Baked: Baked Potatoes: Microwave or regular oven?

Subject: Baked Potatoes: Microwave or regular oven?
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Raymond J Maisano (maisano at mindspring.com)
Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2001 17:50:42 -0500
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I recently got a microwave (yes, at age 34 I'm a first time microwave user!). After making a few baked potatoes in it, I think I prefer how they come out in a regular oven. The skin seems crisper and less prone to slide off of the potato when done in the regular oven.

I know the obvious response is, "Then make them in your regular oven." but I was curious about how the rest of you feel on this question.

Ray
From: klsnow2 at aol.com (KLSNOW2)
Date: 04 Nov 2001 23:22:00 GMT
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Conventional oven is the only way to go. Scrub the tater, apply salt to the skin and wrap in foil, back at around 375-400 for hour and half. Can't lose.
From: Kendall F. Stratton III (k3 at maine.rr.com)
Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2001 18:30:19 -0500
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KLSNOW2 wrote:
> Conventional oven is the only way to go. Scrub the tater, apply salt to the
> skin and wrap in foil, back at around 375-400 for hour and half. Can't lose.

Nope!!! Wrong answer!!! No salt, no oil, no foil... If you wanna good baked 'tater then just bake the 'ol plain-jane at 375-400 for 'bout an hour. If your looking for a soft-skin, place it in foil for a few minutes AFTER it comes out of the oven (not while it's baking -- you don't want a ~steamed~ potato, do 'ya?).
From: Leon Manfredi (manfred at channel1.com)
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 05:49:57 -0500
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K3 wrote:
>baked 'tater then just bake the 'ol plain-jane at 375-400 for 'bout an hour.

Too much wasted time.....Poke with fork fairly well all around to puncture skin, zap in microwave 2 minutes, flip over another two minutes. Repeat this process. When they feel soft to a squeeze, you may elect to finish them off to you likings, either in an oven or toaster oven at 400. I hate working in a sweat shop!

By the way.....you don't have to be always on hand, just to flip the spuds, they'll still be there when you get back from another preparation.....
From: Miche (miche at technologist.com)
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 18:45:29 +1300
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Leon Manfredi wrote:
> Too much wasted time.....Poke with fork fairly well all around to puncture skin,
> zap in microwave 2 minutes, flip over another two minutes. Repeat this process.

Ah another one who doesn't think good food is worth a little time.
From: amoorman at visi.com (Alan)
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 19:22:06 -0600
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Leon Manfredi gave this insight:
:Too much wasted time.....Poke with fork fairly well all around to puncture skin,

Make sure you poke the fork all the way to the middle of the potato so the steam can get out.

Don't just prick a few holes on the surface, or some day one will explode in the microwave, and you'll have to clean it all up
From: David Wright (dtwright at earthlink.net)
Date: Sun, 04 Nov 2001 23:35:49 GMT
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KLSNOW2 wrote:
> Conventional oven is the only way to go. Scrub the tater, apply salt to the
> skin and wrap in foil, back at around 375-400 for hour and half. Can't lose.

I can't imagine that a wrapped potato in the oven would be much different from a nuked one. Aren't they both steamed? I like to grease/butter the skins and bake 'em without a wrap.
From: Sheryl Rosen (catmandy at optonline.net)
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 00:22:18 GMT
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KLSNOW2 wrote:
> Conventional oven is the only way to go. Scrub the tater, apply salt to the
> skin and wrap in foil, back at around 375-400 for hour and half. Can't lose.

If you wrap the thing in foil, you might as well nuke it....the skin will come out the same way, soft and "steamed".
From: Michael Edelman (mje at spamcop.net)
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 08:28:52 -0500
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KLSNOW2 wrote:
> Conventional oven is the only way to go. Scrub the tater, apply salt to the
> skin and wrap in foil, back at around 375-400 for hour and half. Can't lose.

If you're going to wrap it in foil you may as well microwave it, as it'll steam in the foil.

I prefer to oil the potatoes before oven roasting. If I'm cooking them for use in a recipe I'll boil or microwave them.
From: stan at temple.edu
Date: 5 Nov 2001 14:26:56 GMT
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KLSNOW2 wrote:
> Conventional oven is the only way to go. Scrub the tater, apply salt to the
> skin and wrap in foil, back at around 375-400 for hour and half. Can't lose.

