Medium sized Russets or Yukon Golds, scrubbed clean, pierced with a fork a few times, baked for an hour on the middle rack in an oven at 350.ð

No foil, no oil rub. You'll have nicely roasted crispy skins.

We each like our baked potatoes different so I rotate how I cook them. I always use Idaho Russetts.

1.) Scrub clean, lightly rub with olive oil, wrap in foil, bake @ 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours for large potato. I don't poke these with a fork & have never had an explosion. Immediately after removing from the oven...lightly squeeze the potato (still wrapped in the foil) to fluff the interior & keep it from being gluey inside. Potato will be soft & fluffy.

2.) Scrub clean, lightly rub with olive oil. Poke with a fork a few times. Sprinkle with pretzel salt. Bake @ 400 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes for a large potato. The skin will be crisped & salty.

Both ways are good...but different.

Personally, I like the texture better with the first method. Crunchy foods are not my favs. DH likes the crunchy skin & salt of the second method.

/tricia

I like crispy skins and very soft insides so I do russets at 1 1/2 -2 hours at 400. Washed and pierced is all.

Russet potatoes - scrub and poke with a fork several times. Bake at 350F for about 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size. If I'm in more of a hurry I'll bump the temp up to 425F and bake for closer to 45 minutes, but I think the skin is better at a lower temp. One of my favorite easy dinners is meatloaf and baked potatoes - both go in the oven at the same time and come out done 1 1/2 hours later :-)

Becky

I make mine with Russets also. I make a cut at both ends of the potato. Tear of a sheet of foil large enough to wrap the potato in. Smear some butter on the bottom of the foil along with seasoning salt. With my hands I coat the potato with butter and sprinkle it with more seasoned salt. Wrap up the potato in the foil and put it in a preheated 400 degree oven right on the rack. Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes. NancyLouise

Russets usually but big red potatoes are very good too but you have to wrap them in foil.
Washed and poked and the temp depends on what else is cooking or how long I have before dinner. But I usually figure an hour at 375...or an hour at 350....or an hour at425....
It's really hard to go wrong unless you under cook them of try to re heat.
Linda C

We like crispy skins and fluffy not steamed insides.

Microwave 2 same size Russets for about 5 minutes--the shouldn't be soft. Preheat oven to 450. Oil and salt hot potatoes, place in hot oven for about 30 minutes.

*Times are an estimate.

Scrub russets, poke them a couple of times with a fork so the steam can escape, and toss them into the oven...no foil, no pan, just on the rack. Temp depends on what else I might be cooking, anywhere from 350 to 450. Medium sized russets will take a little over an hour at 350 or 45 minutes or so at 450.

My favorite part of a baked potato is the skin, so I cut it in half at the table, scoop out the middle and put butter pats in the two "pockets", s & p and anything else (like sour cream horseradish-yum) I'm using. I eat those just like that, with butter dripping out as I bite into them and eat the insides separately. Cooked just in their jackets, with no foil etc., russet potatoes always turn out nice and fluffy.

Wash them well, poke deep holes all over to let the steam out (so they are fluffy not muchy). Microwave about 10 minutes, cover in oil and kosher salt cook in the oven until you smell potato.

Russets, usually, but done in the microwave on a plastic shelf. (I think the latter is the key to MW'ing "baked" potatoes.)

I poke them with a fork on each end and then 2-3 stabs with the fork on each of 4 sides. Put the potatoes on the shelf and nuke. How long depends on how many and how big, and what wattage on your MW. For me, 4 big potatoes on the shelf will be 8 minutes on each of 2 sides. Two big potatoes, 7 minutes on each of 2 sides. Medium sized potatoes, less time. When it starts looking wrinkly like a really old man, it's ready.

DonnaR/CA who hasn't baked a potato in an oven in years!

