Potato Varieties

Learn about different potato varieties and know which potatoes to use for different dishes and cooking methods.

Did you know there’re over 200 varieties of potatoes out there? It’s true, but we’re not here to discuss them all.

My goal is to give you an overview of different types of potatoes and what are the best potato varieties for common potato dishes like mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, potato salad, or french fires!

3 Types of Potatoes:

In general, potatoes are classified into 3 categories: starchy, waxy and somewhere in between.

Starchy Potatoes

Starchy potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture. They fall apart easily when cooked. And since they are fluffy and absorbent, potatoes high in starch are ideal for baking, roasting, mashing and frying. 

Examples of starchy potatoes: Russets, Idahos, and sweet potatoes.

Best uses for starchy potatoes:

• Baked potatoes (like my Instant Pot Baked Potatoes)
• Mashed potatoes
• French Fries
• Scalloped potatoes
• Potato pancakes (latkes)
• Hashbrowns

Waxy Potatoes

Waxy potatoes are high moisture potatoes with smooth firm flesh and thin skin. They hold their shape well when cooked, thus making these potatoes great for boiling, steaming, grilling and roasting.

Examples of waxy potatoes: red potatoes, like Red Bliss, white potatoes, like White Rose, fingerling and new potatoes.

Best uses for waxy potatoes:

• Soups and stew
• Potato salads (Instant Pot Ranch Potatoes is amazing!)
• Smashed potatoes
• Hassleback potatoes

All Purpose Potatoes

These are somewhere in between starchy and waxy potatoes. They have less starch content than waxy potatoes, and less waxy than waxy potatoes, which makes them truly all-purpose potatoes.

Examples of all-purpose potatoes: yellow potatoes, like Yukon gold and Yellow Finn, blue potatoes, like All Blue, Terra Rosa, German Butterball (my personal favorite!).

Best uses for all-purpose potatoes:

• Mashed potatoes
• Scalloped potatoes or au gratin
• Soups and stews
• And just about anything else!