Have you ever stood in the supermarket wondering which potato to choose? With so many varieties available, it’s hard to know which one will work best for your dish so here’s a guide to the different types of potatoes and what they’re best suited to so you’ll never be stuck again!
Potatoes are categorised into 3 basic types – starchy, waxy and all-purpose.
Starchy:
Starchy potatoes are high in starch, low in moisture and have a floury texture with creamy white flesh. Starchy Potatoes release a milky, starchy liquid if pricked or cut. They also tend to be long and have a coarser skin.
Varieties:
King Edward
Russets
Sweet potatoes
When to use:
Starchy potatoes are fluffy and absorbent which makes them great for baking and frying so use them to make crispy potatoes, hot chips, wedges, mashed potato cakes or hash browns. They can also be mashed but are susceptible to becoming stodgy when overworked.
When to avoid:
Because of their high starch content, starchy potatoes don’t hold together very well when cooked so avoid using them in dishes that require boiling, roasting or slicing like casseroles, potato bakes, gratins or potato salads.
Waxy:
Waxy potatoes have less starch than Starchy potatoes and contain more moisture and sugar. They are often smaller with a waxy outer skin and a creamy, firm and moist flesh.
Varieties:
Dutch Cream
Kipfler
Nadine
Nicola
Patrone
Pink Eye (Southern Gold)
Pink Fir Apple
Purple Congo
When to use:
Waxy potatoes hold their shape well after cooking so are great for boiling, roasting or slicing. Use them to cook casseroles, soups or potato salads.
When to avoid:
Waxy potatoes are not good for mashing because they hold their form and produce a chunky mash. They are also avoided for baking and deep frying.
All-Purpose:
All-purpose potatoes have a medium starch content that fall somewhere in between starchy and waxy potatoes. They have more moisture that starchy Potatoes and hold together in boiling water.
Varieties:
Coliban
Desiree
Golden Delight
Otway Red
Pontiac
Red Rascal
Royal Blue
Sebago
Spunta
Toolangi Delight
(‘New’ potatoes)
Yukon gold
When to use:
All Purpose Potatoes are particularly useful for roasting, pan frying, stewing and are good in soups or gratins such as Potato Dauphinoise.
When to avoid:
They can be baked, mashed, or deep fried like a starchy potato, but will not produce the same fluffy texture. You can use all-purpose potatoes for just about anything but if you have a specific dish in mind that lends itself to a starchy or waxy potato, then opt for those types instead.
Potato recipes
Looking for popular potato recipes and tips?
FAQs
Russets are ideal for light and fluffy mashed potatoes. They also fry up crisp and golden brown, and are the potato of choice for baking. The delicate flavor and fluffy texture of baked russets goes well with a variety of toppings, from traditional sour cream and chives to spicy and bold Mediterranean or Latin flavors.
Which potatoes to use for what? ›
Here's a quick reference on which types of potatoes are ideal for which type of cooking technique:
- Baking: Russet, long white, Peruvian.
- Boiled: New potatoes, round red, white.
- Fried: Russets and white.
- Roasted: New potatoes, russets, Peruvian, long whites.
- Mashed: Russets, long white, yellow.
Russets are ideal for light and fluffy mashed potatoes. They also fry up crisp and golden brown, and are the potato of choice for baking. The delicate flavor and fluffy texture of baked russets goes well with a variety of toppings, from traditional sour cream and chives to spicy and bold Mediterranean or Latin flavors.
How do I choose a potato variety? ›
Flavour was by far the most important factor for choosing a particular potato variety, with 99 per cent of participants stating this was either 'important' or 'very important'. Texture was also important to 80 per cent of people, choosing specific varieties with floury or waxy flesh for specific culinary use.
Which type of potato is most often used for baked potatoes? ›
The ideal potato for baking is low in moisture with a high starch content. These qualities allow a potato to bake up with a delightfully fluffy center and crispy skin. Because it has all of these features, Russet potatoes are the ideal potato for baking and the most commonly used choice.
When not to use Russet potatoes? ›
When to avoid: Because of their high starch content, starchy potatoes don't hold together very well when cooked so avoid using them in dishes that require boiling, roasting or slicing like casseroles, potato bakes, gratins or potato salads.
What kind of potatoes are all-purpose? ›
All-purpose Potatoes for Most Recipes
They can be baked, mashed, or deep-fried like a starchy potato, but will not produce the same fluffy results. Types of all-purpose potatoes are Norland Red, Red Gold, Yukon Gold, Purple Majesty, Peruvian Blue, All blue, Kennebec, Superior, and Katahdin.
What is the best tasting potato to grow? ›
4 Best Potato Varieties To Grow in Your Garden
- Rio Grande Russet. Russet potatoes are some of the most common types in grocery stores and vegetable stands. ...
- Red. Many professionals in the culinary field use red potatoes in their dishes since they have great taste and an interesting appearance. ...
- Kennebec. ...
- Magic Molly.
Possibly the most well-known potato variety, Maris Piper has a pale golden skin, with creamy white flesh. They're famous as the original all rounder potato as their texture lends itself to a range of cooking methods. From frying to boiling and roasting – they're great for chips, wedges, mash and roast potatoes.
What is the highest yielding potato variety? ›
Highest yielding cultivars were the late season varieties Belmonda and MonDak Gold. A contributing factor to this may have been that later varieties were able to “weather” the long-term drought and heat effects of the season.
The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are a starchy varieties like russet, Idaho or Yukon gold. Starchy potatoes are best for mashed potatoes because they have a fluffy, almost airy texture that breaks down easily.
What is the best potato to buy for baked potatoes? ›
Russet potatoes are arguably the best potatoes for baking, although they are also great for mashing and frying. The main reason thick-skinned Russet potatoes are perfect for baking and more is because they contain significant amounts of starch.
What potatoes do chefs use? ›
One of Chef Andrew's all-time favourite potatoes is the Désirée. This is the number one go-to potato for boiling. It's also ok to bake as it has a nice firm texture without being chewy. The Dutch Cream potato is one of the main potatoes used on restaurant menus and is great for roasting or baking.
What are eastern potatoes used for? ›
Round Fresh Whites have smooth, light tan skin, and are also called Eastern Potatoes. Round Fresh Whites are low-starch potatoes that are best used for scalloped potatoes, roasting, and potato salads.
What are Yukon gold potatoes best for? ›
Yukon Gold potatoes are stable enough to cook without crumbling, which means they're great when used in potato salads or soups. They lack the waxy characteristic of red potatoes, which means they're easy to mash without becoming too gummy.
Does it matter what kind of potatoes you use for potato salad? ›
The Type of Potato Matters: Waxy Is Better than Starchy
Waxy: These thin-skinned potatoes have the least amount of starch and retain their shape well when boiled, making them our favorite for potato salad. Thin skins also mean that peeling is optional if you're short on time or like a more rustic salad.
What is the difference between the different potatoes? ›
Potato Types
Russet Potatoes - Russets are large potatoes with rough brown skin and pale flesh. Yellow Potatoes - Yellow potatoes have thin gold skin and yellow flesh. White Potatoes - White potatoes have thin beige or tan skin with pale flesh. Red Potatoes - Red potatoes have thin red skin and pale flesh.
