Why are reheated fries always so much worse than fries you just purchased from a restaurant/fast food place?
When frying, you quickly boil away the water on the outside of whatever you fry by dropping it in hot oil and dehydrate the exterior of it. Normally, there's something starchy there that then forms a barrier for the inside of your food (in the case of french fries, the potato itself), which then …
The Short Answer
When frying, you quickly boil away the water on the outside of whatever you fry by dropping it in hot oil and dehydrate the exterior of it. Normally, there's something starchy there that then forms a barrier for the inside of your food (in the case of french fries, the potato itself), which then retains moisture and cooks by steaming. As the steam hit the outside of the food, it is again boiled away by the oil. This is why french fries have that crisp outer shell around a moist potato interior. If you reheat fries in a microwave, you will once again steam the inside of it by heating that water up, but you no longer have a protective layer of oil on the outside to boil away the water and keep the outside of it dehydrated. Instead, that crust you built up before can just absorb the water. Baking or heating up your fries in a frying pan (even without oil) will do a much better job of keeping the outside crisp when reheating.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Outside, water, fries
This explanation focuses on outside, water, fries and spans 176 words across 7 sentences. At 144% above the average Science explanation (72 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “When frying, you quickly boil away the water on the outside of whatever you fry by dropping it in hot oil and dehydrate “ It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 7 connected points.
How This Compares in Science
Ranked #6 of 500 Science questions by answer depth (top 2%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why reheated fries always so much worse than fries you just purchased from a restaurant/fast food place?
When frying, you quickly boil away the water on the outside of whatever you fry by dropping it in hot oil and dehydrate the exterior of it. Normally, there's something starchy there that then forms a barrier for the inside of your food (in the case…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Science questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 176 words, ranked #6 of 500 Science questions by depth. The key concepts covered are outside, water, fries.
What approach does this answer take to explain reheated fries always so much worse than fries you just purc?
The explanation uses contrasting perspectives across 176 words. It is categorized under Science and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.