Not awfully fond of potato for breakfast, but it is an essential component of a Full English - in which case, I like small potatoes, parboiled in their skins, sliced into discs about a quarter of an inch thick, then shallow fried until browned and slightly crispy.
Hash browns just seem like a grease sponge to me - are they meant to be like that, or have I never encountered them in their proper form?
Hashbrowns.
With Vegemite on them. (Just kidding, silenus! 
I like mine with Tabasco.)
I don’t think I even had home fries until I was an adult. I grew up with hashbrowns, and hashbrowns are what I like! I’ll fry potatoes and onions in bacon grease, chop the bacon and put it in, then crack a couple of eggs on top and cover until the whites are set; then eat it with Tabasco. But as a side dish, hashbrowns are preferred.
I prefer good hashbrowns, but most places don’t make very good hashbrowns. So I get home fries* instead, because IMO most places make reasonably good home fries even if their hashbrowns stink.
*usually called “country potatoes” around here.
Hash browns. Because I need a place to pile my salt and Tabasco.
People mean different things when they refer to hash browns. The ones I like are shredded potatoes, with some onion and/or peppers mixed in. They’re tossed in a hot skillet and browned on one side then the other, and should be crispy and not turn into a giant latke. Others are preformed, sometimes pre-cooked, and are essentially just a low grade potato pancake.
Home fries fall into the same situation. They’re made from bigger chunks of potato, usually not that crispy after they’ve had time to cook through, or else like little rocks if they’re still crispy.
However, there’s every variation of cut up and fried potatoes in between the ones I’ve described.
I prefer home fries, when done properly, which in my mind is that the potatoes are cooked, not hard, and have some crispiness to them and flavor. If they fall short they are almost inedible to me. Unfortunately I do not trust most places to make them well, so I usually order hash browns, which can also disappoint but usually are still edible. Less risk.
Home fries, if available; but hash browns work, too, patty or loose.
At a diner? Hash browns, however the place makes them (loose or patty). At home, though, it’s going to be the home fries.
Why not hashbrowns at home?
For me, it’s easier to chop than shred at home. Although I will shred (by hand) from time to time. I don’t have a food processor capable of the kind of shredding I prefer.
Hash, because it makes me hungry for fried potatoes. Mmmmm, fried potatoes…
I agree totally. Such a simple thing it would seem, but some folks just can’t to get them to that perfect degree of doneness, crispy and golden on the outside, with a slightly creamy interior.
The SO ‘made’ me get a food processor. Works a treat on potatoes.
Just use a mandolin.
I think the problem with that is keeping them together in a “pancake” form while cooking them rather than continually scattering them with the spatula (or tongs, or whatever). They need to be cooked on one side long enough to brown them and then flipped as a whole and done the same on the other side rather than fussing with them and separating all the shredded bits.
True. I found the easiest way to cook them is on a well oiled commercial griddle in a big rectangle. Once a side is done to the correct degree, it’s easy enough to cut them into smaller rectangles with the edge of a long chef’s spatula and flip the smaller squares while keeping everything together.
At home, I just use an all clad or ceramic non-stick and make sure that it’s suitably heated before putting the potatoes in. It’s usually pretty easy to then just flip them like one would with eggs in an egg pan. Can’t ever seem to get them quite as perfect as the restaurant griddle though.
I’m sure I’ll upgrade ours sometime soon. It’s still good enough for salsa. Our last big purchase small appliance was a juicer/pasta maker just about 2 months ago.
I did make potato juice! Thought about homemade vodka…
I make some awesome latkes, draining the liquid then returning the starch and all.
Hash browns. With sunny side up eggs.
Decent corned beef hash is even better.
I’m almost always disappointed by the potatoes served in a diner. They boil them and then sorta brown them, but not really, so they’re sorta soggy. I make both types at home from fresh potatoes and fry them in bacon fat. Fried egg on top, bacon on the side, and I’m happy.