6

Baked potatoes are great as everyone knows but what is fastest way to cook them (obviously preserving the taste).

Normally I do about 10 minutes in the microwave and then in the oven till the top starts to crisp.

But is there a better way?

Mark Davidson
  • 409
  • 2
  • 5
  • 9

7 Answers7

11

Grilling / broiling the potato after it comes out of the microwave is quicker than baking it and achieves the same crispy outside.

If you really prefer them baked though, you can speed this up by inserting a large metal skewer into the potato while it's in the oven

Chris Simpson
  • 383
  • 1
  • 2
  • 7
  • Sounds like a good idea. I will need to give it a go. – Mark Davidson Jul 16 '10 at 21:36
  • As far as "achieves the same crispy outside" idea, well, it would be a much nicer world if it did, but sadly it doesn't. This is one of those occasions where "food+heat+time" actually does require time. – Dave Griffith Jan 08 '12 at 02:06
5

Microwave would be your best bet. Don't forget to poke holes in it first.

Here's a step by step instruction guide: http://www.wikihow.com/Bake-a-Potato-in-the-Microwave

Vecta
  • 2,684
  • 4
  • 21
  • 24
  • 1+ but I would add to put the potato under the grill in the oven for a while microwaving for a crispy skin – Willbill Jul 27 '10 at 09:49
3

I am normally all about cooking things quickly, but in the case of baked potatoes, that's a mistake. Even the standard recipes you can find don't cook them long enough. Oil, salt, wrap in aluminum foil, and bake at 425F for two hours. Yes. Really. You'll get a lovely taste (due to caramelization, dessication, etc.) that these microwave recipes can't manage.

Dave Griffith
  • 2,785
  • 21
  • 15
  • That's 220°C, two hours of that will incinerate them! You shouldn't cook anything at that temperature for anything more than a few minutes – TFD Jan 08 '12 at 02:42
  • Really, honestly, give it a try. You end up with potatoes with crisp, dry skins, caramelized just under for about 1/8 inch, and a light, fluffy interior. Oil and salt them first, but otherwise just trust. The standard recipes and temperatures undercook potatoes criminally. – Dave Griffith Jan 08 '12 at 02:47
  • 1
    I agree with a long cooking time for baked spuds. I prefer something like 180°C for 1.5 hours with no foil though. Just because you _can_ cook something quickly doesn't mean you _should_. – ElendilTheTall Nov 02 '12 at 18:59
1

Microwave is fastest. It doesn't match the tender skin you get from wrapped in foil and stuck on a grill, but it's convenient enough I still use it most of the time.

Tim Gilbert
  • 6,093
  • 18
  • 27
0

Microwave is by far the fastest way.

I only like to cook my baked potatoes in the microwave if the oven isn't free.

Jacob R
  • 2,470
  • 7
  • 26
  • 27
0

Pre-cooking in the microwave while the oven heats works well if you wrap the potato in a layer or two of plastic wrap just after washing it so that it is still damp. I usually try to turn the potato over after 5 minutes to get even baking.

Janelle
  • 1,855
  • 13
  • 13
  • make sure to be very careful when removing the plastic wrap before placing in the regular oven - it will expand while in the microwave and then shrink as soon as you take it out. – Janelle Jul 16 '10 at 19:52
  • plastic wrap?? ewww cancer ... –  Jun 17 '13 at 03:49
  • @user18780 Plastic wrap is microwave-safe if it says so on the box. See for example http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cookplastic.asp. – Cascabel Jun 17 '13 at 03:54
0

I like to cook the potatoes in the microwave first, and then wrap them in foil and put them on the grill.. This is a great idea to insure that the potato is cooked all the way through and its a great trick if you wrap and have them ready for the grill "before" people come over to eat...

And to people saying cooking at high temps for that long is bad... HA.. We used to throw potatoes right in the embers camping, dig them out a while later, and I have to admit it is the best potato in the world.. And its fun to find the one you missed the next day to see a shell of a potato without anything in the center of it..

bobbyz
  • 1