It's all about understanding how to correctly cook the natural starches inside baked potatoes. For this instruction, I conducted thorough testing of various sizes, temperatures, and cooking periods. You may now select the best approach for your requirements.

Preparation is the same regardless of cooking method.

  1. Wash – Use cool running water to wash and exfoliate the skin. Because they are picked from beneath the earth, there is a lot of leftover dirt.
  2. Holes – I propose poking 8 holes in the potato with a fork, 18-inch deep pricks equally distributed. The perforations serve to discharge part of the steam produced within while the food cooks, preventing messes and dangerous explosions.
  3. Seasoning – Lightly brush or massage the surface of the potatoes with olive oil or vegetable oil, then season with kosher salt.
Oven-baked potatoes.
I experimented with several temperatures in search of the most uniformly cooked and fluffy baked potato. I feel that 400oF (204oC) for 70 to 80 minutes, depending on size, is optimum. The skins are crisp at this temperature, and the meat has just the proper amount of fork-tender fluffiness.

Is it necessary to wrap roasted potatoes in foil?
No. Baking a potato covered in foil is a traditional campout food, especially over a fire or on the grill.

The major purpose for doing this is to keep them warm for a longer period of time after they've been removed from the oven, which is true for roughly 45 to 60 minutes. Aluminum is excellent at both conducting and trapping heat.

Microwave-baked potatoes.
By far the most efficient way. Microwaving a baked potato takes 8 to 12 minutes, depending on size.

After pricking the potato, gently coat it with oil and salt. Cook for 5 minutes on high, then turn and cook in 1-minute increments until tender.
The disadvantage of microwaving is that it might result in uneven cooking.

How should potatoes be baked?
  • Cook a potato until the internal temperature reaches 200 to 210oF (93 to 99oC). America's Test Kitchen recommends a temperature of 205oF (96oC).
  • 170°F to 180°F (77°C to 82°C): Firm meat that is still raw when probed and cannot be fluffed with a fork. With gentle pressure and lots of resistance, around 14-inch of fork tines could be forced into the potato.
  • 180-190oF (82-88oC): Firm skin with slight tenderness, raw spots that are just beginning to peel. With mild pressure, the tines of a fork may be driven into the potato about 1/2 inch.
  • 190 to 200oF (88 to 93oC): Soft to the touch but still wet flesh, more flakey at the edges but not in the core. With gentle pressure, around 1 inch of fork tines may be driven into the potato.
  • 200 to 210oF (93 to 99oC): Soft, light, and fluffy flesh that is flakey all the way around the potato. The tines of a fork could be driven into the potato with gentle pressure and little resistance for about 1 3/4-inch.
How to check for completion.
Using an instant-read digital thermometer is the best way to test the internal temperature of a baked potato, remember to target 200 to 210ºF (93 to 99ºC).

If you don’t have one, poke a fork into the center. If the tines easily pierce the potato all the way down with the little pressure, it’s ready. Pressing the sides only tells if the edges are done, but not the middle.


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