January 5, 2025, 4:18 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
Potatoes are a favorite side dish in Germany. But they only taste good if they are prepared correctly. myHOMEBOOK reveals three mistakes that are often made when cooking potatoes.
It is quick to prepare, filling, and versatile – the potato. However, enjoyment can quickly be impaired if mistakes are made during preparation. Sometimes, these mistakes can lead to health problems when cooking potatoes.
1st Mistake: Preparing Potatoes in Warm Water
When it comes to saving energy, opinions differ as to whether it is better to boil potatoes in warm or cold water. The right thing to do is to prepare them in cold water, explains Silvia Monetti from the NRW consumer advice center: “Potatoes should be prepared cold. This speeds up the cooking process, and the potatoes have a better, more even consistency afterward.” Potatoes can only cook evenly soft if the water gradually heats up and can penetrate them.
2nd Mistake: Cooking Boiled Potatoes Whole
If you are in a hurry, it can easily happen that potatoes end up whole in the pot. This is a mistake when cooking, as the potatoes need more time to cook properly. There is no other way with jacket potatoes, but with boiled potatoes, you can save energy and time if you cut them roughly into quarters.

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3rd Mistake: Keeping Potatoes Warm for Too Long
Once potatoes have been cooked, they should be eaten quickly. Keeping the side dish warm for too long encourages bacterial growth. Keeping potatoes warm for too long also causes them to lose nutrients and flavor. It’s no problem to keep them warm for up to an hour, just like grandma, but you shouldn’t keep them any longer than that. It is advisable to prepare the potatoes fresh.