I poke mine and use whatever potatoes I have around. I like my skin soft, so I rub with butter liberally and wrap in foil, and bake or bbq. If using microwave I still smoosh the outsides liberally with butter, but then cover the plate with waxed paper . Sometime I will season the outsides with seasonings before baking.

I guess it's all a matter of preferance.

Shelley

I do exactly what Barnmom does.

I like my potato skin soft, moist and edible; I don't like it dry and crispy.

I:

1. wash and brush medium-large russett potatoes and pat them very dry

2. rub a light coating of peanut oil over the skin. Yes, peanut oil; olive oil is too strong and regular vegetable oils are just oily without adding any flavor. Peanut oil adds a wonderful sweetness. (If I do bake potatoes to top them with a Latin or Mediterranean saucey vegetable medley, I do use a light olive oil.)

3. prick the potatoes with a fork a few times.

4. place them in the oven at 400F for 55 minutes, turning them at 30 minutes. The time will vary depending on the size and number of potatoes. Larger potatoes will take longer; multiple potatoes will take longer. When I do larger potatoes and more than two, I'll increase the time but will slightly decrease the temp. 400 for 55 works perfectly for two medium-large potatoes.

5. Take them out and wrap them in foil for at least 5 minutes before serving. They can stay in the foil up to 15-20 minutes.

Joe

The only time I make baked potatoes is when I'm grilling. All I do is wash them and put them on the grill and turn them at least once. Cooking time varies with how hot the grill is and how large the potato is. I remove them when a fork pierces them easily.

If I'm cooking them inside, I roast them instead of bake them. I eat brown rice much more often than I do potatoes - they've never been a staple for me. I like them best in gnocchi, and I pretty much only buy Yukon Gold or Russian Fingerlings. I avoid Russets, but I like the small new potatoes, although I've never baked them.

Lars

My wife rubbed them with bacon grease and baked at some unknown temp wrapped in foil. Those were the best I ever had.
James

Like Lars, I do them on the grill too. I like them this way. I gave the last ones a head start in the microwave for lack of time and I used medium-small red skinned spuds. They were wonderful.

I use egg-size local potatoes and put them scrubbed....unpierced....on an oiled baking tray in my little countertop oven, put a drop of olive oil on each one and leave them at 350F for 25 minutes.

Inside is soft, skin just a little crisp.

SharonCb

This is the only way I like baked potatoes. Been making them this way for almost 30 years. I think it was Julia Child that I saw make them this way.

Alway use russet potatoes. Rub with butter or oil. Roll them in salt and place in a 400° oven right on the rack. Don't use a pan. Do not prick. Yet! Bake for 25 minutes. Now prick with a fork and turn over and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the potato is cooked. Perfect crisp skin and fluffy insides every time.

Ann

For me and DH, I scrub 2 russets really well, poke with a fork a few times, put on a plate and nuke them for 10 minutes or more, until I can stick a fork easily through. Then slash lengthwise, push the long sides together and a chunk of butter into the soft inside just to start. I like to eat the skins, so I like soft skins. For a crowd, I will cook them with more care in the oven, oiled and wrapped in foil.

put the cleaned poked potatoes in a clean dish towel. run this package under the faucet and wet lightly. Put in the microwave for--? Oh, I forget-12 minutes? or so-until easily pierced. They come out like the old fashion ones that restaurants served in the 60's-70's. If you want them crisp, do the above until almost done and then rub with butter/oil and put in a very hot oven to finish.

I like the baked potatoes at Red Lobster - small, foiled with salt on the outside of the potato. I would roll them in salt too if dh and Dad didn't have high blood pressure.

