Reason Why You Should Not Boil Mashed Potatoes in Water!!! | November 24, 2025

Why Boiling Potatoes in Water is a Bad Idea

  1. Loss of Flavor :
    • Potatoes are starchy vegetables, and when you boil them in water, much of their natural flavor leaches out into the cooking liquid. What’s left is a bland potato that lacks depth and richness.
  2. Excess Water Absorption :
    • Potatoes soak up water as they cook, which makes them waterlogged. This leads to soggy, gluey mashed potatoes instead of light and creamy ones.
  3. Nutrient Drain :
    • Boiling potatoes causes some of their nutrients (like potassium and vitamin C) to escape into the water, leaving you with less nutritious spuds.
  4. Uneven Cooking :
    • Depending on the size of the potato chunks, boiling can result in uneven doneness—some pieces may be overcooked while others are still underdone.
  5. Harder to Achieve Creaminess :
    • Waterlogged potatoes require more effort (and butter/cream) to achieve the desired texture, and even then, they may never reach the same level of creaminess as those cooked using a better method.

The Better Way to Cook Potatoes for Mashing

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