I can think of a thousand reasons why boiling potatoes is the worst. Actually, I can just think of one right now: It takes too damn long. Also, watching and waiting for water to boil is a surefire way to take the joy out of cooking. And unless you want to waste your time (and your stove's energy) bringing a massive cauldron of water to a boil, there's no need to rely on bubbling water to cook your potatoes. Fact is, there are several alternate methods for how to cook potatoes fast that not only cut down on time, but actually make your potatoes taste better.
So I spoke with the Epi Test Kitchen, and they gave me four quickest ways to cook potatoes—no boiling necessary.
1. Steam the potatoes instead of boiling
Steaming has all the benefits of boiling—no cooking oils, not much clean up—at a fraction of the time. Why? You're only waiting for a small amount of water to boil, not a whole pot. So the next time you’re prepping potatoes for another dish or just softening them on their own, try steaming them instead of boiling. Another advantage? Unlike a big pot of boiling water, steam won't dilute the flavor of the potatoes substantially.
Here's how to do it: Epi's Rhoda Boone recommends using 1/2 inch of water (add a few more splashes if the pot starts to dry out) in the bottom of the pot or pan under the steamer.
2. Cut Them Smaller
It seems obvious, but cutting a potato into smaller pieces helps it cook faster—a must if you’re skillet-frying some hash and want to keep the potatoes on roughly the same timeline as the onions and peppers. Just be sure to cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces so that
Rhoda suggests cutting smaller varieties like new potatoes in halves or quarters before cooking to use in salads like a green bean Niçoise or dressed potato salad. Another bonus of taking a minute or two to cut up those potatoes? Once sliced and cooked, the potatoes will absorb dressings and toppings better, making everything from potato salads to pan-fried spuds even more flavorful.
3. Parcook in the Microwave
You can’t count on the microwave to adequately cook a potato (trust me, I tried), but you can count on it to soften the potato, making it ready for the next step, whether that’s smashing and roasting it or baking it in the oven.
Here's how to do it: Just prick a few holes in a few potatoes with a fork, and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, turning over once. There you go—super-fast par-cooked potatoes.
4. Use a Bigger Pan (or roast on a wire rack)
The more space your potatoes have, the more air can circulate around them, and the more heat gets into each piece of potato. The result? Faster cooking. Another way to speed up cooking? Pile your cut-up, seasoned and oiled potatoes on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet for maximum hot-air circulation, and if your oven has a convection setting, that will shave off a few minutes, too.
