Microwaved: Re: Baked potato in microwave

Subject: Re: Baked potato in microwave
Newsgroups: alt.cooking-chat,rec.food.cooking
From: Leah Zeldes Smith (lazs at enteract.com)
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 13:34:33 -0600
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Peter wrote:
> Can anyone help me? I have no clue how to cook a baked potato in the
> microwave. I know it can be done but how long and with what I'm not
> sure. Any help would be appreciated.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
(semantic snippiness deleted)
> Baked potatoes, (baked anything) requires dry heat in an oven. This is what
> makes baked potatoes so good, the outside is crispy and the inside is
> fluffy and soft. This takes about an hour at 400 degrees.
>
> If you are short on time, and want a mediocre substitute, you can cook one
> in the microwave. Wash, place in the mw, high for 6 minutes, stand for
> about 6 minutes. Two potatoes will take 8 to 9 minutes. Standing time is
> important.

While it is true that a baked potato is better than a microwaved one, a middle ground is possible and tasty. Prick and nuke the potato as usual, or maybe a minute or two less, meanwhile preheating the oven to 450 degrees (a toaster oven works very
well). In lieu of the standing time, bake the parcooked potato in the oven for about 10 minutes.
From: agiosnick at aol.com (Steve)
Date: 14 Jan 1998 20:23:04 GMT
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What I do is wash the potato, prick it two or three times with a fork and put it in the microwave for, depending on the size, 3 minutes. Then I turn it around and nuke it for another three (or 4) more minutes. I remove it, wrap it in foil and set it aside until they are served. Wrapping in foil keeps it hot.
From: haxton at scican.net (Victoria "Lee")
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 21:04:46 GMT
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Well, I like micro potatoes better than the oven baked ones. I think the latter are too dry and a bit tough. But I bake them differenly. What I do is soak the potato for about 15 minutes in water (this makes the potato easier to wash, more moist, and the extra moisture helps it to bake faster). Then I wash, prick with a fork, butter, wrap in Saran Wrap, and bake until it's done - about half of the time you would bake without Saran Wrap.
From: stan at thunder.temple.edu (Stan Horwitz)
Date: 14 Jan 1998 22:27:17 GMT
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If you use a good Idaho (Russett) potato and bake it in the center of your oven at around 475 degrees until its soft, the inside of the potato will not be dry at all. There's only one way to get a baked potato, and that's to bake it in an oven. Microwaved potatoes are not baked although they may well taste fine; they're actually steamed. The biggest difference is the skin. The skin of a nicely baked potato should be dry and crispy whereas the skin of a nuked potato is wet and soggy. There's just no substitute for a real baked potato!
From: Alex (A.) Rigby (arigby at bnr.ca)
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 12:31:42 +0000
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Stan Horwitz wrote:
> The skin of a nicely baked potato should be dry and crispy whereas
> the skin of a nuked potato is wet and soggy. There's just no substitute
> for a real baked potato!

Got to admit I agree, in fact I'ld go as far as saying that there is no place in a decent kitchen for a microwave. Yes they are good for fast cooking but it doesn't come out right (personal opinion), and they are good for reheating pre cooked dishes, but that implies a lack of freshness - certain styles of cooking require serving immediately they are cooked . Imagine Thai or Chinese food cooked, refrigerated for a day or two then nuked when required. Yuch!

But if people like their spuds nuked, then let them nuke their spuds.
From: mardi at wctravel.com (Mardi Wetmore)
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 02:53:12 GMT
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I microwave and bake my potatoes. I microwave them until they are about 3/4 done and then bake them in a hot oven (about 475 degrees) for about 10-15 minutes. The hot oven gives them a crisp skin and makes the interior fluffy like a baked potato should be rather than pasty like a totally microwaved potato ends up. Total cooking time is usually less than 30 minutes.
From: brettell at erols.com (Steve)
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 03:05:15 GMT
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Microwaves are very good for cooking fish. It's a good poaching system. Steaming vegetables works well too, and it's hard to beat for cooking rice.
From: benji at fc.hp.com (Jeff Benjamin)
Date: 1998/01/15
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> Imagine Thai or Chinese food cooked, refrigerated for a day
> or two then nuked when required. Yuch!

