Waxy, mostly waxy, floury — which potato for what

The difference is the starch content. Floury potatoes (green label in German shops) have lots of starch, fall apart when cooked and go fluffy — right for mash, dumplings, pancakes, potato soup and baked potatoes. Waxy ones (red label) hold their shape and slice cleanly — for potato salad, fried potatoes, gratin, jacket potatoes. Mostly waxy (blue label) is the compromise for boiled potatoes and stews.

If you only want to buy one type, take mostly waxy — it does everything reasonably. If you want mash without glue and salad without mush, buy two.