Cook potatoes in the Thermomix® with Varoma® steam at exactly 120°C. Floury varieties like Adretta are done 5 minutes sooner than waxy ones like Linda, because 16% starch breaks down the cell structure faster than 12%. Ignore that and you get mash instead of boiled potatoes.
We have cooked potatoes in the Thermomix® the same way for years. Varoma® steaming gives you evenly cooked potatoes with no scorching, no watching the pot and no water boiling over. It works for every Thermomix® model (TM7, TM6, TM5, TM31).
Cooking Potatoes in the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 3 ✓
- 800 grams Water unpeeled, medium size
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 750 grams Potatoes
Instructions 0 / 3
-
1
Cook water.
Add water and salt to the mixing bowl.
- 800 grams Water
- 1 teaspoon Salt
-
2
potatoes.
Wash the potatoes, put them in the Varoma, put the Varoma on and cook for 35 minutes/Varoma/speed 1.
- 750 grams Potatoes
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3
Rinse potatoes.
Rinse potatoes with cold water, peel and continue to use as desired.
Tip:
You can cook up to 500 g of potatoes in the Thermomix® cooking basket.
Larger potatoes can be placed in the middle of the Varoma. Extend the cooking time for large potatoes by 5 - 10 minutes.
Recipe equipment Affiliate
Nutrition per serving
Varoma® method: 750 g in 35 minutes
We put 800 g water and 1 tsp salt into the mixing bowl. 750 g washed potatoes (medium size, unpeeled) go into the Varoma®. Then cook for 35 minutes / Varoma / speed 1. The steam holds a constant 120°C (Thermomix® TM6/TM7 instruction manual, Vorwerk 2024), so it stays below the boiling point of water at 100°C. That prevents boiling over and gives gentle cooking without the potatoes falling apart.
Once the time is up, we lift off the Varoma® and refresh the potatoes under cold water. This stops the cooking process at once and makes them easier to peel.
Simmering basket vs Varoma® vs WunderCap: the decision table
The question “simmering basket or Varoma®?” comes down to quantity. We use both methods regularly, depending on how many potatoes we need.
The Varoma® method is our standard. It gives even results and scales better. We only reach for the simmering basket when the Varoma® is busy with something else, or when we really are only cooking 500 g of potatoes.
Cooking time by potato variety: waxy needs longer
Not every potato cooks at the same speed. The starch content makes the difference. Waxy varieties like Linda or Belana have 12.14% starch, floury ones like Adretta or Augusta 16.18% (Bundessortenamt potato variety list 2024, published March 2024). More starch means the cell structure breaks down sooner.
We check floury potatoes after 30 minutes with a fork. Waxy ones can happily stay 40 minutes in the Varoma® without going mushy. That is why some people say “my potatoes always fall apart”, they have treated floury varieties with a waxy cooking time.
Boiled potatoes in their skins: the iced water peeling trick
Potatoes boiled in their skins are cooked with the skin on and only peeled afterwards. The quickest way: straight after the Varoma® cooking, drop the potatoes into iced water, wait 30 seconds, then pull off the skin with your fingers. The cold shock makes the skin contract and come away from the flesh.
This works with all varieties. Alternatively, you can peel raw potatoes with the WunderPeeler: 500 g water into the mixing bowl, add the potatoes, fit the WunderPeeler, 10 seconds / speed 4. The peel ends up in the sieve. It saves time, but you need the accessory.
Large quantities: up to 2.5 kg with the steaming tray
If you are cooking for meal prep or a big family, up to 2.5 kg of potatoes will fit in the Varoma®. For that you use the steaming tray as a second tier. The lower layer goes straight onto the base of the Varoma®, the upper layer onto the steaming tray above. The cooking time increases to 45 minutes instead of 35 minutes, because the steam has to pass through both layers.
The simmering basket becomes inefficient above 1 kg. The potatoes sit too tightly packed and the steam does not reach the middle pieces evenly. For more than 800 g, always use the Varoma®.
Avoiding mushy potatoes: the 5 minute rule
Overcooking destroys the cell structure for good. If potatoes stay in the steam too long, the starch cells burst and the potato turns floury and then mushy. Waxy varieties forgive 3.5 minutes of overcooking, because their low starch content holds the structure for longer. Floury varieties do not have that buffer.
Our rule of thumb: with floury potatoes we check 5 minutes earlier with a fork. If the fork slides in easily, they are done. With waxy ones we can be more relaxed, since 5 minutes of overcooking does little harm.
Potatoes and vegetables together in the Varoma®
The Thermomix® USP lies in parallel cooking. While the potatoes cook in the Varoma®, we can stack vegetables on the steaming tray above. Broccoli, carrots or courgette also need about 35 minutes of steaming time. The result: a complete dinner from one machine, without a single pot getting dirty.
Potatoes go on the bottom (direct steam contact), vegetables on top. That way we make the most of the Varoma® space.
Storing cooked potatoes
For meal prep, cooked potatoes keep for 3.4 days in the fridge if you store them in an airtight container. Freezing does not work. Cooked potatoes lose 40.60% of their firmness when defrosted, because ice crystals destroy the cell walls (BZfE “Storing potatoes correctly”, updated 2024). On defrosting they turn mushy and watery.
If you precook larger quantities, use them within 4 days for potato pancakes, potato soup or potato bread.
With cooked potatoes you can also knead a perfect pizza dough. The potato starch makes the dough more elastic.
You will find matching side dishes with the Thermomix® in our side dish collection.
Goes well with: goulash and meatballs.
Also lovely: cooking sweet potatoes, Thermomix®.