Come on -- you mean you've never had left-over Chinese? :-) Some dishes can still be quite tasty a day later.

I lived without a 'wave for a couple of years and did just fine. I have one now, and although I seldom actually "cook" with it, it has a deserved place in my kitchen for a number of tasks:

* Defrosting meat
* Heating stock, milk, etc. for making sauces etc.
* Melting butter
* Reheating tortillas
* Sometimes partially cooking veggies to speed up making a conventionally prepared dish
* Melting cheese, when a browned top isn't necessary or it's too darn hot to fire up the broiler :-)

And of course, reheating leftovers.
From: Alex (A.) Rigby (arigby at bnr.ca)
Date: 1998/01/16
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Jeff Benjamin wrote:
> And of course, reheating leftovers.

Each to their own (tho' I'ld refry my left over chinese, and yes a day or two down the line can improve its flavour - chillis experience this - and its bacterial content.

If you like nuked food then go ahead and nuke it - its a free world.

Love and a whole range of cooking techniques
From: Susie Driscoll (driscoll at pemafrost.com)
Date: 1998/01/16
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I don't like microwave potatoes either, so what I do is nuke for about 6mns ( poke first), and then I throw it in the oven on 400 for about 20 to 30 minutes. And they taste just great.
From: mardi at wctravel.com (Mardi Wetmore)
Date: 1998/01/16
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> The skin of a nicely baked potato should be dry and crispy whereas
> the skin of a nuked potato is wet and soggy. There's just no substitute
> for a real baked potato!

I microwave and bake my potatoes. I microwave them until they are about 3/4 done and then bake them in a hot oven (about 475 degrees) for about 10-15 minutes. The hot oven gives them a crisp skin and makes the interior fluffy like a baked potato should be rather than pasty like a totally microwaved potato ends up. Total cooking time is usually less than 30 minutes.
From: brettell at erols.com (Steve)
Date: 1998/01/16
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Microwaves are very good for cooking fish. It's a good poaching system. Steaming vegetables works well too, and it's hard to beat for cooking rice.
From: haxton at scican.net (Victoria "Lee")
Date: 1998/01/17
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You can also bake sweet potatoes in the microwave.
From: Edwin Pawlowski (esp at snet.net)
Date: 1998/01/17
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Victoria Lee wrote
>You can also bake sweet potatoes in the microwave.

No you can't. You need an oven.
From: Tae (taes at Servtech.com)
Date: 1998/01/17
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Joe Rocca wrote:
> I cook baking potatoes in the microwave (prick first with a fork in
> several places) for 10 to 15 minutes. Check with a fork to see if

It must depend on the microwave. If I was to leave an average sized potato in mine for that long, it'd be pretty leathery. I usually nuke for about 7 minutes.
From: Laura (laura at netexp.net)
Date: 1998/01/17
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Victoria Lee wrote:
> You can also bake sweet potatoes in the microwave.

There *almost* sexual that way aren't they. For desert (:-0 ) top with butter and about 1t to 1T brown sugar.. Mmmmmm.
From: Joe Rocca (kjjr at highfiber.com)
Date: 1998/01/17
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I cook baking potatoes in the microwave (prick first with a fork in several places) for 10 to 15 minutes. Check with a fork to see if they're soft. Then I put them in the toaster oven at 400 for 10 minutes. That last step crisps up the skin, so they're more like a real baked potato,
From: luddite at cadvision.com (Brian Barnson)
Date: 1998/01/18
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Joe Rocca says:
>I cook baking potatoes in the microwave (prick first with a fork in
>several places) for 10 to 15 minutes. Check with a fork to see if
>they're soft. Then I put them in the toaster oven at 400 for 10
>minutes. That last step crisps up the skin, so they're more like a real
>baked potato,

