Boil the potatoes, but how

Recipes say it like it's obvious. Cold water or boiling? How much salt? How long? The answer changes with the potato and the dish.

“So many potato recipes start with the same instruction: "Boil the potatoes."”

The short version

Start in cold, well-salted water, bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer until tender. Cooking time runs anywhere from 8 to 40 minutes.

Always start cold

Drop potatoes into already-boiling water and the outsides overcook before the centers soften. Heating them up with the water cooks them evenly.

“Starting them cold lets the potatoes and water heat up together.”

Salt like the sea

For 3 quarts of water, use 1 cup Diamond Crystal or 1/2 cup Morton kosher salt. Most goes down the drain, but the potatoes season from the inside out.

“Salty like the sea, people.”

Potatoes are dense

Salting only the outside after boiling never reaches the middle. The concentrated bath gives them time to absorb seasoning while they cook.

Time depends on the job

Baby potatoes for smashing need 8 to 12 minutes. Medium potatoes for mash need 30 to 35. Large cubes headed for gnocchi can take 40.

Cut big ones evenly

A whole russet stays firm in the center while its exterior turns to mush. Exact size matters less than making every piece match.

“Cut the pieces roughly the same size, and they should finish cooking at about the same time.”

Let texture call it

Treat the time ranges as guidelines. Start checking at the low end and let a fork, not a timer, tell you when they're done.

Two kinds of tender

For mash and gnocchi, a knife should slide in and out easily. For potato salad, it should meet slight resistance coming out so pieces stay intact.

Pick by the dish

Starchy russets go fluffy for mash. Waxy reds and fingerlings hold their shape for salad. Yukon Golds sit in the middle and do both.

“They're the Test Kitchen favorite for ultra-creamy, buttery mashed potatoes.”