I appreciate the answers; lots of good advice. Sounds like I'm mostly on track, but I guess I want the potato to be extraordinary, and I'm not getting that. I've tried 350, but not as long as an hour and half. I've tried higher temps and ended up with mush. I've tried with foil and without. I really like potatoes we have when we eat out that have coarse salt on them, so I tried the sprinkling thing and it wasn't as good. Here's what I did that almost worked... I washed them, pierced them and then rolled them in coarse salt (sounded kinda like Ann, I'm honored!). I shook off some of the salt. Then I baked in foil for 45 minutes and 15 minutes out of the foil. These were the best I've made, but no way should it take that much effort. So I'm going to remove the foil next time. Like Lars, I normally roast. That I can get right. Jim, anything with bacon grease is better, even pancakes. Gotta try that too. Sharon your plate makes me want to try again.

Linda, how do you determine which temps for your hour long potato? That's kinda what I'd like to do. My style is to start different things at different times, ending at the same time.

Has anyone ever heard of baking the potatoes at a low temp all day long?

My ex-sister in law used to do this; wonder if she still does?

Her house smelled terrific from those potatoes cooking all day long, we couldn't wait to eat them.

I do mine (russet) almost like Ann, but I've always pricked each end with a fork first. Oil with olive oil (I love the flavor of olive oil) and roll in kosher salt. Stick in 400 degree oven (I don't worry about pre-heating) and bake for 30 minutes, turn them over, and bake for another 30 minutes. I've always set them on my pizza stone.

Robb, for extraordinary potatoes, grow your own. I don't grow russet, (wrong climate) but I do grow my own red and white potatoes, and yukon gold. Although I've heard some people say there's no difference between home grown and store bought potatoes, I know there is. It could be that those restaurants you've had the great potatoes at have had a good source of high quality fresh potatoes to start with.

Sally

I prefer russetts. Scrubbed, no poking, foil or salt. Just bake 350 for 1 1/2 hours for large potatoes. I am visiting my son at UC Berkeley and last night I didn't have to time to bake the potatoes so I scrubbed 2 large potatoes and put them in the microwave (after I cleaned it, college guys can be soooo gross) baked them for I think 9 minutes then wrapped them in foil individually for about 10 minutes while I finished the rest of dinner. They turned out pretty darn good. My son was sure happy to get a hot home cooked meal.

When I didn't have a kitchen for 7 months during our kitchen remodel I learned a quick way to make baked potatoes. We prefer large Yukon gold or Russet. I scrub them clean, pierced them several times for steam to escape, then cook them in the mircowave for 4 minutes for each potato (3=12min.). Flip them then cook each one for 4 minutes more. Put them in the toaster oven for 10 minutes to crisp up the skin and dry them out.

It saves energy by not running the oven for an hour or more and saves time. Also great during summer heat waves when you don't want to heat up the kitchen. Add the butter, chives, sour cream and S & P and they taste just as good as if you baked them in the oven.
Clare

I normally only make baked potatoes when I've got something else in oven, like baking a ham or roasting a chicken, I don't turn the oven on just for potatoes.

I don't really like them in the microwave, no matter how I've done them, so I stick to the oven.

I use whatever I've grown, usually Red Pontiac or Yukon Gold, but russets from the store will work too. I never poke them at all, just rub them with butter or oil, roll them in salt and put them on the oven rack to bake. Temps are determined by whatever else is in the oven with them.

I like them with butter and salt and pepper, or some sour cream. I wish I liked them with just salt and pepper or some other healthy topping, but I don't so I don't make them very often although Ashley loves them.

I do sometimes bake some just to use up leftover chili, I put the chili on the potato as topping.

Like Sally, I can tell a difference in flavor between my own potatoes and those at the store. I can even tell a difference between fresh potatoes in the fall from the local farmers and the cold storage potatoes tht are available commercially.

Annie

I used to always use the big russet baking potatoes and did them different ways but recently we were out west and I had a Yukon Gold that was SO GOOD. I asked the server how they did them and she came back and said that they wash the potatoes first of course, only poke with a fork in one place. Then rub the skin with olive oil lightly and sprinkle on or lightly roll in Kosher salt. BAke unwrapped until done. The ones I find here in Florida are mixed sizes in a 5lb bag so I have had to vary the time depending on the size. I love to eat the skin and these are great cause they are thin and the inside of the potatoes is soft and moist. Yum Yum!