I do something similar, but on the gas grill, which in this part of the world is called a barbecue. I slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and nuke them until they're mostly done. Then they go on the top rack of the bbq while the meat is cooking below. This crisps and browns them and they might pick up some of those yummy carcinogens from the burning animal fat. Of course this is a summer activity, today is the first day this year that the temperature is expected to rise above freezing and at 23 minutes after noon it ain't happened yet.
From: lscanlon at erols.com (Leo Scanlon)
Date: 1998/01/18
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Joe Rocca wrote:
>I cook baking potatoes in the microwave (prick first with a fork in
>several places) for 10 to 15 minutes. Check with a fork to see if
>they're soft. Then I put them in the toaster oven at 400 for 10
>minutes. That last step crisps up the skin, so they're more like a real
>baked potato,

I always wrap mine in foil for five minutes after nuking them for 10 minutes. But the skin in still somewhat squishy. I'll try your idea tonight. Thanks, Joe!
From: merrypoo at odyline.com (Karyl Bleddyn)
Date: 1998/01/19
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Alex (A.) Rigby wrote:
> Got to admit I agree, in fact I'ld go as far as saying that there is no
> place in a decent kitchen for a microwave.

Au contraire! It's excellent for heating veggies without overcooking them.
From: Sheldon D (sdfast at netrover.com)
Date: 1998/01/20
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I regularly cook(bake?) both sweet and yukon gold potatoes in the microwave. After scrubbing skins and removing any bad spots I dredge them in extra virgin olive oil and set them on plate or shallow bowl. During cooking time I ensure the skin stays covered with thin layer of oil by rolling them in the little bit of oil on the plate. They come out beautifully, the skin is delicious on the sweet as well as the regular potato. Without the oil the flavor is not as good and there is some shrivelling and the skin is not as nice. I suspect the oil heating on the skin acts as a "mini bake oven". It certainly keeps in the flavour.
From: auwen at convex.hp.com (John David Auwen)
Date: 1998/01/20
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>Got to admit I agree, in fact I'ld go as far as saying that there is no
>place in a decent kitchen for a microwave.

I wouldn't go that far. It's a tool and very useful for certain things. For example, I use it to melt chocolate and it's a lot better than doing it on a stovetop where you have to constantly stir and it can easily burn.

I also use it to heat water for bread-making. For the bread recipes I use, I can precisely hit 110F every time without messing
around.

Also, of course, it's the best when it comes to rewarming some foods. How would we survive at work without a microwave? It allows us to eat a decent, hot lunch that we've brought from home.

Dave
From: nancy-dooley at uiowa.edu (Nancy Dooley)
Date: 1998/01/20
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Laura wrote
>Edwin Pawlowski wrote
>>Victoria Lee wrote

>>> You can also bake sweet potatoes in the microwave.
>> No you can't. You need an oven.
> huh??

What Ed means, is that you don't "bake" potatoes in the nuker, you steam them. Baked potatoes = bake in the oven.
From: Louis Hlavenka (bluebirdmediocrity at mvtel.net)
Date: 1998/01/20
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A microwave and an oven are different creatures. You bake in one and nuke in the other. There is a place in the kitchen for both. BUT you do not bake a potato in a micro wave. Also you do not wrap a baked potato in aluminum, before during or after baking it. Lou
From: kris at vilnya.demon.co.uk (Kris)
Date: 21 Jan 98 01:31:50 GMT
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Steve wrote:
> Imagine Thai or Chinese food cooked, refrigerated for a day
>or two then nuked when required. Yuch!

