TIL they're called mandolin slicers. Here's the one we use: https://www.bornerkitchentools.com/en/collections/all/slicer Yeah, you've got to respect sharp blades, thankfully I never had a huge accident with mine... so far :)
I might try the par-boiling step in the future, although I also like to keep things a simple as possible, we'll see. In any case, thanks for the hint.
posted a link to a video that removes some of the ambiguity in choosing the right spud and good process parameters.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=504iV6_BCRE
Yes, I sourced the tallow at a local butcher, thank God these are still around, even with meat prices skyrocketing. Thank you for the link although I'll probably look for a source in Europe or here in Germany. It's sold for cooking and for skin care. Damn, those prices are high.
Good luck with your popcorn project, I'm sure you'll find something in time for the snowy days. The only time I made some is in one of those mini hot-air popcorn ...poppers. Last time I used that thing, I roasted coffee beans in it. Worked surprisingly well but not worth the effort for me.
Yeah, I have been using one of those little hot air things for a while but it's just not great. The popcorn is not "crispy" enough for what I prefer. I also have about a dozen different types of popping corn, all non-gmo, various breeds, sizes, etc.. When you look into something as simple as popping corn you figure out very quickly it is not even slightly simple o.0.
In the USA we have very different "chips" than in Europe so you do you. I am just happy that I could help some. Here, Russet potato's are popular for a lot of things, including chips.