Potato Varieties and Cooking Methods: Your Friendly Guide

Starchy, waxy and in between

Walk into a produce section and the potato bins can feel overwhelming. The simplest way to sort them is by starch level. Starchy potatoes have a dry, floury texture when cooked. Waxy potatoes have more moisture and less starch, so they stay firm and sliceable. All-purpose potatoes sit between the two and cope with most recipes.

Knowing the category tells you more about a potato than its color does. A starchy potato soaks up butter and cream and falls apart into fluffy crumbs. A waxy potato keeps its shape in a stew or a salad, even after a long simmer. Match the type to the job, and the dish tends to turn out the way you pictured it.

Skin matters too. Thin-skinned potatoes such as reds and fingerlings need only a good scrub, and the skin adds color and a pleasant bite. Thick-skinned russets are often peeled for mashing but left on for baking, where the skin turns crisp and is the best part for many people.

Meet the main varieties

Here is a quick field guide to the potatoes you will meet most often:

• Russet: large, brown-skinned and starchy. The classic baker, and a favorite for mashed potatoes and fries.
• Yukon Gold: golden flesh with a buttery flavor. A dependable all-purpose choice for roasting, mashing and soups.
• Red potatoes: thin red skin and waxy flesh. Excellent boiled, roasted or used in salads.
• Fingerling: small, slender and often a little knobby. Roast them whole for an elegant side.
• Purple potatoes: deep violet skin and sometimes flesh, with a mild, slightly nutty taste. They keep their color best when roasted or steamed.

Many stores also sell mixed bags of baby potatoes in several colors, which are a fun way to compare textures side by side in a single roasting pan.

Size and shape affect timing. Whole baby potatoes take longer than diced ones, so cut pieces to a similar size for even cooking. A good rule is to choose pieces about the size of a large grape for roasting, and to halve anything bigger so the centers soften at the same pace as the edges.

Cooking methods that work

Boiling: start potatoes in cold, salted water and bring them up to a gentle simmer so they cook evenly. Test with a fork. Waxy types shine here, particularly for salads.

Roasting: cut potatoes into even pieces, toss with oil and salt, and spread them in a single layer on a hot pan so the edges crisp. Yukon Gold and fingerlings roast beautifully, and a sprinkle of rosemary or paprika goes a long way.

Steaming: a steamer basket over simmering water keeps the skins intact and the flavor clean. It is a quick method for small potatoes and works well for purple varieties.

Baking: russets, pricked with a fork and baked until the skin is crisp, are the classic choice for loaded baked potatoes with yogurt, chives and herbs.

Mashing: russets or Yukon Golds, simmered until tender and mashed with warm milk, make a smooth, comforting side.

Seasoning is where potatoes come alive. Salt the cooking water generously, since potatoes absorb it as they simmer. After roasting, finish with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon or a spoonful of yogurt sauce. Smoked paprika, garlic powder, dill and chives all play nicely with every variety on this list.

For crisp roasted potatoes, preheat the pan, dry the pieces well after rinsing, and avoid crowding the tray. Crowded potatoes steam instead of crisp. Turn them once halfway through, and let them rest for a minute before serving so the edges set.

Cooling potatoes for salads

Chilled potato dishes are a summer favorite, and they are also a neat bit of food science. When cooked potatoes cool in the refrigerator, their starch tightens into a firmer structure, which is why cold potatoes slice cleanly. We unpack that idea in resistant starch explained in the kitchen.

For a simple herb salad, boil small red potatoes until just tender, drain them, and let them cool for a few minutes. Toss with olive oil, a spoonful of mustard, lemon juice, chopped parsley and chives. Chill for an hour or two. The flavors deepen as the salad rests, which makes it perfect for picnics and weekly meal prep.

Leftover boiled potatoes are a gift for the week ahead. Slice them into a skillet with onions for a quick hash, fold them into an egg scramble, or add them to a grain bowl with greens and a tangy dressing. Our Sunday meal prep guide shows how to plan batch cooking around staples like these.

For friendly label-reading help, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements consumer guide is worth a bookmark.

Storing potatoes well

Potatoes prefer a cool, dark, dry, well-ventilated spot, such as a pantry shelf or a basket in a cabinet. Light can turn the skin green, so keep them out of the sun and trim away any green areas before cooking. Keep them away from onions in the same bag, since the two shorten each other's shelf life.

Avoid washing potatoes until just before you cook them, because moisture encourages spoilage. If you spot sprouts, trim them away, and use older potatoes first. Cooked potatoes belong in covered containers in the refrigerator. For a broader look at storing foods and supplements sensibly, see how to store supplements cool, dry and cold.

When shopping, choose potatoes that feel firm and smooth, with no soft spots, deep cuts or green patches. Buy loose potatoes when you want to pick the sizes yourself, or bagged ones for convenience. A small bag of mixed baby potatoes is a fun way to try new varieties without committing to a large quantity.

Potatoes in a balanced kitchen

Potatoes are a flexible vegetable that suits breakfast hashes, lunch salads and dinner sides. The USDA MyPlate site offers friendly guidance on filling a plate with a variety of vegetables, and potatoes sit comfortably among them. Leaving the skin on adds texture and saves prep time.

Potato starch even appears in the supplement world. One of the three ingredients the brand names for SodaTide, a dietary supplement in capsule form, is Potato Resistant Starch. You can find the details on the ingredients page, while the bottle's Supplement Facts panel is the place for exact label information.

Whatever routine you build, keep it simple and keep it yours. Check today's offer on the order page