I have also started using Yukon Golds in with my pot roasts. I haven't tried mashing them yet but that is next. DS made home made fries with them and they were very good. No more dry Russets for me!

Crock pot or Slow cooker!!!

Back when my kids were little, we used to spend the afternoon at the local waterpark. My DH would still expect a "hot" supper when he came home from work. I began putting my scrubbed, poked potatoes in the crock pot at noon-ish (on high), and walked away. The kids and I would arrive home at 4:30... and all I had to do was bbq some piece of meat, and dinner was done. I would put in 4 medium sized potatoes. Sometimes I would rub them with olive oil, sometimes not...but they were always good! AND...my kitchen stayed cool, and there was hardly any clean up. I will occasionally do this in the winter too, especially when I am in and out of the house all afternoon. We don't like our baked potaotes from the microwave.

Annie

Annie, I never thought to try doing them in my crock pot! Around here, it's so hot during the summer that the oven almost isn't used from mid June through September, so if I cook potatoes, I generally do it on the grill outside. Things that need long simmering often go into the crock pot because I can put it out on the back porch. I'll have to try potatoes in it.

Linda, don't your potatoes ever explode, being that you don't poke them? My mother always told me they would, and I wasn't sure I believed her until one night I forgot to poke, and ended up with potato all over the inside of my oven.

I wash and dry mine...roll in beaten egg whites, then in kosher salt. Bake at 400 degrees until done--usually about an hour. This makes the potato very fluffy, as the salt draws the moisture out. It doesn't make them salty and the salt will break off easily.

I use whatever potatoes I happen to have on hand.

Wash potatoes

Pierce several times with fork or sharp knife

Spray each potato with Pam and coat in sea salt.

Microwave until they feel done.

I want to try the crock pot method.

I don't mind the microwave for baked potatoes. However, I can't wait to try the rolling in egg whites and kosher salt. It will be my first ever oven baked potato (that I've done myself anyway)... Thanks for the idea, Vickie.

I have another question... maybe I should start another thread? How do you open the potato once it's cooked? Do you slice a little off the top, or cut it in half? Or something else? I can't quite get the hang of that part of the process. It looks better when I cut off the top, but slicing it in half is so much easier. Either way, I end up smashing it flat when I am trying to integrate the butter, salt, pepper, and garlic or cheese.

Also, do you eat the skin or no? Depends on the mood I'm in for me!

So much depends on your personal preference.

Russets are the traditional baking potato for good reasons having to do with texture. I go with tradition there.

My aim in baking a potato is to have a dry, flavorful skin and a mealy, steaming inside. I can get this by just baking the dry potato in a 350°F oven for 1 1/2 hrs. That can be shortened by nuking the potatoes on high power first for about 5 minutes for 2 potatoes, then oven baking.

Jim

I nuke mine first, my MW has a baked potato setting, and when they are "done" (though still hard) I put them in the oven at 450° until the rest of the dinner is done. That way the skins are crispy and the inside is soft.

If DH is here, medium russetts, scrubbed and placed on middle rack of oven at 400 for 40 minutes. He likes the crunchy skins.

If it's just me (I like softer skins), same potatoes, same length of time, but wrapped in foil. Never had an explosion when cooking them in the oven, so never poked holes in them. Cook them hot enough and they are not "mushy".

THen I do with the foil-wrapped ones what we used to do at one of the restaurants, pick it up and slam it on the counter, cut a slit in it and sort of press the ends toward each other to make a "mouth" for the butter and lots of black pepper.

I used to microwave them because I felt bad heating an oven for just a couple potatoes. They're ok. But when I got my toaster oven I went back to baking them. Man, I didn't realize there was such a big difference! I always bake them now. But if I miscalculate the timing, I don't mind putting them in the nuker for a minute or two to finish them off.