# If it's Saturday, it must be hashbrowns **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637 "2015-10-24T16:28:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637/21 "2015-10-26T00:58:22Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > Me too! What does a flat grater look like? Is it one of the microplane styles? [Like this](http://smile.amazon.com/Stainless-Cheese-Garlic-Ginger-Coarse/dp/B012T40M2K). I use a [microplane grater](http://smile.amazon.com/Utopia-Kitchen-Stainless-Microplane-Cheese/dp/B010UKC4YE) for parmesan cheese, and for nutmeg. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637/22 "2015-10-26T01:34:10Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > That’s what I call a box grater. No, a box grater has four sides. The different blades are distributed among the surfaces. I use one instead of the things that you and Chefguy linked to because the cheese or potato or ginger or whatever you’re grating/slicing/shredding falls neatly inside the box to the cutting board surface instead of wildly flying all over the kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637/23 "2015-10-26T01:42:00Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > No, a box grater has four sides. The different blades are distributed among the surfaces. The one in **Chefguy** ’s link has four sides: Coarse, fine, what you’d use for parmesan, and a slicer. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637/24 "2015-10-26T01:47:21Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The one in **Chefguy** ’s link has four sides: Coarse, fine, what you’d use for parmesan, and a slicer. Ha! Didn’t look at the side view. :smack: The one you linked to is what I was referring to. All that really matters is that the end result is crispy goodness. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637/25 "2015-10-26T02:03:51Z")
I’m inspired to try making hash browns again at home. Everyone has provided some great tips. Hash browns are the reason we keep going to Dennys for Breakfast. They make such great ones. If we can make them at home that good we’ll be thrilled. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637/26 "2015-10-26T02:16:13Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > If we can make them at home that good we’ll be thrilled. 1. Shred a big russet or Yukon Gold potato, peeled or not. Drop it into a clean dishtowel and SQUEEZE out all the liquid. 2. Melt a couple teaspoons of butter or chicken fat or bacon grease or olive oil in an 8-inch skillet over med-high heat. Scatter potatoes evenly, then press down with a spatula. Salt and pepper. Reduce heat to med and cook 7-8 minutes, until gold and crisp on bottom. 3. Slide potatoes onto a small plate, melt another couple teaspoons fat, and flip the uncooked side down into it. Cook another 7-8 minutes until done. Easy peasy. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637/27 "2015-10-26T02:24:26Z")
FWIW, I use russets. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637/28 "2015-10-26T02:52:41Z")
I’ll pick up potatoes tomorrow and give it a try. I already have a box grater. I love hash browns. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637/29 "2015-10-26T10:40:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > FWIW, I use russets. Yeah–I can’t get a good texture out of anything else. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637/30 "2015-10-26T14:09:54Z")
Wash russet potatoes. Leave peal on. Microwave till about half cooked. Grate them with box grater. Carful, they will be quite hot. Fry in butter with some olive oil. Simple fast and very good. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637/31 "2015-10-26T16:03:09Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > Interesting. I have made hash browns from scratch a few times and have not been consistent in them. Sometimes they are pretty good, sometimes not. > > Potatoes are cheap, frozen hash browns are getting up there, to my way of thinking. My beloved Ore-Ida proclaims right in the package “Now Even Crispier!” or somesuch, as if we’ve been shortchanged up until now. > > If anything, it seems like they have switched to a lower quality spud, which would not surprise me. > > I’ve tried several different techniques, shredding raw Bakers, or large Russets, shredding and rinsing, shredding rinsing and freezing, parboiling briefly and freezing whole potatoes and then shredding, etc. Wait a minute! Someone with the name of **Common TATER** can’t make taters?! What hope is there for the rest of us? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-its-saturday-it-must-be-hashbrowns/735637.md?page=1)