How to Boil Potatoes

Boiled small whole golden potatoes in a white dish with a pepper mill and serving spoon.

Master How to Boil Potatoes perfectly—start with cold water, use waxy spuds, salt the water, and store extras for quick, versatile meals.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings Servings

Author Jan Nunes

Equipment

Vegetable Brush
Large Pot

Ingredients

3 Pounds Small Golden Potatoes
Cold Water
1 Tablespoon Fine Sea Salt

Instructions

Wash. Wash and scrub the potatoes well with a vegetable brush.
Cover with Water in Pan. Put the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a pot large enough to hold no more than 2 layers of potatoes. Cover them with at least 1 inch of cold water and add the salt.
3 Pounds Small Golden Potatoes, 1 Tablespoon Fine Sea Salt, Cold Water
Simmer. Bring the potatoes to a boil in the salted water over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes until they are tender, but not soft. A toothpick, fork, or knife will easily pierce a potato when it is cooked.
PRO-TIP: If the peel of the potato is wrinkled or split, the potato is overcooked.
If your plan is to store them in the refrigerator: Immediately drain the potatoes and rinse them in cold water. Allow the potatoes to cool completely, then store them in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
If you are serving them now: Immediately drain the potatoes and serve. You can also dress the potatoes with your choice of seasonings.

Notes

My Top Tips

Use Waxy Potatoes. Waxy potatoes are fingerling and new potatoes in shades of white, red, golden, and purple. They are very flavorful, and because they are lower in starch, they slice well.

Don't Use Russet Potatoes. Russet potatoes are very starchy and do not hold up well after being boiled. Do not use these unless you are making mashed potatoes. So, save russets for baking where their high starch becomes the perfect fluffy baked potato.

Do Not Peel the Potatoes. Potatoes peel far more easily after they are cooked, so skip peeling them before they are cooked unless you need to make a quick potato purée.

Use a Large Pot. The pot should be large enough to hold no more than 2 layers of potatoes, which should then be covered with at least 1 inch of cold water.

Start with Cold Water. Always start with the potatoes covered in cold water and then bring both the water and potatoes to a boil. If you add whole potatoes to boiling water they will cook unevenly and the surface of the potato will be done much sooner than the center.

Salt the Water. Salt greatly improves the flavor of potatoes, so be sure to add salt to the water when boiling them. You can add it when the water is cold or sprinkle it in as the potatoes come to a boil.

Test for Doneness with a Toothpick. Potatoes are done when a fork, knife, or toothpick easily pierces them. I prefer to use a toothpick to test, as it leaves a minimal hole and will not break apart the potato.

Drain and Cool. If you are cooking potatoes to keep on hand in the fridge, cool them quickly with cold water to stop the cooking process. Overcooked potatoes will not slice easily and may break apart.

Cook in Advance. You can cook potatoes in advance. Allow the potatoes to cool completely and store the cooled potatoes in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

Make-Ahead & Storage

You can boil potatoes in advance. Allow the potatoes to cool completely, then store them in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

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