As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Sweet potato fries are all the rage nowadays. But how hard can it be to make sweet potato fries at home? If you have ever tried to cut one of these rock-hard root vegetables by hand you know that making shoestring, uniform cuts is basically impossible by hand.
Enter the die cutter, a french fry cutter that can make quick work of sweet potatoes and other vegetables. Simply change out the die cutter blade for the size cut you want and push the sweet potato through. With the best french fry cutters for sweet potatoes, you’ll be able to enjoy sweet potato fries at home in no time.
Quick Navigation
My Top French Fry Cutter Reviews for Sweet Potatoes
When it comes to looking for devices that can cut through sweet potatoes, finding french fry cutters that are durable and have sharp blades is key. Below, I’m sharing my top selections for cutting machines that work well with sweet potatoes.
If you don’t want to read through the whole article, my top pick is the New Star Foodservice 38408 Commercial Grade Cutter, which comes with 5 blade sizes and is made from cast iron.
New Star Foodservice 38408 Commercial Grade French Fry Cutter
The New Star Foodservice 38408 Commercial Grade Cutter is my top pick when using it to make sweet potato fries. This device is incredibly durable and built to last because it’s made from iron.
Since sweet potatoes are harder to cut than normal potatoes, having a strong cutter is really important because it allows you to apply more pressure and force without the risk of breaking the machine.
It’s also my favorite model because it comes with the most blade options out of all the ones I reviewed. The New Star Foodservice 38408 comes with 5 interchangeable stainless steel blades, giving you variety for how thick or thin you want to cut your sweet potatoes. The blade sizes include 1/4-Inch, 3/8-Inch, 1/2-Inch, 6-wedge, and 8-wedge.
A big advantage to this fry cutter is that it comes with suctioned feet, and you also have the option to mount it to a table or wall. By having the option to suction or mount it to a surface, this tool can be used on practically any surface, and the amount of force you apply to it can be more than some of the other models.
Even though this is a durable device, it’s recommended that you microwave sweet potatoes for a few minutes before putting them through the cutter. This helps the root vegetable soften up a bit, and it reduces the risk of bending the blade.
Pros
- Made from iron and the most durable model on my list
- Comes with 5 blades so you can customize the thickness of your sweet potato fries
- Handle is heavy-duty
Cons
- Need tools to assemble the fry cutter
- Blades can bend if you put a sweet potato in that’s too hard
Sopito Professional Potato Cutter
If you want a simple yet durable french fry cutter that can cut through sweet potatoes, the Sopito Professional Potato Cutter is a great option.
Unlike the New Star Foodservice 38408 which comes with 5 blade options, the Sopito only comes with one blade. The blade cuts sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch thick pieces, which is similar to fries you might get at fast food chains like Wendy’s or Five Guys.
If you’re okay with this thickness for everything you run through the cutter, then you’ll probably like this cutter. For me personally, I prefer tools that provide a bit more versatility and give more than one blade option.
The device is made from stainless steel, so you can still apply a good amount of force to this as you push food through the blades. Even though the cutter box can hold a potato that measures 5.6 X 3.5 inches, it’s not recommended that you put a sweet potato of that size into it.
Overall, this works best with smaller sweet potatoes, so if you have large sweet potatoes you want to run through it, you might need to cut them in half before running them through this potato cutter.
Pros
- Made from stainless steel
- Can easily clean the machine with water
Cons
- Only comes with one blade that cuts 1/2 inch thick pieces
- Easy to store when not using it
Progressive International Tower Fry Cutter
The Progressive International Tower Fry Cutter is another fry cutter that you can use for sweet potatoes. Out of all the cutters I reviewed, this one from Progressive is the weakest because it’s made of plastic, though it can still cut through sweet potatoes with its stainless steel blade.
I included it on my list because of how compact the device is, which makes it very easy to store when you’re not using it. A common challenge with unique food devices is that they are pretty large and take up real estate on kitchen counters and in cabinets, but this tool from Progressive has a small footprint.
Additionally, as you push your food through the blades, this cutter has a container that’s attached for your food to fall into. The container also comes with a lid that you can use to store food in if you don’t want to use it right away, which is a nice additional feature that none of the other fry cutters on my list have.
Pros
- Very compact and lightweight
- Has a built-in container that you can use to store food in
Cons
- Only includes one blase size
- Made of plastic, so it is not as durable as the other models
New Star Foodservice 43204 Commercial Grade French Fry Cutter
Another New Star french fry cutter I recommend is the New Star Foodservice 43204 Commercial Grade French Fry Cutter. At first glance, this design might look similar to the Foodservice 38408 I reviewed above; however, this one has quite a few differences.
The Foodservice 43204 only includes 2 blades, rather than the 5 that come in the Foodservice 38408. Even though it only comes with 2 blades, I think it comes with the most important sizes when cutting sweet potato fries: ½ inch and ⅜ inch. This allows you to have some variety in your fry sizes, depending on the meal or occasion you are cooking them for.
This device is mostly made out of stainless steel and aluminum, whereas the Foodservice 38408 is constructed mostly of cast iron. This makes the Foodservice 38408 not quite as heavy-duty, but it is a few pounds lighter (12 pounds rather than 15 pounds).