Hey, I've had chinese food that was in the fridge for a night, then nuked. You have to pick and choose your nukeables. (Leftover rice is pretty much a lost cause ime, at least from resturaunts, unless you actually bother to rewrap it as soon as you get home to keep it from drying out. It just doesn't reheat well. :)

Seriously, for people like my grandmother and my boyfriend, with limited mobility, microwaves are quite useful. Without a specially adapted kitchen, my bf cannot cook normally (wouldn't be safe, for one thing), whereas the ability to pop things in the microwave at least gives him some independance. So, with that in mind... Does anyone have any *good* recipes for the microwave? (No fish, though. He is decidedly anti-fish. :) I'd like to have some on hand so that he could do his own thing once in a while, rather than constantly having to depend on what someone else has cooked and left for him. :)
From: Edwin Pawlowski (esp at snet.net)
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 23:03:25 -0500
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John David Auwen wrote ...
>Also, of course, it's the best when it comes to rewarming some foods.
>How would we survive at work without a microwave? It allows us to eat
>a decent, hot lunch that we've brought from home.

Agree Dave. I take a good lunch all the time and nuke it. Sometimes, since I have no baking facilities, I'll cook a potato in it. Not as good as baked, but best I can get under the circumstances.
From: Omfray (omfray at glaspyth)
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 06:47:29 GMT
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Karyl Bleddyn wrote ...
>Au contraire! It's excellent for heating veggies without overcooking them.

I agree! There is no better way to heat corn or peas.
From: Alex (A.) Rigby (arigby at bnr.ca)
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 13:21:42 +0000
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I feel I'm going to have to make a distinction here between cooking and heating things up. Bear in mind that once again this is a personal opinion - good to see such a simple querydevelop into such a lively thread.

I really get off on cooking, and for me it's a total experience (what a pretentious toss pot, can't even believe I'm saying this myself). You are involved in it the whole way: tracking down those more exotic ingrediants, preparing the ingrediants, then cooking them, adjusting levels of heat and seasoning as you go, teasing that sauce into the perfect texture. Man is at one with his stove/oven/hotplate, a pure symbiosis of person, ingrediants and cooking range. you don't just leave it there to heat through, you have an almost constant input (except maybe for the simmering and roasting between basting stages). With a mice, you just slam it in, press the button and voila it heats it up. No more, no less. That's not cooking.

Now a mice does have it's place (good example is for heating you lunch up in the workplace), but to confuse it with cooking. Oh no. Yes in these days of people rushing around being too busy to spend that much time in the kitchen, it does present itself as an extremely advantageous convenience. But cooking. Oh no.

Sometimes when I'm too busy, I'll eat out. But that's not cooking.

Just a little rant.
From: luddite at cadvision.com (Brian Barnson)
Date: 21 Jan 98 17:29:31 GMT
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I find the old nuker useful for one kind of "cooking". the kind of things that your mother always told you to use a double boiler for. Custard and tapioca have a terrific tendency to burn on the stovetop but they work well if made with a little nuking and a little stirring and a little more nuking, etc. It's easier on your stirring arm too.
From: michelle.campbell at stonebow.otago.ac.nz (Miche)
Date: 28 Jan 1998 04:15:28 GMT
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sandee98 writes:
> I've tried nuking potatoes and they just don't taste as good to me as in
> the oven. Can you give some tips on making them taste as good?

It doesn't matter what you do, they will never be the same because the cooking process isn't the same. I don't refer to microwaved potatoes as 'baked' because they're _not_ baked - they're steamed.
From: Sandee (sandee98 at dplus.net)
Date: 28 Jan 98 04:31:49 GMT
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I've tried nuking potatoes and they just don't taste as good to me as in the oven. Can you give some tips on making them taste as good?
From: tonypo at ultranet.com (Tony Pelliccio)
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 22:48:25 -0500
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I like what a regular oven can do to the skin on the potatoe. So what I do is run the oven heat up to about 450 or so, pop the potatoe in for 10-20 minutes or so. Then I pop it in the microwave for the recommended time.

