How to Microwave Bake a Potato

Baking taters this way takes too long! Use the microwave instead.

Baking potatoes in a conventional oven can take an hour or more, and it's a waste of energy if one or two potatoes is all you're cooking. Use the microwave instead to save time and energy costs. You'll get the same results in a fraction of the time.

Things You'll Need

• Potato
• Plastic wrap
• Fork
• Microwave

Instructions

1. Wash the potato, but do not dry it.

2. Wrap the wet potato in two layers of plastic wrap so it's essentially sealed.

3. Poke a few holes in the potato with a fork to prevent it from exploding in the microwave. The holes in the skin and plastic wrap allows steam to escape.

4. Put the potato in the microwave for five to eight minutes depending on the size. Denser types of potatoes will take a little longer as well.

5. Let the potato stand for two to three minutes before removing it from the plastic wrap.

Tips & Warnings

• Some people butter a potato before wrapping it in plastic.

• Turn the potato over and give it 1/4 turn halfway through the cook cycle to ensure the potato cooks evenly if your microwave doesn't have a turntable.

• Microwaves vary in cooking power; some operate with a maximum of only 500 to 700 watts, while other have twice as much wattage. Be aware of your microwave's power capacity and what cooking level it's set to, and adjust your cooking time accordingly.

References

• StartCooking.com; How to Cook Potatoes in a Microwave; Kathy Maister