Over here they are called chips. I don't know why. What you call "chips" are called "french frys". I don't know why.

French fries are different to chips, or maybe they're a type of chips, a sub-section of chips. There's definitely a thread on here somewhere (maybe a few!) where this is explained.

French fries are cut thinner than chips. Properly cooked chips are 'healhtier' than French fries (it's a comparative matter though) in that they have a higher volume to surface area ratio, so less fat per unit weight, and ideally would be cooked at a high temperature (in fully saturated beef fat) so that the outer is immediately sealed and the potato inside is literally cooked by steaming.

Having said that, I suspect the chips in Kenny's chippie are soggy and lardy, and the attractive lady serving them would be a damned sight less foxy if he went in there without the beer googles on.

IME the fish and batter is invariably saturated with grease, the chips less so. And the servers are either men with poor hygiene who reek of tobacco smoke, or stout, white-haired women wearing hairnets and cheap perfume. Christ, I'm beginning to sound like 53NORTH.

I agree that many times the batter can be greasy. It's usually a sign that the cookers are not running at a high enough temperature. I blame 'healthier' unsaturated fats that cannot take the temperatures of the saturated ones, ironically resulting in a higher fat intake for the consumer.

"Fries", not "Frys".

Nor are there: Potato chip's; Cookie's; Cake's, Pie's, Hamburger's, Hot Dog's, assorted Side's.

I see that on menu's  :-P a lot, especially at Jersey Shore points.

And results in explosive bowel movements.

One other iss-yoo is cooking in oil that is too dirty or water laden. Even filtering is insufficient to prevent grease retention.

Best thing to do with old cooking oil is to filter it a couple of times and then stick it in with the diesel in my truck.

How good or bad for your engine is that?

Not that I use anywhere near enough cooking oil for it to be a benefit.

Really depends on the engine. If you have common rail injection, then it's a big nono. The viscosity of the oil is much, much greater than diesel and will quickly ruin things.

My truck has an engine that's largely unchanged from the 1960s design and it really doesn't care what you put in it (within reason). Cold weather can be an issue as the viscosity increases with temperature, but I've heard of people near Aberdeen running 50/50 mixes all year round without issue. Others go for a two tank setup, running on our diesel until engine up to temp then switching to pure veg.

Mot testers like you to have pure diesel in for the Mot, as otherwise the test station ends up smelling like chips for weeks.

 :-D

You lot have that advantage over there as we have fewer diesels than we should. I especially like the Rover TDis and we are (the NAS market) finally getting one next year!!

Do folks add kerosene to the vegetable oil to thin it? I think that's what I'd do, add a couple of gallons of kero to cut the viscosity down.

Nope. When your engine is hot it's fine (viscosity is a function of temperature) and a two tank system uses pure diesel to get up to temperature. Otherwise mix it in the tank with diesel and it's thin enough.

Of course I'd never do that in practice, as that would be tax evasion. Even if veg oil is half the price of diesel, I'd never consider it, Officer.

I have seen set-ups with a heater element in the cooking oil tank to warm it up before use

"seen"?

well, seen discussed online, but I think there were photos etc

(nod)

Your secret's safe.

Not from the feds.

<Feds> Don't bust his door down yet. We need better evidence. Follow him and check the exhaust for an odour of chips. </Feds>