I realize this takes nearly a half hour, but it's the best compromise.
From: barbara_skolones at quickmail.yale.edu (Barbara Skolones)
Date: 28 Jan 1998 14:02:48 GMT
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My favorite way of making "baked" nuked potatoes is after cooking them in the micro I put them either in the broiler or on my grill and get the skin nice and crispy. Usually I make a potato with steak or fish, so I can do them at the same time. Usually 5 mins on a side. I love the way they come out.
From: Jeffrey V. Atherton (atherton at infinet.com)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 18:17:59 -0500
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Another good idea is to use the "Micro Steamer" from Tupperware. Just add a bit of water in the bottom....nuke it....and you have a great tasting potato
From: Bridget (d'oh at springfield.com)
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 09:51:26 -0500
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I like nuked potatoes this way: Nuke on high for 6 min (one potato) let stand for 2 min. Place in oven along with whatever else you are roasting for 15 - 30 min (depending on temp) This way potatoes bake much faster and still taste baked.
From: Edwin Pawlowski (esp at snet.net)
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 23:08:04 -0500
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Sandee wrote...
>I've tried nuking potatoes and they just don't taste as good to me as in
>the oven. Can you give some tips on making them taste as good?

If there was a way, I'd do it. Anything else is a compromise. You can nuke/bake, but it is still not the same. You can coat the skin with oil, but that is sort of frying them on the outside.
From: jschexnayder at aisp.net (Julaine Schexnayder)
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 22:06:16 GMT
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I start the potatoes, white, which I've sprayed with PAM, in the
mocrowave while the oven is heating to 400 degrees F.

Then I put them into the regular oven until they are soft enough to pierce with a cooking fork. Really shortens the cooking time but the skins get cooked (roasted). NEVER put baked potatoes in aluminum foil!!!
From: Steve at nospam.com (Steve)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 02:15:19 GMT
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Julaine Schexnayder wrote:
>I start the potatoes, white, which I've sprayed with PAM, in the
>mocrowave while the oven is heating to 400 degrees F.

Does the Pam give them a crispy skin? Crispy skin is the one thing I miss with nuked potatoes.
From: Bob Y. (rdyoung at wcc.com)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 08:09:54 -0600
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Steve wrote:
> Does the Pam give them a crispy skin? Crispy skin is the one thing I miss
> with nuked potatoes.

Actually, I think it is the dry heat in the regular oven that does the trick. I've seen recipes that say it you want a softer skin to rub the potatoes with oil or margarine before baking.
From: Bob Y. (rdyoung at wcc.com)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 08:12:24 -0600
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Julaine Schexnayder wrote:
>NEVER put baked potatoes in aluminum foil!!!

If you wrap potatoes in foil when you "bake" them, you are in fact steaming them.
From: lscanlon at erols.com (Leo Scanlon)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 16:07:41 GMT
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I've always nuked potatoes for 10 minues, then wrapped them in foil for another five minutes or so. That's what my microwave cookbook recommends.
From: Edwin Pawlowski (esp at snet.net)
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 23:52:32 -0500
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Leo Scanlon wrote...
>I've always nuked potatoes for 10 minues, then wrapped them in foil
>for another five minutes or so. That's what my microwave cookbook
>recommends.

That's fine if you want a mw potato. If you want oven baked, the foil will steam it and give it taste and texture of a steamed potato. High volume restaurants use foil as they will not dry out as fast.

I read about a Chicago steak house (sorry, don't recall the name) that put the potato in the oven when you arrived and it was done when your steak was served.
From: itzsven at aol.com (Itz Sven)
Date: 1 Feb 1998 11:03:59 GMT
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>I've always nuked potatoes for 10 minues, then wrapped them in foil
>for another five minutes or so. That's what my microwave cookbook
>recommends.
>
>Leo

CAN YOU SAY "BOOM"
From: jackn2mpu at aol.com (Jack)
Date: 1 Feb 1998 14:05:45 GMT
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Sven babbled:
>CAN YOU SAY "BOOM"

What Leo means is the potatoes just sit in the foil for 5 or so minutes to finish cooking. They don't get heated in the microwave in the foil (duh)!
From: Nikki Oliver (nkoliver at hop-uky.campus.mci.net)
Date: 3 Feb 1998 03:36:21 GMT
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Julaine Schexnayder wrote:
>NEVER put baked potatoes in aluminum foil!!!

