Cheat Sheet: Which Potato to Buy for What

. February 03, 2026
Photography Unsplash.
Cheat Sheet: Which Potato to Buy for What

If your last salad went mushy or your roasties didn’t crisp, we're here to help!

Potatoes mostly fall into two camps: 

Floury / starchy = fluffy inside and crisp up well, these are best for roasting, mash, chips and baking

Waxy = stay firm and hold their shape, these are best for salads, boiling, soups and stews


Common varieties include:
Agria (floury)
Buy for: roast potatoes, wedges, chips, mash, baked potatoes.

Nadine (waxy)
Buy for: boiling, potato salad, soups or stews where you want tidy chunks that don’t fall apart.

Jersey (waxy)
Buy for: warm salads and tray bakes where you want pieces to stay together.


A Quick Cheat Sheet:
Crispy roast potatoes: Agria
Try this recipe  HERE

Mash: Agria
Try this recipe  HERE

Potato salad: Nadine or Jersey
Try this recipe  HERE


Tips:
For crispy roasties, parboil until just tender, drain, shake to rough the edges then roast hot.

Store potatoes cool, dark, and well-ventilated (not in the fridge!).

If a potato is very green, bitter, or heavily sprouted, it’s safest to discard. (mall green areas should be trimmed but can still be used when in a pinch!)