3 Types of Potatoes (Plus Recipes and the Science Behind Potato Starch)

But while their great taste and broad utility is clear, not every type of potato is suited to every cooking technique. 

Simmer a waxy red potato in a stew, and it will hold its shape while staying tender and flavorful. But cook a starchy russet potato in the same way, and it's likely to collapse in the liquid, thickening the stew instead of remaining a standalone component. 

The key difference between these two potatoes — red and russet — is the amount of starch in each type of potato. 

3 Types of Potatoes

Starch levels are used to divide potatoes into three different categories: high starch, medium starch, and low starch (aka waxy). Starch levels also help to inform when and how we use each type of potato.

The Science Behind Potato Starch

Potatoes have different amounts of dry starch in their cell walls, and a potato’s moisture level is related to that amount of starch. (Low starch potatoes are more moist, while high starch varieties are drier.) 

When a high starch potato cooks, its cellular starch will absorb moisture and expand, pushing the cells apart from one another. The resulting texture is fluffy, light, and a little dry. 

If a potato has less starch, the cells won’t separate in the same way, and the potato pieces will keep their shape and firm texture after cooking.

While potatoes may be classified by their starchiness, it’s unlikely that you will see them labeled in a store this way. So let’s talk about specific examples of each type and the best ways to use them.

High-Starch Potatoes

The russet potato, a high-starch darling, comprises 70 percent of all potatoes grown in the US. With an earthy exterior and a mild interior, the russet is a delicious and widely available potato. Here’s where it's used best:

• Frying: The russet’s low moisture content makes it excellent for frying. The starchy insides cook to fluffy perfection, and the drier texture yields a brown, crispy crust.
• Baking: The potato’s thin skin crisps as the whole potato bakes in the oven — so here, again, you get a light, fluffy inside that is perfect for soaking up butter, sour cream, and other delicious toppings. (Need to take your baked potato to the next level? Look here for tips, tricks, and inspiration.)
• Mashing: Because the potato cells expand and separate as they cook, you can mash them to silky perfection with less effort than you would need with a waxy potato. That lighter, slightly drier potato is just waiting to soak up — you guessed it! — butter, cream, milk and all the other delicious things. (Check out the video here for mashed potato inspiration.)
• Thickening: High-starch potatoes can start to fall apart after cooking in liquid — the starch can absorb too much moisture. While this isn’t ideal if you want distinct pieces of potato in a soup or stew, high-starch potatoes are a great option if you want to add thickness to a soup without using flour.

No high-starch potatoes on hand? A medium-starch spud like a Yukon gold is your best bet. Sweet potatoes, another starchier potato, also make a good substitute.

Medium-Starch Potatoes

The most famous medium-starch potato, the Yukon Gold, was developed at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, in the 1960s by Gary Johnson. Johnson created the Yukon Gold by crossbreeding russet potatoes and a waxier yellow South American potato. 

Purple, blue, and white potatoes are all medium-starch spuds, too. 

As a group, medium-starch (aka all-purpose potatoes) have thin skins. The potatoes’ interiors have a good balance of starch and moisture, making them a good fit for varied cooking methods. 

Here are some favorites: 

• Roasting: A medium starch potato might actually be the very best for roasting. Because it is still reasonably starchy, its exterior will brown while its interior will have a creamy, not quite firm texture.
• Mashing: Medium starch potatoes can yield a flavorful and very silky mashed potato. Because the cooked texture of this type is more firm, it’s a good idea to use a potato ricer to break up the cooked spuds. Vigorous mashing with a potato masher or the quick-moving blades of a food processor can release too much starch, which will lead to a gluier mash.
• Baking: If you’re making a gratin or a tortilla Espagnola, these all-purpose potatoes will be at once firm and creamy when cooked — and they will still hold their shape. 

If you don’t have an all-purpose potato, a high-starch potato is your best option for roasting or mashing. 

For baking, a waxy or low-starch potato is a good choice because it will become tender and hold its shape. 

Low-Starch Potatoes

Waxy Red Bliss potatoes are probably the best known of all the low-starch potatoes. (New potatoes and fingerling potatoes are also in this category.) 

They have thin skins and a slightly sweeter flavor, and because they have less cellular starch, they hold their shape and texture during cooking. 

The below cooking techniques work best for low-starch potatoes:

• Boiling or simmering: Because this type of potato has less starch in its cell walls, it will hold its shape and texture as it cooks. It’s thus an ideal choice for clambakes, shrimp boils, soups, stews, and salads. (Great recipes and inspiration for the latter can be found here.)
• Roasting: Low-starch potatoes like baby or fingerling potatoes are great for roasting because of their thin, tender skins. Although a waxy potato will not brown as well as a starchier variety, its cooked interior will be creamy, firm, and totally delicious. 

If you are ready to make a stew or a salad and find yourself out of low-starch potatoes, a medium-starch potato is your best bet. While not as firm as the waxy potato, these all-purpose spuds can be simmered or boiled and still hold their shape. 

Does all this potato talk leave you hungry for more? Use russet potatoes in a potato flatbread or see how well a yukon gold or red bliss potato holds its shape in this leek-potato galette.