There isn’t much kit needed to make your own potato chips, but unless you have strong arms and a steady hand, for slicing them I’d highly recommend a mandolin (not the musical instrument) or its just as effective and much cheaper Japanese equivalent, a “Let’s Have Daily Crisp Vegetables” Benriner.

Screw it in as tight as you think will still be effective, and slice the potatoes ’til you can see through them:

Carefully wash them, carefully, since they’ll still be fragile at this point. Spread about 1 tsp. of salt per potato, then rub it in, gently.

Add enough water to cover, and leave them for at least 1/2 hour. Drain. Now they should be limp.

Limp, but still wet, and that won’t work in the hot oil. The easiest way to get rid of the excess water is to use a salad spinner:

Then dry them on kitchen towels.

The easy part is to cook them in 350 degree oil, stirring constantly, until they’re done. Salting is easiest in a large bowl or tray, so you can spread out the salt (and a little pepper if you’re adventurous), then shake the chips on top.

They’re lovely, but honestly, this is a lot easier:

Yum!

-R