What you described is not a baked potato, its a steamed potato. Wrapping a potato in foil traps the steam and prevents the dry heating that's essential to getting a good dry crispy skin on a potato. Omit the foil if you want a real baked potato.
From: Sheryl Rosen (catmandy at optonline.net)
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 00:21:36 GMT
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Raymond J Maisano wrote:
> I recently got a microwave (yes, at age 34 I'm a first time microwave
> user!). After making a few baked potatoes in it, I think I prefer how they
> come out in a regular oven. The skin seems crisper and less prone to slide
> off of the potato when done in the regular oven.

Nuke em for 4 minutes, then crisp up the skins in the toaster oven, if you have one.
From: Ruth (rufusd at net2000.com.au)
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 11:36:44 +1100
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Raymond J Maisano wrote:
>I recently got a microwave (yes, at age 34 I'm a first time microwave
>user!). After making a few baked potatoes in it, I think I prefer how they
>come out in a regular oven. The skin seems crisper and less prone to slide
>off of the potato when done in the regular oven.

Not sure where you are from, however, in Australia we can buy Desiree potatoes (reddish/brown) and these are ideal baked in a circular microwave dish.

No need to prick them first - my microwave is an old one now, a Pansonic 500/600 so I find if I put in two of much the same size 6 minutes is about right. Obviously you will need less time if yours is a current model! Pop a bamboo skewer through the middle to make sure it's done!
From: Jim K (jkajpust at concentric****.net)
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 00:55:13 GMT
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I prefer regular oven baked, but considering the time, usually nuke them.
From: Mikkel de Winther (mikkel-wNO at SPAMworldonline.dk)
Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2001 04:08:55 +0100
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I like to halve the potatoes, sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little olive oil and bake 'em in the oven.

Actually, come to think about it, I think I've never tried nuking potatoes. Maybe I should give it a shot just to try it.
From: Edwin Pawlowski (esp at snet.net)
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 03:21:28 GMT
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Raymond J Maisano wrote:
> I recently got a microwave (yes, at age 34 I'm a first time microwave
> user!). After making a few baked potatoes in it, I think I prefer how they
> come out in a regular oven. The skin seems crisper and less prone to slide
> off of the potato when done in the regular oven.

Picker of nits that I am, you can't "bake" anything in a microwave. Cook, yes, but baking requires dry heat.

We prefer a real baked potato. Nothing in a microwave can come close. OTOH, I often cook a potato for lunch at work since I don't have any alternatives. Speed is the only advantage of a MW.

While on the subject, you will get better results from anything you cook in it if you allow waiting time. It allows the food to warm evenly. Allow 25 to 50% of the cooking time for the "wait" before serving.
From: Miche (miche at technologist.com)
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 21:54:42 +1300
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Raymond J Maisano wrote:
> I know the obvious response is, "Then make them in your regular oven." but I
> was curious about how the rest of you feel on this question.

If I want baked potatoes I do them in the oven. If I want potatoes steamed in their skin I do them in the microwave.
From: stan at temple.edu
Date: 5 Nov 2001 12:12:26 GMT
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Raymond J Maisano wrote:
> I recently got a microwave (yes, at age 34 I'm a first time microwave
> user!). After making a few baked potatoes in it, I think I prefer how they
> come out in a regular oven. The skin seems crisper and less prone to slide
> off of the potato when done in the regular oven.

I agree with you. Baked potatoes taste much better to me when they're slowly baked in an oven. As you'll see, some people prefer a hybrid method where they nuke a potato for a brief period, then finish it off in their microwave. For me, a baked potato is either baked the entire way or its not a baked potato.
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 05 Nov 2001 16:12:16 GMT
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stan at temple writes:
>Baked potatoes taste much better to me when they're
>slowly baked in an oven.

