Chefs peel potatoes efficiently using a sharp vegetable peeler (often a Y-peeler) for speed and minimal waste, making long, smooth strokes away from themselves, or employ a clever blanch-and-shock method: boiling potatoes with a scored skin, then plunging them into an ice bath, allowing the skins to slip off easily by hand, perfect for large batches.
Final Verdict. Our top pick is the left- and right-hand compatible OXO Good Grips Pro Swivel Peeler because it has a comfortable grip, sharp blade, potato eye remover, and hanging hook. It also has a nice swiveling action to achieve all the angles for easy cutting.
The potato starch can react as soon as it comes in contact with hot water, which will promote uneven cooking and mealy potatoes. Starting them in cold water allows the potatoes to come up to temperature gently.
A peeler is a specialized tool with a split sharp blade. I have two styles; a traditional one and a “Y peeler”. I prefer the Y-shaped peeler for ease of use. These tools quickly and efficiently remove the skin from the potato.
A ricer or food mill is the secret tool restaurants use to get that smooth and creamy texture without any gluey starch. It makes the biggest difference and it is actually so fun to use. Your holiday potatoes will never be the same after this!
Vegetable Peeler
This option will give you vegetable shapes that most resemble those you'll get from a mandoline.
Note: Peeling potatoes after boiling and cooling is simple. Skins almost fall off; just use a paring knife to help grab the skins and peel away from the potato. Always check the labels of ingredients in recipes to confirm they are gluten-free, and ensure your space is free from other possible sources of gluten.
My grandma taught me to boil the sweet potatoes 🍠 skins on!!! NOT bake. And this will not only make your life easier cause you're not struggling to peel a sweet potato (skins slide right off after boiling) but it'll give you the BEST texture of the potatoes when you mash em!
With a potato peeling machine, you can achieve uniform peeling results every time, ensuring consistency in your food preparation.
Residual moisture left on washed potatoes during storage can cause them, at best, to go bad faster or, worse, trigger mold. The optimal time to wash potatoes is just before you use them. If you plan on peeling your potatoes, washing them before peeling is essential for preventing cross-contamination.
The most common mistake when making mashed potatoes is overworking them with a blender, food processor, or mixer, which releases too much starch and turns them gluey or pasty instead of fluffy. Other frequent errors include using the wrong potatoes, not salting the cooking water, starting potatoes in boiling water, and adding cold butter/milk.
If you want the most velvety, plush mashed potatoes (yes, even make-ahead mashed potatoes), you're going to need a ricer. To understand why, it's important to know what makes potatoes gummy in the first place: overworking the starches in cooked potatoes.
When Chef Gordon Ramsay learned to perfect pomme purée in Paris, the mix was about 60 percent potato and 40 percent butter and cream. If you use dense, waxy potatoes and cook them following Gordon's modernized method, you can up the potato flavor and only use about 10 percent fat.
Instead of peeling a potato before boiling it, you score it around its middle, then boil it with its skin on. When the potato pierces easily, you remove it from the boiling water and pull off the skin, which essentially slips right off.
Rotating blade peelers are more effective with long vegetables such as carrots or cucumbers, for example. Peelers with a Y-shaped handle, on the other hand, are more suitable for peeling large, round vegetables and fruits such as potatoes and beets.
The skins of potatoes can have stubborn dirt on them, and if you don't have a dedicated vegetable scrubber on hand, fret not. You can easily slough the grime away using nothing but a clean dish towel.
The key to boiling potatoes, according to chef Gordon Ramsay, is to place them into the pot while the water is still cold, rather than boiling. That way, as the water boils, the potatoes will cook evenly with a perfect consistency all the way through.
Rinsing off the potato starch both before and after cooking ensures fluffy, not gluey, mashed potatoes. Folding butter and whole milk in gently creates a rich yet airy consistency without turning the potatoes dense, thanks to careful handling.
Nutritionally, frying is the least beneficial method for preparing potatoes, as it adds extra calories without boosting nutrient value. If you're going to fry, using heart-healthy oils like olive or avocado oil and air-frying instead of deep-frying can make a big difference.