Ask Dr. Potato : Q & A
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Q: Can I keep mashed potatoes warm in a slow cooker on low? If so for how long? If not, what are my options?

Q: Can I prepare mashed potatoes 10 days in advance and freeze, then rewarm them covered, in the oven for my Thanksgiving dinner?

Q: I will be serving a baked potato bar for my son's graduation (150-200 people). I planned on cutting in half, applying olive oil and then cooking for about 30 min. At that point I need to keep the potatoes warm. I was thinking either a preheated insulated cooler or roaster. Which do you think will work best? They will need to stay warm for approx. 5 hours. Thanks so much for your help!

Q: I run a small burger and fry business in Nashville TN. We serve about 3200lbs a month of russet potatoes as fries. My produce suppliers have run out of Burbank russets for the year and are only able to supply me with a new-crop of Norkotah russets that are making awful, awful fries that I'm embarrassed to serve! We use a hot-water blanch to cook our 1/2" fries done in a dilute vinegar solution, followed by a 300 degree blanch fry that takes 8-10 minutes to remove most of the moisture. They're then frozen and stored, cooked 2 minutes at 350 degrees for sales. They come out mealy and sweet, not to mention tough, and they last about two minutes before they're basically awful, limp horrors. I've tried lowering the pre-fry temperatures and cooking them longer but I never want to see a Norkotah again... Would switching to a Kennebec or Ranger help until Burbanks come back? Is there some magic trick to cooking these abominations? Complaints are coming in from all directions and I'm in panic mode. Please help!

Q: I read your article about cooking large quantities of baked potatoes and putting them in a cooler to keep them hot. We do a fish dinner every year during Lent and cook about 250 potatoes a week for 6 weeks.  Do you have any data on how long it takes for the baked potatoes to reach 185 degrees F? We wrap (I know, I know) the potatoes and put about 30-35 potatoes on a full size sheet pan. We put in two racks per oven. Normally we set the commercial gas oven to 500 degrees F. Is it better to cook them at 400 degrees F?

Q: I want to bake a bunch of russet potatoes, let them cool and then cut into chunks and freeze for hash browns. Would this work?

Q: What is the difference between a potato that is best suited for French fries and a potato that is best for making potato chips? Is it the kind of potato? The way they are grown?

Q: I eat a baked potato every night and would like to prepare ahead of time. Can I bake 3 at a time and keep them in the refrigerator? Will they still have the same nutrition as baked daily?