A soggy texture. Disappointingly soft skin. And good, old-fashioned inconvenience. The experts say that if you're baking your potatoes in aluminum foil, you're doing it wrong. Keep watching for their preferred method.
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00:00A soggy texture, disappointingly soft skin, and good, old-fashioned inconvenience.
00:07The experts say that if you're baking your potatoes in aluminum foil, you're doing it
00:11wrong.
00:12Keep watching for their preferred method.
00:15When done right, they're crispy on the outside and hot and fluffy on the inside.
00:19A baked potato is one of those dishes that's so simple and so delicious that it's easy
00:25to take them for granted.
00:26But that would be a mistake.
00:28This side dish is a classic for a reason.
00:31It's satisfying starchiness, the perfect base for a mountain of melty butter or a cap of
00:36cool sour cream.
00:37Or, if you really want to go wild, you can try more elaborate toppings, such as melted
00:42cheddar, crumbled bacon, and sweet caramelized onions, and make one a meal.
00:48Are you eating a baked potato?
00:49Well, it's cut in half, so it's a lunch potato and a dinner potato.
00:55Although baked potatoes seem like they would be pretty darn easy to make, their preparation
00:59can come with quite a few common pitfalls.
01:02One such error would be not baking the potatoes long enough, which could create an off texture
01:07and may even affect the spud's flavor, Bon Appetit notes.
01:11Another mistake would be choosing the wrong type of potato.
01:13A russet is the ideal, starchy type of potato for a classic baked spud, with waxier varieties
01:19emerging from the oven mushy.
01:21And though it's common practice with some cooks, the true potato experts say baking
01:26potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil is another serious potato baking error.
01:30A lot of recipes advise wrapping a potato in foil before transferring it to the oven
01:35to bake, suggesting that it results in a more moist, steamier potato.
01:40But that's exactly the trouble, according to the Idaho Potato Commission.
01:44They say wrapping a potato in foil before baking it traps in too much moisture, causing
01:49the potato to steam rather than bake.
01:52This results in a soggy spud.
01:54You won't get the light, fluffy texture that's often considered the hallmark of a great baked
01:58potato.
01:59Worst of all, the potato won't develop the crispy outer skin that spud eaters love to
02:04crunch into.
02:05While proponents of foil wrapping often suggest that their preferred method helps cut down
02:09on the potato's baking time, the Idaho Potato Commission also dispels that myth, writing,
02:14On the contrary, since the foil itself has to be heated before the potato begins to bake,
02:20cooking times increase slightly.
02:22So what is the best way to prepare this classic side dish?
02:25The all-knowing Idaho Potato Commission suggests taking a minimalist approach.
02:30They advise that it's best to bake potatoes with no covering at all, in a 425-degree Fahrenheit
02:36oven for 55 to 60 minutes.
02:38You want the potatoes to reach an internal temperature of 210 degrees Fahrenheit.
02:43At that temperature, the skin should be nice and crisp, while the inside will be fluffy
02:48and tender.
02:49Ooh, I'm gonna order a baked potato.
02:52The Commission's advised cooking technique is the one most common in England, where so-called
02:57jacket potatoes are widely beloved.
02:59These crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside taters are a standard pub food enjoyed
03:04with a wide array of toppings, ranging from grated cheddar cheese to baked beans to coleslaw.
03:10So great is their love for crispy, dry-baked potatoes, that Brits will even go so far
03:16as to bake their unwrapped, un-oiled potatoes right on the oven rack for two hours, cut
03:21them open to release even more steam and moisture, and place them back into the oven for an additional
03:26ten minutes.
03:27If you're only looking to keep your potatoes warm after baking them, the Idaho Potato Commission
03:32notes that it's okay to wrap the potatoes in foil post-baking.
03:36If transferred to a warming drawer or heat-proof cabinet, the taters should stay hot for up
03:41to 45 minutes as you get the rest of your meal on the table.
03:45Otherwise, leave the foil where it belongs — in your kitchen cabinet.