Define "slowly baked". To me that means bake in a *slow oven* which translates to an oven set to bake at a comparatively low temperature, as in, culinarilly speaking of course, about 300° F. In other words, Stan, you like your baked spuds like sorta dehydrated... perhaps you should munch on slightly humidified Potato Buds. <G>

http://www.wgts.org/cookbook/oventemp.html [archive.org]

Oven Temperatures
ELECTRIC
TEMPERATURES   CELSIUS FAHRENHEIT

Very slow    120   250
Slow       150   300
Moderately slow 160-180 325-350
Moderate     180-200 375-400
Moderately hot  210-230 425-450
Hot       240-250 475-500
Very hot     260   525-550

GAS
TEMPERATURES   CELSIUS FAHRENHEIT MARK

Very slow    120   250     1
Slow       150   300     2
Moderately slow 160   325     3
Moderate     180   350     4
Moderately hot  190   375     5
Hot       200   400     6
Very hot     230   450     7

From: forcooksonly at aol.com (ForCooksOnly)
Date: 05 Nov 2001 13:20:32 GMT
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>potato when done in the regular oven.

Thre ONLY way to make a baked potato is in a stove-top potao baker! They are IMPOSSIBLE to find but I did find in in the Walter Drake catalog.

Microwave "baked" potatoes--YUCK!!!
From: stan at temple.edu
Date: 5 Nov 2001 14:38:53 GMT
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ForCooksOnly wrote:
> Thre ONLY way to make a baked potato is in a stove-top potao baker!
> They are IMPOSSIBLE to find but I did find in in the Walter Drake catalog.

What's a stove-top potato baker? How does it improve upon a baked potato that's baked in an oven?
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 05 Nov 2001 19:57:25 GMT
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stan at temple writes:
>What's a stove-top potato baker?

It's a thingie made from a coffee can and a pie tin, poked fulla holes and used to bake spuds onna stove top boiner, preferably a gas stove. Of course rich folkshad ones made inna factory, with a genuwine bakelite knob on top... there were all sorts of stovetop bread toasters too.

>How does it improve upon a baked potato
>that's baked in an oven?

It doesn't. The best potatoes are those that are swiped from Rocco's push cart on 13th Ave. & 43rd St., each one wrapped in six layers of Grandpa's Jewish newspaper (after he read it, or else) and buried under hot embers from a died down big old fire in a hand dug hole in a vacant lot somewhere in Brooklyn... aintcha ever ate mickies? Natcherly no goil ever seen mickies eing prepared and no goil ever even ate a mickie, not until he was at least 12 years old. <G>
From: Miche (miche at technologist.com)
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 18:43:53 +1300
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ForCooksOnly wrote:
> Thre ONLY way to make a baked potato
> is in a stove-top potao baker! They are IMPOSSIBLE to find but I did find in in
> the Walter Drake catalog.

I disagree. The "only" way to bake a potato is in the oven.
From: Richard Caley (MYFIRSTNAME at MYLASTNAME.org.uk)
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 16:22:56 GMT
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Raymond J Maisano writes:
> I recently got a microwave (yes, at age 34 I'm a first time
> microwave user!). After making a few baked potatoes in it, I

If you do them in the microwave they don't bake they boil/steam. Nothing wrong with that but it is a different product.

If you microwave a few smallish potatoes, then mash them down just a bit and put something which wil melt a bit on top (butter, cheese, pate all work), grind on some pepper and you gets a good quick snack.

Not a replacement for baked spud though.
From: Michelle (rowaan0001 at nospamearthlink.net)
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 22:57:11 GMT
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I'm a Cook-The-Spud-In-The-Oven kinda person.

Just wash, fork it once, bake for about an hour at 400 and they will be delish. Sometimes I oil, kosher salt and wrap in foil because that is how my DH likes them, but usually not.

HOWEVER,
I sometimes, when I want a potato for lunch, put in in the microwave for a few minutes to cook it 3/4 of the way, then I stick it in the oven to "crisp" up. It doesn't get as fluffy, but it does work in a pinch.
From: Brian Rodenborn (munged.address at boeing.com)
Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2001 23:49:00 GMT
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Michelle wrote:
> Just wash, fork it once, bake for about an hour at 400 and they will be
> delish. Sometimes I oil, kosher salt and wrap in foil because that is how
> my DH likes them, but usually not.

