How to use the online timer
Twenty-five minutes covers medium chunks of a floury potato brought up from cold, well-salted water rather than dropped into water already boiling. The cold start lets the outside and the centre heat at closer to the same rate; a hot start cooks the edges to mush while the middle is still firm, which is how a pan of potatoes ends up as cloudy water with a hard core in each piece.
Size and cut change the timing more than the variety does. Whole small new potatoes want the full stretch, while small dice for a salad can be done in half the time. For mash or for roast potatoes, cooking slightly past fork-tender is an advantage: a floury Maris Piper or King Edward that has started to break up at the edges mashes smoothly and, drained and shaken in the pan, gives roasties the rough surface that goes crisp in hot fat.
Push a skewer into the largest piece: it should meet no resistance at all. Pan size and hob output vary too much for the clock to settle it on its own. Drain properly and let them stand in the dry pan off the heat for a minute or two so the surface moisture steams away. Wet potatoes make wet mash, and no amount of butter fixes it afterwards.
Common questions
Should potatoes start in cold or boiling water?
Cold, well salted. Starting cold lets the outside and the middle heat at a similar rate, whereas a hot start cooks the edges to mush while the centre is still firm.
How do I get fluffier mash?
Use a floury variety, cook slightly past fork-tender, drain well and let the potatoes steam dry in the pan for a minute or two before mashing. Wet potatoes make wet mash.
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