How to Boil Potatoes in a Convection Oven

Convection ovens have built-in fans that move hot air around the oven to evenly heat your cooking vessel full of water and potatoes. This evenly controlled heat will cook all the potatoes at the same rate for predictable and consistent results. Get your potatoes boiling in your convection first, then you will have time and space to complete your meal.

Things You'll Need

• Oven-safe 8-quart stockpot
• 4 tbsp. salt
• Convection oven
• 6 medium potatoes
• Scrub brush
• Cutting board
• Chef's knife
• Oven mitts
• Strainer

Instructions

1. Fill an 8-quart stockpot slightly less than half full of cold water and add 4 tbsp. of salt. Cover with oven-safe lid.

2. Carefully lower your covered stockpot into the center rack of the convection oven and set the oven's temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Clean six medium potatoes under running water with a scrub brush. Use a gentle circular motion to remove dirt without removing the skin and pay special attention to any dark areas.

4. Stabilize your potatoes on a cutting board and use a large chef's knife to roughly cut the potatoes into approximately 1-inch-square chunks.

5. Rinse your potato chunks under cold running water to wash away some of the starch left on the exterior after slicing.

6. Lift the lid of your stockpot and slide the cut potatoes slowly into the hot water, from an inch or less above the surface, while it remains in the oven. The water does not need to be boiling and will be plenty hot after the 15 to 20 minutes in the convection oven during potato preparation. Replace the lid of the pot and close the oven door.

7. After 30 to 40 minutes in the oven, test a couple of larger potato chunks for tenderness with a fork. When the potato pieces are easily smashed, remove the pot from the convection oven using mitts.

8. Carefully pour the potatoes and water into a strainer that has been placed in the sink and allow them to drain and cool before touching with your fingers.

References

• Potatoes Food Facts, History, Information, Timelines
• Don't preheat your oven
• Boiling Potatoes