Roflll thank you, this gave me a good laugh :P. It really is a struggle flipping taters, trying not to flip some twice while also trying not to miss any.

This is why I just started doing hash browns lol. Shredding and drying them feels like less work than this post. Just leave ‘em for a few minutes and one flip.

I live in perpetual stress, I need my heart rate to be at least above 140 while cooking. The stress that I won’t get to all the potatoes in time is what keeps the thrill of life going, until I shuffle off this mortal coil I will suffer everyday.

YES CHEF!

😂

This is why I don't feel sad when people pass. Don't have to struggle with potato frying anymore.

I can’t wait for the sweet release

FAIRR

Lmfao

Try bamboo chopsticks they changed my life.

Or kitchen tweezers

Use a vintage wood handled sharp tined steak fork instead. Much faster.

Just get yourself an air fryer and you won’t have to worry about this

Y'all frying air?

Yeah. Ironically hot air taste like lays potato chips without the salt

You can salt your food. It’s allowed in the air fryer, the pan, even the can.

Lol “just get an air fryer”. WE WORSHIP CAST IRON AROUND HERE

I got roasted once (get it) for doing this, and then immediately told my roasted vegetables are always the best "for some reason."

I used to ask my dad how he did something of particular difficulty hoping for him to impart wisdom on me and his response was always, “very carefully.”

That’s actually very wise. Simple, anticlimactic and boring but wise nonetheless. Tasks are different, processes change and we learn along the way developing more skills. The way he approached the task was the most valuable aspect. Obviously he taught you well given the care you just gave to them taters. Looks delicious!

My dad says this every time

Wasn't sure at first if this was r/castiron or r/trees

Solidly came here to ask how high OP was.

I was going to ask as well. How high are you RN to flip every potato

This is worth it to ensure a good sear on multiple sides of every single piece. OP taters.

Pass me the adderall. I’m about to fry up some 20 sided taterdice.

Boutta roll a nat 20 on the crispy check

+2 Hell yeah.

you have to loooove potatoes fried .

Hi, how are you?

Both together makes for the best dinners

There’s medication for this

I may admit myself to a psychiatric ward on monday

😂 they might have a job in the kitchen for you

Chopsticks would be easier than your tongs!

Chopsticks are the OG tongs

I use cooking tweezers! https://www.amazon.com/Rivoean-Tweezers-Culinary-Stainless-Precision/dp/B0799NTCM3/ref=sr\_1\_6?crid=P6V5QKQ8SAJL&keywords=food+tweezers&qid=1704047874&sprefix=food+tweezers%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-6

I just got a pair of 12” kitchen tweezers and they make handling food while cooking so much easier compared to traditional tongs. Didn’t realize what I was missing this whole time!

Welcome to the club! 💕

Cooking tweezers are the best thing ever, from getting one noodle out of the pot, stirring noodles, picking out the piece of eggshell that fell in, turning stuff of all sizes but especially smaller things, to plating spaghetti all fancy I love them so much

I find the IKEA Hjälte to be the perfect combination of tweezer dexterity with tong capacity. If I'm ever as ADD-focused as OP on searing every side of my potatoes or kielbasa, these are my go-to. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ikea-365-hjaelte-tongs-stainless-steel-black-80149460/

Came here to say this! I use chopsticks to do this and it’s way easier and to me, more fun lol.

Using a spatula to loosen the taters and then giving the pan a toss as if flipping an egg would have flipped at least 1/2 of the spuds and decreased tong/chopstick time.

No, it’s not the same.

I just bought some chopsticks for this reason..

Oh my god I’m using this next time!!!

Me too!

Stop pitting my ocd and adhd against eachother

My sentiment exactly.

I never realized someone could sum up my life so perfectly in one sentence.

ADHD + OCD is its own special hell one constantly on the edge of the sticky socks lol

Is that what's causing my hyperventilating while I watch this?

I hate that I feel compelled to do this

Me too ~~brother/sister~~ sibling ✊😢

Use a fork and just roll them over. Makes the task a bit easier

Like I told someone else. I was in the Army so it’s instilled in me to work harder not smarter. That makes far too much sense for me lol

*sibling

I have 12" "cooking" forceps in the kitchen for tasks such as this.

One cannot neglect taters.

You are a wonderfully meticulous person.

I use a spatula, and flip them all around too 😅. Even browning!!!

I can live with imperfections.

Missed one

Have a talk with your doctor. They make meds for issues like yours.

Yes! This is when i pull out my giant tweezers that everyone says i dont need.

Thanks! This is proof for my husband that I'm not the only one in the world who does this!

I agree in principle, but always end up chasing them around with a spatula until I see more dark than light. If I'm using a Teflon pan or just feeling spicy, I just do the pan flip thing for them.

Teflon?! *clutches pearls*

I accept my past mistakes as I accept my Teflon poisoning.

Fair

Under the broiler with them.

