23 Types Of Potatoes And When To Use Them

Cheap and readily available, potatoes are among the most favored foods in the United States, with the average American eating approximately 111 pounds of the tuber each year (via Idaho Potato). Their popularity extends well beyond our borders, ranking as the fifth most important crop in the world thanks in part to the Columbian exchange (via Smithsonian Magazine). Indigenous to the Andes Mountains of Peru, potatoes were brought to Europe by the Spaniards. Their importation is credited with solving famine issues in the northern part of the continent. Given the role potatoes played in fighting hunger, it is no wonder why this root vegetable became such an important part of the culture in places like Ireland. They have become so synonymous with the Emerald Isle that many people mistakenly assume they originate from there.

While you may only be familiar with the standard supermarket varieties, according to Potatoes USA, there are over 200 different types of potatoes grown around the globe. With so many options, it can be hard to know which to choose when cooking one of the countless recipes that employ the tuber. This guide will shine a light on some of the most common types of potatoes and ways to use them.

The origin of this widely-available potato variety dates back to the 1870s when the Russet Burbank was developed in Idaho (via Idaho Potato). Currently, of the 13 billion pounds of potatoes that are harvested each year from the state, 90% are russets. 

The long, oval-shaped tuber tends to be medium to large in size with rough brown skin and a white to pale yellow interior (via Potatoes USA). Russets are highly starchy and are the go-to for baked potatoes and French fries. They are also one of the best types of potatoes for mashed potatoes, given their low-moisture content. They absorb a lot of liquid, resulting in a light, soft texture.

If you are looking for a mouthwatering side dish, try our recipe for easy fondant potatoes. Peel eight russet potatoes and slice the tops and bottoms so they are straight. Heat olive oil in a cast-iron pan and place potatoes flat side down, cooking until brown on both sides. Add butter, rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper, cooking for another 2 ½ minutes per side. Coat the potatoes in chicken broth and bake in a 350 F oven for 1 hour. These potatoes will practically melt in your mouth, earning their name which translates from French to mean "melting potatoes."

Introduced in 1988 in Idaho by David Ronniger, German Butterballs are medium to large round potatoes with pale yellow skin and a golden waxy interior (via Nature's Produce). Similar to Yukon Golds, these potatoes are creamy and tender when cooked and give off a buttery flavor. While available all year long, they are in peak season from late spring to early summer (via Gardening Dream). 

They do well with steaming, baking, frying, mashing, and essentially any preparation where you might otherwise use Yukon Golds. They also make good roasting potatoes and do not require an excess of seasonings given their naturally rich flavor. Cut your German Butterballs in halves or quarters (depending on their size) and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper (via The Gardener Cook). Arrange them on a sheet tray and roast at 400 F for about 15 to 20 minutes. Your potatoes should be nicely golden and tender.

Developed in 1905 by a Dutch schoolteacher, Bintje is now the most popularly planted yellow potato worldwide (via Fedco Seeds). They adapt well to different soil types and store easily. Bintjes are small to medium round potatoes with yellow skin and flesh (via Idaho Potato). These potatoes are good for roasting and frying and are the preferred tuber for Belgian-style pommes frites.

Traditionally, pommes frites (known as pataten and frieten in Belgium) were long strips twice-fried in horse or ox fat (via Taste Atlas). (It is now most common to fry them in vegetable oil.) To make classic pommes frites, peel bintje potatoes and cut them into half-inch-thick slices. Wash off the starch by placing them in water and then pat dry. During the first cook, heat oil to 320 F and fry a handful at a time for 4 to 8 minutes. After the fries cool for about an hour, fry again at 375 F for two minutes. This will get them golden brown and crispy. Pair them with a creamy mayo-based sauce for the ultimate decadence. 

These deep red-skinned and white-fleshed potatoes should be familiar to American eaters. In the United States, they are most often harvested young, classifying them as "new potatoes." Red bliss has a low starch content and holds up well to boiling, making them a good choice for potato salad. They can be used for mashing, but beware, they can easily get gummy. 

For a perfect side dish, use Red bliss in our Greek lemon potatoes recipe. Slice the potatoes into halves or quarters (about 1 inch wide) and spread them into a 13x9 baking dish. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, chicken broth, salt, and oregano, and pour over the potatoes. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes and then another 25 to 35 minutes uncovered. The liquid should evaporate, ensuring the bottoms of the potatoes are nice and crispy with each bite packed full of lemony flavor. 

This striking potato was developed by a Colorado State University research team in an attempt to create a healthier potato (via Innovatio News). The Purple Majesty is particularly known for its high levels of antioxidants, which are four times that of a standard potato. With dark purple skin and deep purple flesh, this is another tuber to select if you want to add a pop of color to your dish. 

Purple Majesty potatoes have a fairly low starch content, making them similar to Yukon Gold. Cook's Illustrated does not recommend using them in situations where you need the starchiness that varieties like russet provide. The publication experimented with using Purple Majesty in gnocchi, and the results were dense and gummy. These tubers are better suited for roasting or frying since these methods will keep the integrity of the potato is kept intact.  According to CC Grow, Purple Majesty have a short shelf life, so make sure to consume them immediately after purchasing.  

These smaller-sized fingerlings are so named due to their 18th-century Baltic origins and oblong and often crescent shape — in other words, don't expect notes of banana (via Nature's Produce). Russian bananas sport a smooth khaki-colored skin with yellow flesh that when cooked, becomes fluffy with a distinct nuttiness. It's no wonder these potatoes are popular throughout Europe and North America.

