it uses one basket, one bowl and one knife.
The also-rans
The cornflour dusting was close. Parboil, shake, dust with a teaspoon of cornflour, oil, then 200C for 22 minutes. It crisps beautifully, but the cornflour can catch and the extra bowl is annoying. The cold-start method (potatoes, oil and cold air fryer, 180C for 30 minutes) was fine but pale. The mayonnaise coat was a mistake: the mayo slid off, the potatoes tasted faintly of chip-shop vinegar and the basket was a nightmare. The frozen straight-from-bag method is not a roast potato; it is a useful backup when you have forgotten to plan. Do 190C for 20 minutes, shake, then 200C for five minutes.
The fail-safe backup
Keep a bag of frozen roast potatoes in the freezer. On a chaotic night, tip them straight into the basket at 190C for 20 minutes, shake at 12, then blast at 200C for five minutes. They will not win a crisps contest, but they will be hot, brown and on the table before anyone asks where the gravy is.
Small-basket notes
If your air fryer is smaller than 4 litres, cook in two batches rather than piling the potatoes deep. Crowding steams them, and steamed potatoes are just disappointing little pillows. Also, shake with purpose: a gentle wiggle will not rough up the edges. And do not season until the end, because salt on the surface too early can draw out moisture and stop the crunch from forming.
The bottom line
If you want the best air-fryer roast potatoes, parboil with bicarb, shake hard and cook at 200C for 24 minutes. If you want the least washing-up, use the two-temperature no-parboil method. Everything else is content. Useful content, but content.
