Making crisp hash browns
Here's my method. First I rinse the frozen potatoes under cold water (in a colander) until thawed. It only takes a minute or two. Then I squeeze as much excess water out of the potatoes as I can. Then I season them and put them in a very lightly oiled pan and press and form to get the shape and thickness I want, and get them to hold together. When the first side is golden, I turn and let the other side get golden and crispy.
Over the years, I've found that the excess water caused problems with browning, crispness, and holding together. Also, I usually add a tiny bit of butter to the pan as it helps to get that perfect golden color.