How Do You Know When Potatoes Are Done Boiling
To check if the potatoes are done boiling or not, you should take a fork, a skewer, or a knife and stick the largest potato. If they are tender and their skin is soft enough that a utensil goes through them easily, this means your potatoes are completely boiled.
If your potatoes are soft and tender throughout, and your fork or knife goes easily to the middle of the potatoes without encountering resistance, that means that your potatoes are done cooking. Let your potatoes simmer on medium heat until the skin starts withering or test your potatoes with the fork or knife to see if they are sufficiently soft. For larger potatoes, you will want to simmer them in a pot of boiling water at high temperature for 20-25 minutes (or longer for extra-large potatoes) then continuously check by poking with a fork or knife.
For smaller potatoes, you will need around 15 minutes, and for diced potatoes, you will need around 10 minutes of cooking time in hot boiling water. The larger the potato, the longer it takes to cook potatoes. If you decide to first slice the potatoes, then you will likely be fine to use around 15 minutes of boiling water regardless of what size potatoes you begin with.
| Types | Cooking Time |
| Large Potatoes | 20 to 25 minutes |
| Smaller potatoes | 15 minutes |
| Diced potatoes | 10 minutes |
Regardless of what you choose to do with your skins, your potatoes will cook faster if you chop them up into cubes before boiling. Cooking times may decrease if you cut the potatoes into smaller pieces, but if you really want to peel your potatoes, it is harder the smaller the pieces. The waxier the potatoes, the larger the pieces, and the higher the vinegar content, the longer it takes them to cook.
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You will find russet potatoes require longer boiling times than other types (20-30 minutes). To parboil potatoes, follow the same instructions as you would to boil potatoes completely, but shorten the cooking time. You can also pre-boil water to save a few minutes, though the consistency of your potatoes will be a little worse to begin WITH cold water. It is easier to first boil saltwater, then add the potatoes (as opposed to starting with them both in a pan).
Place potato pieces into a pan, then add cold water to cover; it is important that you use cold water, as hot or warm water will start cooking the exterior of the potatoes before the interior, resulting in uncooked potato pieces. If you put potatoes into already boiling water, the outside would be the first to cook, which results in unevenly cooked potatoes which are more prone to breaking apart. Dropping potatoes in boiling water is not a good idea as the hot water will cook the exteriors of the potatoes more quickly than the interiors, leaving you with unequally cooked hash browns. The skins will slip off during the boiling process, so leave potatoes whole if you want to leave skins on to make mashed potatoes.
Whether you are making mashed potatoes or boiling potatoes for side dishes, you want to ensure that they are cooked correctly. While there is no certain boil time that you can always rely on to get perfectly cooked potatoes, a good rule of thumb is to ensure that they are cooked through. The times listed here will work regardless if you are making mashed potatoes, potato salad, or another food. When you are ready to move on, put a suitable-sized pot on a low heat, and the water will bring the potatoes to the boil again, allowing the potatoes to mash.
You can also leave the potatoes whole; this is best for when you are boiling starchy potatoes, which may get limp in the cooking process. Give potatoes a bit of boiling time before placing on a tray in the oven so they are nice and crisp, instead of placing them uncooked on the tray with the seasonings on them to start the cooking process. Potatoes are cooked when you feel no resistance when poking at them with a skewer or a knife. Generally, the easiest way to tell whether or not they are cooked is to grab the potato and stab it with a knife, skewer, or fork.
As a result, when you are mashing the potatoes with the water soaked in, you might find your potatoes are more like a soggy mess than they are fluffy. Technically, you end up with the same outcome–a soft potato–whether you boil or simmer the potatoes. Also, if you do boil your potatoes, they will be more limp, because the water is not boiling so quickly. Bring water to the boil on high, then lower the heat to medium-high and simmer at rapid heat until potatoes are easily cut through with a paring knife, about 10 minutes for cut potatoes, 20 minutes for whole potatoes.
Let whole potatoes cool at least 15 minutes before cutting, to get the best texture and avoid burning fingertips. Plan for a little chilling time after boiling when making a potato salad to get the best texture (using an ice bath speeds this chilling process). To avoid the above situations of overcooked vs. undercooked, we want to begin our potatoes in cold water, to ensure that they warm evenly across the board. To make sure that more of the starch is removed, you will also want to rinse your potatoes rapidly once you have finished boiling them.
Since potatoes are extremely dirty, it is essential that you scrub them down with a scrub brush prior to boiling. Once they are cleaned up, they can be used in any number of dishes, or eaten plain with butter and a sprinkle of parsley. Not only do unpeeled potatoes soak up less water and retain more vitamins and nutrients, but peeling is generally easier after baking–just be sure to rub your skin well first if skinning is a route you are planning on taking. Cooking potatoes is typically a first step toward another dish, like turning them into a roast or mashed, so which kind you pick will have an impact on that.
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With some easy tips, you can get perfectly cooked potatoes quicker — as short as 12 minutes on the stovetop, or 6-8 minutes in the microwave. It is worth noting that if you are looking to make boiled potatoes in the pressure cooker, it takes less time to optimally cook potatoes than it takes for potatoes to be cooked in a pressure cooker. Place your potatoes into microwave-safe bowl, add water 2 inches above the potatoes, and then cover the microwave lid. Cooking potatoes in water without seasoning will not allow starch to fully cook, creating an opaque, dense end product.
How long do potatoes need to boil?
Bring the water to a boil by turning the burner to high. Turn down the heat to low or medium. Put a lid on the pot. For little red, new, or cubed large russet potatoes, cook in gently boiling water for 15 minutes; for quartered potatoes, cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
Why do potatoes go mushy when boiled?
Local potatoes mostly turn to mush when bubbling due to some unsuitable assortment that is being generated. The best way to make some potato mixtures is to cook them, whereas the best way to prepare others is to prepare them. The likelihood of the potato turning to mush is decreased by growing the appropriate variety of potatoes for bubbling.
How do you fix undercooked boiled potatoes?
The best technique to repair half-cooked potatoes is to let them finish cooking using the same method that was used to prepare them in the first place. For example, to correct bubbled potatoes that are only halfway cooked, simply bubble them for 10 additional minutes at 100°C or at a moving bubble.