Russian Bananas hold their shape well during boiling, making them another popular choice for potato salad (via Renee's Garden). They are also well-suited for grilling, roasting, and steaming. Renee's Garden recommends parboiling them in water and then finishing them on the grill on skewers. This variety would work well in our recipe for the best parsley potatoes. Slice the fingerlings in half and boil until they are tender enough to pierce with a fork. While the potatoes are cooking, infuse some melted butter with crushed garlic cloves. Pour the garlic butter over the cooked potatoes and toss with parsley and salt.

La Ratte is another common type of fingerling potatoes. They look similar to Russian Bananas with their oblong curvy nature, but they have a more irregular, bumpy shape (via Kitchen Garden Seeds). The interior is yellow, and its unique tender flesh gives off notes of hazelnut when cooked. Originally cultivated in France in the 1800s, this fingerling variety almost became nonexistent by 1934, but it made a comeback when it was reintroduced to the potato market in 1965 (via Paris Potato).  

La Ratte are one of the more highly-prized varieties on the market because they are hand-harvested and not widely cultivated (via Specialty Produce).  Domestic La Rattes are grown in the Pacific Northwest, which has a similar climate to Burgundy, France (via Baldor Food). Since these heirloom potatoes are more delicate, they will not store as long as other fingerlings. Decorated French chef Joël Robuchon used this variety in his signature purée de pommes, a silky smooth potato puree packed full of butter for a luxurious, decadent dish. 

Despite their name, jewel yams are sweet potatoes, not yams (via Taste Atlas). Large and oval-shaped with tapered ends, they have copper skin with orange flesh that maintains its brightness after cooking. 

Developed in the United States in the mid-1900s, jewel yams continue to be a favorite for baking, roasting, and mashing. They are also ideal for dessert preparations such as our sweet potato pie recipe. To make the crust, pulse pecans in the food processor and add flour, ginger, salt, and cinnamon. Cut cold butter into the flour mixture until it is mealy with pea-size pieces of butter, and add ice water until a dough is formed. While your dough is chilling in the fridge, roast sweet potatoes at 350 F for one hour. Remove the skins and puree the potatoes in the food processor along with melted butter, eggs (whole eggs and extra yolks), sugar, spices, vanilla, milk, and bourbon. Roll out your dough and par-bake it for 8 minutes using pie weights such as dried beans. After removing the weights, pour in your sweet potato filling and bake until the custard is just set (around 45 minutes).

The Stokes Purple is an American-born sweet potato with brown-purple skin and vibrant purple flesh. Though the variety originates from Stokes County, North Carolina, they are mostly grown today in Central California (via Frieda's). According to the Los Angeles Times, Mike Sizemore, the farmer who developed these potatoes, obtained a patent for them in 2006. 

Stokes Purple, which offers a toned-down sweetness when compared to its orange-hued cousins, is best when roasted, steamed, or baked. Running to the Kitchen calls for roasting and smashing these purple sweet potatoes. First, cut the potatoes into 1-inch thick slices and boil them for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are tender. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and gently crush each potato with the back of a fork. Spoon on a mixture of melted ghee, rosemary, and garlic and bake at a high broil for 10 to 12 minutes. The tops and sides should be crispy but the centers will remain tender. 

Austrian crescents are a version of small fingerling potatoes. This variety is quite waxy on the outside with firm, yellow flesh on the inside. These potatoes are often called kipfel or kipfler — named after a gracefully curving European pastry — but some specialty produce places will call them by their Austrian moniker. 

Since these potatoes are relatively small and dense, they can be used for a potato salad without fear of breaking apart. We love the crunch of biting through one of these potatoes, especially when it's seasoned with savory accompaniments like garlic, sea salt, and cracked black pepper. Another application where these potatoes shine is for roasting. You can boil them in salted water to soften them before tossing them in oil and popping them on a baking sheet. In a short while, you'll be rewarded with crispy-skinned spuds that have a satisfying crunch and can be a blank canvas for flavors and herbs. 

All blue potatoes are considered a heirloom variety, meaning that these tubers were passed down from generation to generation in small-scale agriculture. In the case of this variety, these spuds are said to date back more than a century. You may also hear these potatoes by other names including Blue Marker, Fenton Blue, and River John Blue. These potatoes have bright blue skin and flesh, a distinctive white ring on the inside, and an oblong shape with deep eyes. 

This spud variety is considered an all-purpose, meaning that you can use it for sautéing, steaming, or mashing. It has an outstanding flavor and creamy texture when cooked, and can be combined with other potato varieties to make a red, white, and blue potato salad for your next patriotic get-together. These medium-sized potatoes are also relatively easy to work with and available towards the end of the potato-growing season. 

Purple Peruvian potatoes are prized for their bright color. As suggested by their name, this potato crop is traceable back to South America. However, it has expanded its range past Peru and Bolivia to be grown in North America and Europe. You'll most likely find it at a farmers market rather than at a grocery store. 

This variety has a beautiful, dark purple skin encasing dry purple flesh. When the potatoes are cooked, the color lightens and the flesh has a texture akin to a starchy russet. But if you give us a choice of the russet or the bright purple hue of these potatoes, the answer is already clear. 

The starchiness of the Purple Peruvian lends itself well to several different culinary applications. The potato itself is usually fingerling size, and many people will cut them thinly and fry the slices, or roast them in halves. However, the potato can also be scalloped or used for braising or boiling.