Every Ore Ida French Fry, Ranked Worst To Best

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When you think of frozen french fries, chances are that Ore Ida (an abbreviation of Oregon Idaho) is quick to come to mind. According to the company's website, it was founded more than 60 years ago and provides an assortment of food products across the nation. While it is mostly known for its variety of french fry products, Ore Ida also makes tater tots, hashbrowns, and mashed potatoes. You could say they have a handle on the entire potato industry.

Ore Ida is extra special because all of their french fry products are gluten-free, according to Gluten Bee. For anyone who avoids gluten, potatoes are often a go-to starch since wheat is off the table. Frustratingly for the gluten-free community, many frozen french fry companies coat their fries in a breaded wheat-based batter to make their products extra crispy. Meanwhile, Ore Ida does an excellent job of creating crunchy tasty gluten-free french fries.

With so many potato-themed options to choose from, it can be hard to know what to buy for an epic burger night at home. Don't worry, we're happy to share our strong opinions about french fries with consumers to make the decision easier. Let's dive into the ranking of every Ore Ida french fry from worst to best.

The Ore Ida Ready in 5 options come in two varieties: Extra Crispy Golden Fries and Extra Crispy Crinkles. The Ready in 5 Extra Crispy Golden Fries are designed to be cooked in the microwave which seems too good to be true. Can you really get that crispy exterior of a french fry by cooking it in the microwave? Well, it turns out, any skepticism is warranted and the promises fall short. 

Many reviewers on Influenster describe that these fries taste horrible. A common complaint is that the sheet included in the package to use for cooking the fries actually gets warped in the microwave. Some reviewers even note that the fries burn in the microwave! While some commenters state that these fries cook better in the toaster oven, we are stumped about the point of the "ready in 5" microwave option. If you end up having to cook them in the oven or toaster oven anyway, we'd rather buy fries that are designed for this method.

While Ore Ida has a variety of frozen french fry options, their Golden Shoestring French Fries are the only product that comes in a classic shoestring shape. Shoestring fries are known for their extremely thin appearance, making them the perfect size to become extra crispy when cooked. However, many reviews complain that these fries don't crisp up all that much, leaving us to wonder why we would purchase these over other options.

On top of that, some Amazon product reviews reveal that the fries in the bag are inconsistent in size. Many people complain that some fries are bigger than the rest, whereas others are basically broken in half, eliminating the purpose of a uniform shoestring size altogether. We've noticed that pan-frying these particular fries works better as opposed to baking or air frying, but the irregularities in size are not ideal. We'd recommend skipping these ones.

There are many Ore Ida french fry varieties that come pre-seasoned with spices other than basic salt and pepper. The Zesty Straight Fries contain onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder to provide a little extra kick to a classic fry. While they aren't intended to be overly spiced or hot, many Influenster reviewers complain that the fries are lacking in flavor. That's certainly not what you want when you make a point to select a seasoned fry product. 

Some reviewers even mention that the spices fall right off the frozen fries when removing them from the bag. On top of that, many people report that their fries arrived freezer burnt, although that generally has more to do with storage in the shop. We'd recommend serving these with extra flavorful sauces and dips like ranch dressing or ketchup in order to combat the blandness. If you'd rather eat your fries sauce-free, you're better off skipping these and selecting a more flavorful option below instead.

We love curly fries! Who could resist this fun and bouncy french fry shape? The Ore Ida Zesty Curly Fries combine a curly french fry shape with a yummy zesty seasoning. Like the other flavored varieties, they are not too spicy but still have a kick to them. What's great about these zesty fries is that the spices seem to actually stick to the potato. Perhaps something about the curly shape lends itself to more seasoning as opposed to the straight fries which can't hold onto theirs. 

Many people on Influenster note that these french fries are better than Arby's curly fries! That's quite a statement since those are considered to be among the best french fries available at fast food locations. Many reviewers note that these crisp up especially well in the air fryer. If you see these, grab them — you won't be disappointed with these zesty curly fries.

The other variety of curly fries that Ore Ida carries is the Golden Twirls. This is a classic curly fry shape seasoned simply with salt. While it is common for curly fries to be cooked with spices that are a little more exciting than salt, we love that Ore Ida offers the classic seasoning in a fun shape. It might be surprising for spice lovers but not everyone wants a zesty french fry! Staying true to their wide range of products, Ore Ida's variety is appreciated.

These are similar to Ore Ida's other curly fry in that they are extra crispy when cooked in the air fryer but they taste great cooked in the oven as well. These are best paired with a burger and plenty of ketchup for dipping. Does dinner get any better than that? If you want to impress your guests at your next barbeque, cook up a batch of these curly fries and serve them with your favorite fry sauce.

Why is it that crinkle fries taste so good? In our humble opinion, the best fast food crinkle fries out there are served at Shake Shack. However, if you want to enjoy the ultimate crispy crinkle fries from the comfort of your own home, we recommend Ore Ida's Extra Crispy Golden Crinkles. These crinkle-shaped fries are among the best option Ore Ida has to offer.

Many Influenster reviews comment that these are great cooked in the oven, but that they are even better deep-fried. We typically do not deep fry our frozen french fries and instead, prepare them in the oven as per package instructions. However, we agree that deep-fried crinkle fries sound absolutely delicious. We've scoured all of the review sites to search for feedback on these Extra Crispy Golden Crinkle Fries and there are no problems to report. That's right, none! If you see these in stores, be sure to grab them — you won't be disappointed.

While arguably not the most popular fry shape, everyone loves a steakhouse fry every now and then. We find that since they are a bit bigger with more potato mass on the inside, steakhouse fries need to be cooked longer to achieve a crunchy exterior. Many reviewers on Influenster agree and recommend adding on a few minutes of extra cooking time to ensure the crispiness everyone is seeking.

These Garlic & Black Pepper Steakhouse Fries provide a little extra zing by being the only Ore Ida variety coated in a delicious garlic and black pepper seasoning. Fair warning, these fries are delicious and you may not be able to stop yourself. They are best served on the side of a delicious home-cooked steak. While you are spending all of your time and energy getting the steaks marinated and cooked to perfection, you won't even have to worry about these fries coming out right — it's a given!

I bet you are surprised to see a sweet potato fry making it into the top three contenders in our Ore Ida french fry ranking. To be honest, we are a bit surprised as well but the reviews speak loudly and Ore Ida's Sweet Potato Straight Fries are consistently great. This healthier french fry is incredibly tasty, making it a suitable option for anyone concerned with nutrition. Many reviewers on Influenster note that these french fries are not overly salted and don't get soggy, which is an issue that can happen if you are not careful when baking your sweet potato fries.

While not necessary, if you feel like you need to elevate these fries a bit, we'd recommend a butter and brown sugar dip as suggested by one of the Influenster reviewers. Serve these up along with some popcorn chicken or load them up with chili, cheese, and avocado and you're sure to be satisfied.

The top spot of the Ore Ida french fry ranking is awarded to their Extra Crispy Fast Food Fries. This product has endless rave reviews, and many people go so far as to say that it rivals McDonald's french fries which is certainly a loaded statement. Not only do they taste like fast food fries, but being made at home Ore Ida's fries are a bit healthier and a lot more convenient.

Not too skinny and not too thick, these french fries are a perfect size. Like most Ore Ida french fries, the bag provides a list of temperature and time variations depending on how you want to cook them. Many reviews on Target mention that these are best in the air fryer, yet again. If you've learned anything from this list, it's that you need to purchase an air fryer if you are going to be making frozen french fries often at home.