How to Make the Perfect Baked Potato
Materials
Ingredients
- Potatoes
- Oil
- Salt
Instructions
Conventional Oven Method
- Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Wash and dry potatoes.
- With a fork or sharp knife, pierce each potato 2 or 3 times.
- Rub each potato with a little oil (just enough to lightly coat) and salt generously.
- Place on a cookie sheet or baking pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.
Microwave Method
- Wash and dry potatoes.
- With a fork or sharp knife, pierce each potato 2 or 3 times.
- Rub each potato with a little oil (just enough to lightly coat) and salt generously.
- Place potatoes in a circle on a paper towel, leaving a 1-inch space between each potato.
- Cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork, turning once during cooking and removing any that are done after 15 minutes.
- Let potatoes stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Air Fryer Method
- Heat air fryer to 400°F.
- Wash and dry potatoes, making sure that skin is really dry.
- With a fork or sharp knife, pierce each potato 2 or 3 times.
- Rub each potato with a little oil (just enough to lightly coat) and salt generously.
- Air fry for 30-40 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork or internal temperature reaches 210°. Time will depend on your appliance, the size of your potatoes and how many you are cooking at once.
Instant Pot Method
- Place 1 cup water in the bottom of an Instant pot or pressure cooker. Place a rack or steamer basket over the water (water level should be lower than the rack).
- Wash and dry potatoes.
- With a fork or sharp knife, pierce each potato 2 or 3 times.
- Rub each potato with a little oil (just enough to lightly coat) and salt generously.
- Place the potatoes in the steamer basket and set pressure cook setting to high. Pressure cook on high for 16 minutes. If your potatoes are larger than 14 ounces, pressure cook for 20 minutes.
- Let pressure release naturally for best results.
- Optional: To crisp the skin, place potatoes directly on the rack in a hot oven, convection oven or toaster oven for a few minutes.
- Notes: Make sure potatoes do not touch the water or they will get mushy instead of fluffy. Do not attempt to make this without water – pressure cookers need liquid to get pressurized.
Notes
Major Potato Categories
- Russet Potatoes
- Characteristics: High starch, low moisture, thick brown skin, and a light, fluffy white interior.
- Best Uses: Baking, mashing, and making french fries.
- Common Varieties: Burbank Russet, Caribou Russet, Canela Russet.
- Red Potatoes
- Characteristics: Low starch, high moisture, waxy texture, and smooth red skin with white flesh. They hold their shape well when cooked.
- Best Uses: Potato salads, soups, stews, boiling, and roasting.
- Common Varieties: Red Norland, Chieftain, Pontiac, Red Bliss.
- White Potatoes
- Characteristics: Medium starch, thin light skin, and a creamy, dense white or pale-yellow flesh that keeps its shape well.
- Best Uses: Roasting, mashing, boiling, and frying.
- Common Varieties: Superior, Kennebec (often grouped closely as an all-purpose white/tan type).
- Yellow Potatoes
- Characteristics: Medium-low starch, naturally buttery flavor, and golden-yellow flesh.
- Best Uses: Grilling, roasting, mashing, and boiling without needing as much added butter.
- Common Varieties: Yukon Gold, German Butterball, Yellow Finn
- Blue / Purple Potatoes
- Characteristics: Starchy to firm texture with deep blue, purple, or lavender skin and flesh. They retain their vibrant color best when baked or steamed.
- Best Uses: Roasting, baking, and colorful potato salads.
- Common Varieties: All Blue, Purple Majesty, Purple Peruvian.
- Fingerling Potatoes
- Characteristics: Small, finger-shaped, waxy tubers with a rich, nutty or earthy flavor.
- Best Uses: Roasting whole, pan-searing, or slicing into salads.
- Common Varieties: Russian Banana, Rose Finn Apple, Red Thumb, French Fingerling.
- Petite / New Potatoes
- Characteristics: Immature, small potatoes harvested early in the season with very thin, delicate skins and high moisture.
- Best Uses: Quick boiling, steaming, or whole-roasting.
- Common Varieties: Any standard variety (red, yellow, or white) harvested young as “baby” or “new” potatoes
Nutrition Disclaimer
Art of Cooking Recipes (Paulson Pursuits) is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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