The french fry cutter comes with suction feet that can stick to most countertop surfaces to reduce the device from moving around as you use it. If you want to attach it more permanently to a surface, it can also be mounted.
Pros
- Comes with 2 blade sizes
- Can be mounted to the counter for additional safety
Cons
- Weighs 12 pounds and needs to be on a durable surface
- Need to microwave sweet potatoes to soften them before running them through the cutter
Weston French Fry Cutter Machine
The Weston French Fry Cutter Machine comes with a unique dicing feature that we really like, which is why it earned a spot on my list.
Like the Foodservice 43204, the Weston Machine comes with 2 blades that can slice potatoes ½ inch and ⅜ inch thick. Where the Weston Machine shines is that it can also dice potatoes and other vegetables, which no other cutter on my list can do.
This device comes with a knife guide that can be snapped onto the cutter, and this is how you’re able to dice various foods. As you run your sweet potatoes through the cutter and past the knife guide, you can stop pushing down at any point to customize how large your dices are.
The machine doesn’t come with a knife, so I recommend running a pairing knife through the knife guide to dice your sweet potatoes.
Rather than a lever that you push down on to move potatoes through the device, this product uses a ratchet handle. This handle allows you to apply more force, because you can actually push it down with the palm of your hand, rather than needing to grip a level like on the Sopito or New Star cutters.
Pros
- Includes a knife guide so you can dice food
- Uses a unique ratchet handle to push food through the blades
Cons
- Works best if you cut sweet potatoes in half before running them through the device
Features to Consider for French Fry Cutter for Sweet Potatoes
When looking at the best french fry cutter for sweet potato features you are going to want to focus on durability and stability. Sweet potatoes are a very hard vegetable to cut. Oftentimes, it is best to soften sweet potatoes in the microwave for 1-2 minutes per side before cutting just to be safe.
Taking the strength and resiliency of the sweet potato in mind, strong durable materials like steel are always going to be a plus. Additionally, how force is applied to the cutting is important as well.
| Product | Number of Blades | Material | Operation Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Star Foodservice 38408 | 5 | Iron | Manual |
| Sopito Professional Potato Cutter | 1 | Stainless Steel | Manual |
| Progressive International Tower Fry Cutter | 1 | Plastic | Manual |
| New Star Foodservice 43204 | 2 | Aluminum | Manual |
| Weston French Fry Cutter | 2 | Stainless Steel | Manual |
Blade Size
Before buying a cutter to use for fries, you should first think about the type of fry you want to end up with. Making shoestring fries requires a different size blade than what you’d need for creating potato wedges or steak fries.
The good news is that most devices come with various blade sizes, and it is pretty easy to swap the blades out, depending on the shape and size of fries you’re wanting to make.
While it comes down to preference for how thick or thin people like their sweet potato fries, typically looking for a fry cutter that includes a ½ inch or ⅜ inch blade is a pretty common thickness for fries.
Materials
Steel is your best friend when it comes to cutters for sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are much firmer than normal potatoes and take a lot of force to cut through. The more pressure you are putting into your cutter, the more force your die and the housing must stand up against.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, if you are putting 20 – 50 pounds of force into cutting a sweet potato, your cutter needs to be able to withstand that amount of force.
While it is possible to use cutters with aluminum and plastic parts, they will not be as strong or durable as steel and iron ones. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t use ones made of weaker material. For some people, the weight and care for carbon steel or iron are too much, and so aluminum, plastic, or weaker forms of stainless steel are what they prefer to use.
Just know that if you do choose a cutter with a weaker material, it may not last as long or be able to cut through some sweet potatoes.
Base
The base of your cutter is pretty much anything that isn’t the die. French fry cutters come in many shapes and sizes but they all have some sort of die or blade and some way to push food into it.
The base of your french fry cutter is what determines how force can be applied to the potato and which direction force is applied from. The base also determines if force must be constantly applied or not. It is also going to determine where you can use and store your french fry cutter.
Suction cups, for example, are very common to attach the base to a table or countertop. However, these bases will not work on anything porous or rough and they will never be as strong as bolts. Suction cups are very convenient though, so you are balancing convenience with flexibility and strength.
Vertical french fry cutters (like the kind they use at In-N-Out Burger) are great for allowing you to put your body weight into the action but require strong vertical mounting points for placing it in your kitchen. Also, when it comes to screw-mounted french fry cutters, don’t think you will be taking it on and off your kitchen countertop daily, as it’s quite a hassle to remount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Use a Sweet Potato Cutter to Cut Other Foods?
Yes, a sweet potato cutter or french fry cutter can be used to cut anything that fits in the die like onions, tomatoes, carrots, or celery. Even if an item is too big you could cut it down and feed it through in pieces.
Can You Use a French Fry Cutter on Sweet Potatoes?
Yes, most french fry cutters are also sweet potato cutters. Keep in mind a sweet potato is naturally harder than a potato though. It is often beneficial to soften a sweet potato in the microwave for a couple of minutes a side before feeding it into a french fry cutter.
Conclusion
With the popularity of sweet potato fries on the rise, having a multi-purpose die cutter is a great way to enjoy these treats at home. If you have ever hand-cut french fries you know how time-consuming and difficult it is to make small, uniform cuts.
Best of all, once you find the perfect sweet potato cutter, you will have confidence that it can make quick work of softer foods like carrots, celery, and tomatoes.