You are right there! I use wax paper on mine in the microwave. It makes them fluffier!
From: Rev Paul Gilman, Ph.D. (revgil at gte.net)
Date: 9 Feb 1998 19:44:18 GMT
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Try this one.
Put the potato in the nuke for approx 5-6 min.
then place it in a toaster oven for approx 25 min. (400) makes the best baker you will ever have.
From: Low Choy (lowchoy at dynamite.com.au)
Date: 10 Feb 1998 02:34:49 GMT
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Rev Paul Gilman, Ph.D. wrote
> Put the potato in the nuke for approx 5-6 min.
> then place it in a toaster oven for approx 25 min. (400)
> makes the best baker you will ever have.

Good way to shorten cooking time and still be able to brush with oil and salt to crisp the skin.
From: moosmeat at sttl.uswest.net (moosmeat)
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 22:13:23 GMT
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We attended a cooking school (One week-evenings) some years ago in Riverside, California that was put on by a major Micro-wave manufacturer. She (the instructor), said to prick the potato, nuke it for from 5 to 7 mins (depends upon size of the potato), wrap it quickly in foil and let it set/sit on the counter for maybe 10 or more mins. Turns out great every time.
From: Pete (pfederic at erols.com)
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 11:08:39 -0500
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First off, all microwave owner's should also own one of those plastic steamer bowls. Mine is a round plastic bowl about 8" wide by 6" with a plastic basket insert which raises the contents of basket about 1" from the bottom.
With that said...

1.) Pour a couple of teaspoons of water into steamer bowl. Cover bowl and cook on high for about 45 seconds just to get the
water steamy.

2.) While that is cooking wash the potato.

3.) Place potato in preheated steamer bowl. Cover and cook on high for about 4-6 minutes depending upon size of potato.
You can check for doneness by piercing with fork. It should feel soft down through to the center.

Note: Steaming it in this manner gives you a more evenly cooked potato with less a tendency to dry it out. You can even slice a wedge from the top, pierce the potato with vertical slits, add a little butter place wedge back on and nuke it another 30-60 seconds.

4.) If you can wait, allowing potato to sit in steamer basket for additional time will allow potato to cook more and keep it steamy hot.
From: Priscilla (pstocks at megavision.com)
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 20:57:19 -0600
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Or if you do not have a toaster oven wrap the microwaved potato in aluminum foil and let it sit in the foil for about 10 minutes. It helps it taste more like a "real" baked potato.
From: kris at vilnya.demon.co.uk (Kris)
Date: 25 Jan 98 00:06:26 GMT
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Nancy Dooley wrote:
>What Ed means, is that you don't "bake" potatoes in the nuker, you
>steam them. Baked potatoes = bake in the oven.

Hrm. Shall we all be more careful next time this thread rolls around and refer to microwaved potatoes as "baked" potatoes, whilst oven-cooked potatoes are baked potatoes? :)

Even if you[1] don't like microwaves, I'd suggest making the effort to master a few things with them (reheating, nuking potatoes, etc.) because you never know when you'll be stuck with that as your main cooking appliance, and unable to afford eating out. (Like when you're a student. <grin> :) (Or, on a more serious note, if you or a loved one is in hospital; my experiance in this country has been that there's almost always a microwave around to use if you look hard enough and ask the right people, but hospital cafeteria type places close early, and often aren't open at all on weekends[2].)

-Kris
(Who thinks that nuked potatoes are acceptable fare, but there's no way they satisfy the need for a properly done baked potato, complete with nice crispy skin and fluffy, not-too-dry-or-moist innards. Yum. :)

[1] Generic you. Not aimed at anyone in particular.
[2] At least, I found this to be the case at one of the major hospitals in London, when my boyfriend was there for an extended stay this past summer. I'd rather spend my time visiting him than trekking all over looking for the burger king before *it* closes, so nuked potatoes it was.)
From: redbible1 at mindspring.com (Heidi)
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 1998 03:32:32 GMT
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Dipping them in melted butter and rolling them in koasher salt before cooking is good to, to add more flavor.