Healthy Living
Vegetables
Main Types Of Potatoes You Will Find In The UK
Potatoes are often sold by variety, but they are also sold by cooking type. The main cooking types are usually fluffy, salad/waxy, and smooth/all-rounder potatoes. Fluffy potatoes are best when you want crisp roast potatoes, chips, jackets or mash. Salad potatoes are firmer and hold their shape well. Smooth potatoes sit somewhere in the middle and are useful for everyday cooking.
| Potato variety | What it tastes like | Best cooked or prepared |
|---|---|---|
| Maris Piper | Mild, creamy and floury, with a fluffy texture when cooked. | One of the best all-rounders. Great for roast potatoes, chips, wedges, mash and jacket potatoes. |
| King Edward | Traditional potato flavour with a light, fluffy texture. | Excellent for roast potatoes, mash, chips and baked potatoes. Also works well in richer dishes such as dauphinoise. |
| Rooster | Slightly nutty flavour with red skin and pale flesh. | Good for roasting, chips and jacket potatoes. Also useful for mash, boiling and steaming. |
| Desiree | Creamy, fairly firm and slightly waxy, with red skin and yellow flesh. | Good for smooth mash, wedges, roasting and potato dishes cooked in sauce, such as gratin or dauphinoise. |
| Charlotte | Fresh, delicate flavour with a firm, waxy texture. | Best boiled or steamed, especially for potato salads. They hold their shape well and can also be roasted whole. |
| Jersey Royal | Sweet, nutty and buttery, with a delicate seasonal flavour. | Best kept simple: steamed or boiled, then served with herbs, a little butter or olive oil. Also lovely in summer salads. |
| New potatoes | Delicate, slightly sweet and buttery. Usually small with thin skins. | Best boiled, steamed, roasted whole, smashed, or served in salads. They are especially good in spring and summer dishes. |
| Maris Peer | Light, fresh flavour with a small salad-potato style. | Good boiled, steamed, roasted or made into wedges. Can be served hot or cold. |
| Kestrel | Creamy and mild, with a good all-round texture. | Good boiled, baked or roasted. Useful when you want one potato that can do several jobs. |
| Vivaldi | Rich, creamy and slightly sweet. Sometimes described as having a naturally buttery taste. | Good for mash and jacket potatoes. Also works well with dressings, sauces, herbs and oils. |
| Anya | Nutty, earthy and quite distinctive, with a firm waxy texture. | Best boiled, steamed or roasted. Good served cold in salads. |
| Pink Fir Apple | Nutty, earthy and full of character. Long, narrow and knobbly in shape. | Best boiled or steamed with the skin on. Excellent in potato salads. |
| Baking potatoes | Usually mild, soft and fluffy inside when cooked properly. | Best baked as jacket potatoes. Choose larger potatoes and cook until the skin is crisp and the middle is soft. |
| Salad potatoes | Firm, smooth and slightly waxy. They often have a clean, fresh flavour. | Best boiled, steamed, roasted whole or used cold in salads. They hold their shape better than floury potatoes. |
Simple Guide To Choosing The Right Potato
For roast potatoes, chips or wedges, choose a fluffy potato such as Maris Piper, King Edward or Rooster.
For potato salad, choose a waxy or salad potato such as Charlotte, Jersey Royal, Maris Peer, Anya or Pink Fir Apple.
For mash, choose a fluffy or creamy potato such as Maris Piper, King Edward, Desiree or Vivaldi.
For jacket potatoes, choose a larger fluffy potato or baking potato. Maris Piper, King Edward, Rooster and Vivaldi can all work well.
Note:
Availability can vary by supermarket, farm shop, season and region. Some potatoes are sold by variety, while others are sold simply as “baking potatoes”, “white potatoes”, “new potatoes” or “salad potatoes”. When in doubt, check the bag for cooking guidance.