Baby 'tater. [Photo: Robyn Lee]

When I was a kid, I used to poke a potato several times with a chopstick, wrap it in a paper towel and cook it in the microwave. After a few minutes, I'd turn the potato over to cook the other side. When the potato was steaming hot, I'd break it open with a spoon, slather butter all over it and eat it. There are a million other ways to cook potatoes—and there are many, many types of potatoes to choose from. Use waxy, or low-starch, potatoes like red bliss for boiling. Choose starchy potatoes, such as russets, with a higher starch content than waxy ones for frying. Check out our recipes for French fries, potato chips, fluffy mashed potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, and potato skins.

Potato Recipes

• The Food Lab: Ultra-Fluffy Mashed Potatoes or Rich and Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• The Food Lab: Potato Salad Done Right
• The Burger Lab: How to Make Perfect Thin and Crisp French Fries
• Does Pre-Blanching Improve Potato Chips?
• Extra Crispy Duck Fat-Fried Fingerling Potatoes
• Knife Skills: How to Cut French Fries
• The Best Potatoes for Latkes
• Cook the Book: Potato Skins With Pancetta and Mixed Herbs

How do you cook potatoes?