Why you should never cook potatoes in water

Most of us have cooked potatoes the same way for years. Peel them, chop them, drop them into a pan of water, and wait until a fork slides through. It is simple, familiar, and almost impossible to get completely wrong. So why are more home cooks starting to question whether that pan of bubbling water is really doing the potato any favors?

The surprising part is that the problem has little to do with calories, carbs, or some new food scare. It comes down to what happens while those potato pieces sit surrounded by hot water. Something you probably want to keep inside the potato can end up somewhere else, while the texture and flavor can become less impressive than they need to be.

That does not mean you should throw away your saucepan or never boil another potato. There are times when boiling makes perfect sense, especially for certain dishes. But if you automatically reach for water every time potatoes are on the menu, it may be worth changing your routine. On the next page, we look at what the water actually takes away—and why the size of your potato pieces matters much more than you might think.