Heat and Control: Exploring the enduring popularity of hard bite chips

In the following article, Heat and Control, a global leader in snack processing equipment delves into the rich history and enduring popularity of batch fried potato chips, a cornerstone of the snack industry.

Within this lucrative category, one crunchy contender steals the spotlight. With their signature crunch and seemingly endless flavor varieties — hard bite chips are an enduring consumer favorite. But what’s the secret to their popularity, and what is it exactly that makes them so very special?

The answer begins with their cooking method. This type of potato chip undergoes a traditional cooking process known as ‘batch cooking’ or batch frying, and whether you know them by ‘hard bite’, ‘kettle-fried’ or ‘kettle-style’ — the signature crunch is the same. 

(Photo: iStock)

Origins of batch cooked potato chips  

In the time before commercial production, potato chip lovers used the batch cooking method at home. They’d slice up their own small batch of potatoes — before lowering them into a kettle of hot oil — taking them out to drain them off — then repeating the process.  In those days, the vessel that people used to cook their small batches of potato chips in was shaped like a kettle, and this is where the term ‘kettle chips’ or ‘kettle cooked’ originated. This rustic cooking method achieved a distinct taste and texture — which is much the same now — as it was then.

In modern-day potato processing, the commercial batch fryer is an industry workhorse. They’re known as an economical frying solution for high volume production of batch-fried potato chips, French fries, prepared foods, meat, poultry and seafood and meat alternative products.

A batch fryer from Heat and Control produces superior quality products with a long shelf life. This equipment offers years of efficient, reliable service, with a small footprint, which makes them ideal for entry level or start-up brands, or established snacks processors looking to expand their product lines.

The batch frying system from Heat and Control is one of the company’s high-performance and sustainable solutions for snacks production (Source: Heat and Control)

Batch frying vs continuous frying

Several factors differentiate a batch fried potato chip from a regular potato chip. While regular potato chips are known for being mass produced, most consumers associate batch fried varieties with a smaller more ‘artisan’ cooking process. The regular style of potato chip is made using a ‘continuous frying’ method that focuses on speed and efficiency. In this method, potato slices are continuously fed into the equipment and carried through the fryer with circulated oil externally heated to a set temperature before being discharged. Many of the larger players in the potato chip industry are utilizing continuous frying to produce regular style potato chips. 

By contrast, the process of making batch fried potato chips is significantly different. To start with, the potato slices used are typically thicker, and as the name suggests these potato chips are cooked in individual batches. An inherently longer process than continuous frying, batch fried potato chips are cooked in small batches, at much lower temperatures than regular potato chips. It’s a slower, more traditional cooking method which sees the chips spend more time in the oil with a specified controlled temperature profile through the batch cook cycle.

While the process of batch frying potato chips is certainly longer, it is the slower cooking process that achieves the unique texture and signature crunch consumers love. Not washing the potato slices prior to frying (allowing starch to remain on the surface of the slices) is what allows the traditional ‘home-made’ appearance of batch fried chips to develop.

Innovations in sustainable snack processing

Strong consumer preference for potato chips with characteristics such as firm texture (hard bite), natural ingredients and the association of a more artisan cooking process make batch fryers a favored choice for production.

However, the efficiency of traditional pan-fired batch fryers, which tend to consume more fuel per kilogram of product, compared to modern continuous frying systems, is a key sustainability challenge for potato processors.

Heat and Control says that adoption of innovative technologies and processes can help processors achieve their sustainability goals throughout the production line. 

An excellent example of Heat and Control's commitment to sustainable food processing are their Booster Heaters. These innovative devices reuse waste gases to boost production efficiency and cut energy costs, all while reducing carbon emissions. Whether as a new addition, or retrofitted to existing batch-fried style fryers, they can reduce energy use by up to 30%. Embracing such technology translates into real benefits for businesses, including significant cost savings and a smaller environmental footprint.