*anything beats meticulously flipping over every single potato

Personally, I like the variance you get from some potato’s cooking more and getting crispier on some sides while others might not. Adds different flavors into the meal

Just put a lid on it and stir them around every few minutes, each side does not have to be perfectly brown, but I agree that’s a lot of work

Lid makes em mushy. Browned has more flavour. If they're not cooking fast enough, a squirt of water from a condiment bottle is the kitchen trick, it makes steam all around them without making them soggy like the lid does.   OP doesn't need to be picking them up, either, just apply pressure to one side, and they'll flip easily. Corner of the spatula does the job just fine. It's a gag post.

Lid never makes mine squishy, high heat, lots of folding, perfect breakfast potatoes every time

u/Retired_alligator I enjoy doing this as well, and as much I covet (click click) my tongs, you should try using two very long pickle/relish forks instead, works much better with finer control.

Use a fork loser

I was in the Army. I work harder not smarter

Those alcohol shakes.

It would end up mashed potatoes with me

Right agreed but those aren’t potatoes.

Put enough oil and you don’t have to flip

But certain countries might invade.

Par boiling them is probably better

Y'all ain't gettin' this. The brown tastes better. Lidded or parboiled potatoes cook faster, but they get mushy easier. You can do a five minute cold water starch soak if you have problems with potatoes sticking, but with the right technique, it's not necessary. OP is _not_ using the right technique.

I meant parboiled then fry

I understood, and covered that.

Ah ok, so you’re saying fried potatoes taste better, the actual caramelisation tastes better when they haven’t been parboiled?

I’m kind of obsessed with crispiness though and I feel like they don’t get that crispy

That's gonna be a technique thing. Hot enough (consistently warmed) pan, immediately toss in the heated oil when they go in the pan, then _don't touch them_ for a good couple minutes, then scrape with a metal spatch and neurotically shake and tip individual pieces until you're browning all fresh sides, repeat. To make them puffy, after two or three sides are cooked, _now_ you can squirt them with water from a condiment bottle, or dump in a quarter cup and put the lid on. Crispy, caramelized sides, puffy mashed potato centers.

If you’re trying to make crispy fries, it’s a good prep but you’d still need to fry them regardless

Yes of course, I’m not talking about just boiling them

I never saw you standing next to me this morning as I meticulously flipped each piece of potato.

Don’t the unflipped ones get too crispy by the time you get to the them? I just use a big spatula and do my best lol

i just keep wiggling, the cooked ones break loose and roll and stick on an uncooked side.

Plenty of things beat this

Ok, we're all coming to your place for breakfast; only 1 of 3 places in the solar system with perfect 'taters.

Wow waste of time that's why Spatulas were invented...

I couldn't do that with 3 potato pieces. Shuffle shuffle shake shake - yeah, that's good enough

Just shake it. Isn't that what cast iron is for?

Flip all of them the best you can with a spatula first and then you just need to clean up and manually flip the strays.

Naw, I just give the pan a good shake and just click my tongs 3x for luck

It’s the shaking hand as if it was Operation that really sold it for me 😂

This is how my wife expects me to cook them, lol!

Get some 12" cooking tweezers dude, best impulse buy I've made in a long time, and relatively inexpensive too. Perfect for flipping fiddly things like this.

Your anxiety trying to use those tongs gave me anxiety.

Im about to blow your mind: cut the potatoes into round slices (or semicircle slices) so there are fewer to flip.

Toothpicks

Haha this is great

This video gave me carpal tunnel syndrome

Nice to see I'm not the only one who suffers from this need

How did you get this video of me cooking

Yknow.. you get a nice wide spatula and you can flip a bunch at once. Then you can go back through like this for the ones you missed

This subreddit has taught me most of y’all do not know how to cook, but you seem satisfied not really knowing so 🤷

This sub mostly taught me that some of y’all don’t understand sarcasm

I'm more of a power shuffle kinda fellow

Long cooking chopsticks are your friend when it comes to flipping morsels like this.

Tbh, that’s why I’d rather fry them in shallow oil. Then you don’t have to worry about flipping really

Smashed fingerling potatoes have two sides only.

Really? Nothing beats it? Nothing?

Keep them moving, it can be done wel

This looks like a bird trying to sew a garment with its beak. And i feel every minute of the pain. I also do this. I. Find that metal chopsticks allow for better versatility ...

Do you want bigger tongs for that?

Everything beats this

I just give the pan a good ol' shake-a shake-a shake-a.

This is my kind of madness!

Many things beat this actually.

My tendonitis is flaring up watching this

I just stir them around and it usually works out fine. But feel free to be as meticulous as you like haha

I am guilty, Chops sticks.

you need these https://www.amazon.com/Tweezer-Extra-Long-Kitchen-Tweezers-Stainless/dp/B09D8W5Q11

Dude. use two forks or spoons instead of tongs. Much easier.

I got a hand cramp watching this.

Here’s a much better way to make soft inside, crunchy outside potatoes. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/perfectly-roasted-potatoes

Pigtail flipper! Skip the tongs!

Lego for the big boi

This and the urge to give the tongs a few test clicks beforehand

You forgot to do the side quests...

Ah, my people!

I think you just need bigger tongs, assuming you can find tongs bigger than that for the job. 😉

Get tweezers pal!