Chefs advise starting potatoes in cold water
Four professional chefs, cited by the culinary outlet Simply Recipes, recommend putting potatoes into cold rather than boiling water. This helps them cook evenly and keep their shape.
When cooking potatoes at home, a common question is whether to add them to cold or already boiling water. Four professional chefs cited by the culinary publication Simply Recipes agree: cold water is the better choice. Potatoes cooked this way cook more evenly and are less likely to lose their shape.
Why cold water
When water heats up gradually, the heat reaches the centre of the potato evenly. In boiling water, the outer layers cook considerably faster than the inside, so the outside may overcook while the middle stays hard. This matters most when potatoes are meant for mash, salads or a side dish, where the pieces need to be soft but intact.
The chefs' tips
- Cut the potatoes into pieces of equal size.
- Rinse them before cooking to remove excess starch.
- Cover with cold, salted water to about 2.5 centimetres above the potatoes. Salt helps season them evenly.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the water only bubbles gently. Boiling too vigorously can make the potatoes fall apart.
- Start checking for doneness about 10 minutes after the water boils if the pieces are 2.5–5 centimetres across. Larger pieces and whole small potatoes may need 15–20 minutes or longer.
The chefs stress that texture matters more than timing: the potatoes are ready when a knife or fork slides easily into the centre of a piece.
Exceptions
Small potatoes or pieces that only need brief blanching before further cooking can go into boiling water. In all other cases, the chefs say cold water is the most reliable way to get even cooking, a suitable texture and potatoes that do not fall apart before they are done.