Definitely don't forget the part about sticking a fork in it. When I had first gotten my own apartment, I decided to bake some taters. Whilst watching TV, I hear the dull *boom* from the kitchen. Investigate, nothing, shrug. Then I go to check the potatoes since I'm there, and I find that one of those babies had exploded all over the inside of the oven.

The funny thing was, what was left of the exploded one was a most amazingly fluffy potato. Very good, but the methodology leaves something to be desired.
From: Wyatt Taylor (wwtaylor at swbell.net)
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 01:44:33 GMT
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You can make great baked potatoes in a pressure cooker. Toss 'em in and cook for 15 minutes. I wrap them in foil after I take them out, with a little salt and butter in the foil as I wrap them up... and toss them on the grill or put them in the oven. Everyone loves them.
From: amoorman at visi.com (Alan)
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 19:20:55 -0600
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Raymond J Maisano gave this insight:
:I know the obvious response is, "Then make them in your regular oven." but I
:was curious about how the rest of you feel on this question.

Conventional oven is better, but I haven't done that for about 10 years! I use the microwave ALL the time for potatoes.

Actually, I nuke them, and then usually mash them -- they're better than boiled potatoes for mashed.

Also -- quick, good potato soup: I will "sorta" mash them and then, in a sauce pan, mix them with milk and a little butter, some black pepper (sometimes a bit of garlic). Heat almost to boiling, but don't boil. Add enough milk to make thick soup (or thin, if you prefer) and the result is wonderful.
(heating the mixture close to boiling will make it thicken, you may want to add more milk.
From: see post sig for address! (wpascanner at yahoo dot com)
Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2001 20:10:56 GMT
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Raymond J Maisano wrote:
>I recently got a microwave (yes, at age 34 I'm a first time microwave
>user!). After making a few baked potatoes in it, I think I prefer how they

I am a microwave-aholic on some things, potatoes is NOT one of them.

I did baked potatoes in the microwave for awhile, and just don't care for them. In a pinch if I take the potatoes out early by accident, I will finish them up in micro. This happens sometimes on those really big bakers I can sometimes get in the store.

I switched back to in the oven mode and refuse to make them any other way now.

I take them rub with a little butter and then cover with coarse salt, wrap in aluminum foil and into a 400 DEG F oven. Its even better if you have a convection oven to do them.
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 07 Nov 2001 20:43:08 GMT
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KXDPHYAXUJTB writes:
>I take them, rub with a little butter and then cover with coarse salt, wrap in
>aluminum foil and into a 400 DEG F oven.

Why do you "take" them... taters are inexpensive, next time instead of shoplifting pay for them.
From: Brian Rodenborn (munged.address at boeing.com)
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2001 21:03:07 GMT
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wpascanner wrote:
> I take them rub with a little butter and then cover with coarse salt, wrap in
> aluminum foil and into a 400 DEG F oven. Its even better if you have a
> convection oven to do them.

Good grief! What is this fascination for wrapping up the poor taters in foil? So they steam rather than bake?

Let them roast in their own jackets.
From: Steve YATES (syates at asi.fr)
Date: Thu, 08 Nov 2001 21:34:18 +0100
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Mircowaves don't cook, they heat !

My preferred method is to rub them with salt and olive oil and then put them on a skewer. This avoids the bursting problem and also conducts heat to centre.

Steve

(I also love to wrap in tinfoil and put inside the real fire we have in kitchen, but you have to be careful they don't overbake. The skins done this way are superb and remind me of when we used to bake them at home in the cinder tray of the fire, without the foil !)
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 08 Nov 2001 21:10:03 GMT
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Steve YATES writes:
>Mircowaves don't cook, they heat

Well, duh.

"Merriam Webster"

[2]cook

intransitive

1: to prepare food for eating by means of _heat_
Subject: Re: Baked Potatoes: Microwave or regular oven?
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: rsand at dwave.net (Karen Sandquist)
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 02:30:11 GMT
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I usually bake them in my microwave for a couple of minutes for about 4 potatoes, then I bake them either in the oven or on the grill. It takes less time in the oven.