Microwaved: How do you microwave a potato so there's no rubbery "crust"

Subject: How do you microwave a potato so there's no rubbery "crust"
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: h (fgh at d.com)
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 11:21:50 -0500
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Hi, i tried to microwave a potato, and it was alright, but there was Hi, i tried to microwave a potato, and it was alright, but there was a rubbery "crust". How do i get rid of this? I initially peeled the skin of the potato, and washed it, then put holes in it with a fork and microwaved on high for 7 mins?

Thanks.
From: Ted Campanelli (tcamp at grumpyoldmen.com)
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 16:29:41 GMT
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My microwave has a "Sensor Cook" setting. I put an X slice in the potato and cook it on Sensor - no problem.
From: scott (lupis49 at NOSPAMgo.com)
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 10:29:55 -0600
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I don't think you can. IMHO, if you want real baked potato skin, then you just have to bake it in the oven. I throw a few spuds in the microwave every now and then, cuz it's fast and they still taste good - just different. But to get the real baked effect, well, you've got to bake it in the oven. Sometimes there are no shortcuts :-)
From: Kate Connally (connally at pitt.edu)
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 12:35:14 -0500
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Well, first of all you don't peel a potato you're going to bake. Then you time it carefully. If you don't over cook it in the microwave you should have no rubbery layer. The only time I get that is when I over cook. But it's trickey because I can't stand undercooked potatoes so you really have to watch it.
From: Matt (mthomas at biocontrolsys.com)
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 12:49:16 -0800
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I don't peel it, and I rub butter over the skin before nuking. I've had success that way, though it's still not the same as baked.
From: red burgy (burgy at hometown.com)
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 00:48:08 GMT
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Best way I've found is to scrub the potato, then punch holes with a fork all around it. Then I take a paper towel folded in half and wrap around the tater. Then wet the paper towel and stick it into the microwave (still dripping). i usually bake it on high for about 4 minutes. Then squeeze it to see if its mushy. If not, add a minute at a time until it can be squeezed. Then I take it out, wrap in foil and let lay a few minutes as it continues to cook. Of course the time varies, depending on the size and number of spuds. We usually are only doing 2. If we have company and do more, we plan ahead and do them in the oven.
From: Chris and Bob Neidecker (neidecker at erols.com)
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 02:15:43 -0500
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Were you aiming for a baked potato, or just cooked potato? Not sure why you peeled it.

When I want baked potatoes in a hurry, here's what I do: preheat the oven to 400F. Wash a baking potato. Slice it in half such that you have the longest, flattest halves possible. Put them on a microwave-safe dish. Nuke on high about 4 minutes. Remove from oven, blot off any excess moisture with paper towel, then spread butter on the cut sides of potatoes. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Place potato halves butter side down on a baking pan. Bake about 10 minutes, or until potato is tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Remove from oven; the cut sides of potato halves should be crispy and golden brown. You can eat with a knife and fork, or let cool a few minutes, and eat with your fingers. Add extra butter or sour cream if you like.

Not as quick as a 7-minute nuke, but a heckuva lot quicker than baking, and a heckuva lot better than nuking. For me, it's a good compromise. (If you have even more time, you can skip the microwave step and simply cook the potato halves for 30-45 minutes. Baking temp can also be flexible if you're cooking something else at the same time.)
From: Sheldon (Penmart10 at optonline.net)
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 12:45:31 GMT
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Chris and Bob Neidecker wrote:
> When I want baked potatoes in a hurry, here's what I do: preheat the oven
> to 400F. Wash a baking potato. Slice it in half such that you have the
> longest, flattest halves possible. Put them on a microwave-safe dish. Nuke
> on high about 4 minutes. Remove from oven, blot off any excess moisture
> with paper towel, then spread butter on the cut sides of potatoes. Add a
> bit of salt and pepper. Place potato halves butter side down on a baking
> pan. Bake about 10 minutes, or until potato is tender when pierced with a
> sharp knife.

Using the microwave oven for saving time by pre-cooking is a good idea, I do that all the time, but I wouldn't heat my conventional oven just for potatoes... what I do is finish the spuds on the outdoor grill while cooking a steak or chops or whatever. I can't remember ever using my conventional oven for just baking potatoes...heating an entire oven and running it for over an hour just for a couple of potatoes is such a waste of energy. If I want just baked potatoes one of the best ways is to use ye olde stove top potato bakers.... they are still available for about $10 and I think they make the best baked potatoes; they're also great for baking yams, and chestnuts... stove top bakers work equally well with gas or electric element cook tops, never tried with smooth tops.