What We Did
Mini potatoes are often marketed as having diverse, unique flavours and convenience, including preparation without peeling. This study, conducted in Summer 2025, aimed to characterize the sensory profiles of a diverse set of mini potatoes using Vineland’s trained sensory panel. The project involved two training sessions followed by four data collection sessions evaluating baked mini potatoes prepared two ways. A preliminary sensory lexicon, along with associated aroma references, was developed to support future potato evaluations.
Baked Mini Potatoes
In total, eight products from three commercial brands were evaluated in duplicate (Table 1). Potatoes were baked in a convection oven in Vineland’s Food Technology Lab. Samples were served warm to panelists for evaluation. Products were evaluated both with skin-on and peeled, to explore the impact of the potato skin.
Table
| Brand* | Potato Type | Country of Origin |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | Mini Yellow | Canada |
| B1 | Mini Yellow | USA |
| B2 | Mini Yellow | Canada |
| B1 | Mini Red | Canada |
| B2 | Mini Red | Canada |
| B3 | Mini Red | Canada |
| B2 | Mini Blue | Canada |
| B2 | Fingerling | Canada |
| *Brands are confidential and therefore have been given generic names, such as “B1” (Brand 1) | ||
Table 1. Mini potato products.
Describing Sensory Characteristics
To describe the sensory profiles of mini baked potatoes, we developed a lexicon of attributes (Table 2) and performed Descriptive Analysis.
Table
| Aroma/flavour | potato, toasted, nutty, burnt, metallic, musty, buttery |
| Taste | sweet, acidic, salty, bitter, umami |
| Texture | firmness, moisture, adhesiveness, granular |
| After-taste | bitter/irritating aftertaste |
Table 2. Sensory attributes included in mini baked potato lexicon (select attributes only).
What We Found
Overall, sensory results demonstrated that the mini baked potatoes were highly diverse.
Products were clustered based on similar sensory profiles into three groups (Figure 1). Interestingly, these clusters were different for the skin-on potatoes vs. the peeled potatoes.
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Figure 1. Sensory map (PCA biplot) of potatoes with skin-on (L) and peeled potatoes (R) showing significant attributes (p<0.10). Product are highlighted with coloured boxes indicating clusters of similar profiles.
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The skin-on potatoes sensory profiles had greater flavour variability and complexity, especially in terms of aroma/flavour compared to the peeled potatoes.
Skin-on potatoes sensory profiles:
- more significant attributes
- all brands of Mini Yellows and Fingerlings were clustered together
- Mini Reds (B1, B2) were very bitter
- clustering reflected variations in buttery, nutty, burnt and metallic flavour, sweetness, bitterness, astringency and texture attributes.
Peeled potatoes sensory profiles:
- fewer significant attributes and a more simple sensory space
- Mini Reds (B1, B2) were not perceived to be highly bitter
- clustering largely reflecting variations in texture attributes.
These results highlight the influence of potato skin on sensory profiles of mini potatoes, indicating that including the peel can enhance both flavour differentiation and perceived bitterness in some types, whereas removing it leads to more uniform and less distinctive products. Texture attributes emerged as key drivers of differentiation in both cases.
The development of this preliminary lexicon for baked potatoes provides a useful framework to support future sensory evaluations.
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Questions? Looking for more information?
Contact: Dr. Amy Bowen, Director, Consumer, Sensory & Market Insights
amy.bowen@vinelandresearch.com