How long to boil potatoes?

malamala

I really love the way I cook potatoes!

An hour or so before meal time, I put medium sized potatoes into a pot of cold water, then turn on the heat. When water is boiled, I switch it off without opening the lid and let potatoes bathe in the boiling hot water. There is no need to worry about if the potato is too hard/too soft, no need to keep an eye on them. The potato will still be quite warm when served and is very energy efficient too!

P.S we use electric cooker at home

hev_2

meanmarie wrote: »

To cook new potatoes the water should be boiled and then poured onto potatoes and then covered with a lid and simmered until cooked...about half way up the potatoes is plenty of water, otherwise you will 'drown' them and have sludge rather than cooked potatoes. I am assuming that nobody peels new potatoes.

Older potatoes should be put in pot, again cold water half way up covered with lid and brought to boil and turned down to simmer...this applies whether potatoes are peeled or not...I never peel potatoes and eat skin as well as flesh...best way nutritionally.

TBH, I often steam potatoes, which works with any type or age and prevents mush or burnt pots!

Marie

If the potatoes aren't covered in my house they just don't cook! I am doing something wrong.:o I don't even turn it down to simmer these days. Just bubble it along.

I really appreciate all the replies. I am completely confused, but it shows that if I get it right it should take no more than half an hour to boil potatoes. Many thanks for all your replies.

Zazen999

Hev

You are bonkers [in a nice way].

I boil the water whilst peeling the spuds and always add some salt.
Cut to about 1 inch sized cubes.
Pop cubes in pan and when simmering, turn down to about 3/4 the heat that it too to get it to boiling.
It has got to simmer; but not boil for the whole time. If you turn it down too much it will take longer.
the amount of water should be above the level of the spuds when in the pan; none poking out the top.
After 15-20 mins, you should be able to stick a knife in and it should not grate on the knife.

If you cut them smaller than that; it is quicker.

If the spuds start breaking up, you can turn the heat down, pour most of the water off and leave them to finish on their own and soak up the rest of the water.

Any help?

champys

hev wrote: »

I must get back to using my pressure cooker - it only takes around 15 mins with that but I am scared of the damn thing :rolleyes:

(Yes, potatoes are supposed to be a lot less than 15 mins in pressure cooker, but my brief experiment had them done around 15 mins. And if you had seen what a great girl's blouse I was trying to get the thing unpressured and repressured you would have laughed your socks off )

Correct Hev - I always use the pressure cooker for my spuds and it takes about 6 minutes for ordinary boiled or steamed potatoes and 8 minutes if I want to make mashed. There is something mysterious about you and potatoes!

hev_2

Zazen999 wrote: »

Hev

You are bonkers [in a nice way].

I boil the water whilst peeling the spuds and always add some salt.
Cut to about 1 inch sized cubes.
Pop cubes in pan and when simmering, turn down to about 3/4 the heat that it too to get it to boiling.
It has got to simmer; but not boil for the whole time. If you turn it down too much it will take longer.
the amount of water should be above the level of the spuds when in the pan; none poking out the top.
After 15-20 mins, you should be able to stick a knife in and it should not grate on the knife.

If you cut them smaller than that; it is quicker.

If the spuds start breaking up, you can turn the heat down, pour most of the water off and leave them to finish on their own and soak up the rest of the water.

Any help?

Bonkers - guilty as charged :rolleyes:

I do appreciate the post - it's really helpful.

I don't add salt, put pots in cold and bring to the boil, keep boiling, otherwise exactly as you do, but for longer

I will try it the way you describe and see how it goes.

How much salt should I add (only kidding )

I am completely baffled. My uncle has been trying to tell me that my cooker isn't getting hot enough, but boiling water is boiling water, right?

Mind you, it shows life is pretty good if all I have to worry about is boiling potatoes!

Zazen999

hev wrote: »

Bonkers - guilty as charged :rolleyes:

I do appreciate the post - it's really helpful.

I don't add salt, put pots in cold and bring to the boil, keep boiling, otherwise exactly as you do, but for longer

I will try it the way you describe and see how it goes.

How much salt should I add (only kidding )

I am completely baffled. My uncle has been trying to tell me that my cooker isn't getting hot enough, but boiling water is boiling water, right?

Mind you, it shows life is pretty good if all I have to worry about is boiling potatoes!

Hi

Can't sleep [too much caffeine today I think]

Do you live up the top of a really high hill?

I am inclined to agree with your uncle, when your water boils does it want to get out the top of the pan?

hev_2

Erm, the water in the pan just bubbles. Quite big bubbles with a fair amount of enthusiasm.

If I leave the lid on and don't turn it down the water boils over.

I live in a valley in West Yorkshire - not very high, not very low.... Also pressure cooker still takes longer, which makes me suspect there is a problem with storing pots or method of preparing. Mind you, the last cooker we had was very iffy when it came to oven temperatures. Maybe gas pressure...?

When DH cooks potatoes it is the same.

I can't sleep either - something disturbed me and now I'm awake for the night, sigh. I can just sit here and think about potatoes.

Zazen999

In that case I am stumped.

What spuds do you use?

May as well ask, not going anywhere for a while.

hev_2

In case you are still awake, Zazen999, I use cheap white potatoes. Depends what is going at Nettos/Sainsburys online/market/Morrisons (not big on shop loyalty in this house)

I gave up and played computer games til daft o'clock, then got about two hours before DS woke up.

I predict a great day

angel81uk

And there I was thinking I was the only weird one who couldn't boil potatoes! Can't offer any advice I'm afraid as I have exactly the same problem. I use supermarket white potatoes cut into approx 1 inch cubes, and a pinch of salt. I always cook them with a lid on, I've tried starting them off in cold water as well as starting off with boiled water from the kettle, I've tried completely covering them with water as well as only half filling the pan. I bring them to the boil then turn down to a fast simmer (as hot as I can get without the pan boiling over) but they always, without fail take 40 mins to 1 hour.