How do you microwave a potato without it turning into a rock?

[Eli]

Originally posted by: PipBoy
I should clarify, after 8 the inside is pretty nice but just the skin becomes very hard and crunchable.

Then you need to put a cup of water in there or wrap the potato in a paper towel. The object is to not let the skin dry out.

If you use the cup of water method, it will take longer for the potato to finish.


Are ziploc baggies microwave safe? If not, whoever is nuking their potatos in them should stop.

 

[MrBond]

Wrap the potato in plastic wrap and microwave for ~4 minutes. I usually take it out then and finish it in the oven to dry the skin and finish the baking (the usually come out of the microwave wet).

Microwave longer if you aren't going to bake it as long. I usually try to bake it for at least 10min in a preheated oven.

 

[Uppsala9496]

Put your power down to 50%, take a fork and jab the potato a couple of times so there are holes in it (both sides). Nuke it for about 5 minutes, then rotate it (so the bottom is now the top), and nuke it for another 5 minutes.
It should be fully cooked. I sometimes nuke it for a total of 7 minutes, then wrap it in foil and toss it on my grill. The nuker cuts the grill time down a lot!

 

[badmouse]

Cooking tips from ATOT - I love it.

Try baking small potatoes. Works for me. The usual, wet paper towel, poke holes in with a fork.

 

[slickcat]

I heard microwaving something in a ziplock or in plastic wrap is really bad for you since you are heating up a plastic that is covering your food. I heard that the chemicals in the plastic wrap actually bake into your food and you eat the carcinogens that are now baked into your meal. Not sure if it's true or not but I'm not taking the chance of getting cancer because there was plastic wrap on my potato.

 

[79Blazer]

Here is what y ou do. I've done this for YEARS. Take a potato or two, put it in a microwave safe plastic container (not too big), place potato's in container. Fill container with water so that half of the potato is immersed. Put in microwave on full power for 8 min. Check it, if it's not quite done yet, put it in for another 3-5 min. Make sure you poke holes in the potato.

 

[Turkey22]

It sounds like you are goin too long. I would do it in 2 3 min intervals then reducing it to 1 and once you can poke a fork in and its soft then its done.

 

[Brutuskend]

Put it in a plastic bag or wrap it in saran wrap (SP)

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Wheezer
the best way I have found is to nuke it in a zip lock bag...usually takes about 5 or so.

Yep, or wrap it in Saran wrap, and don't poke any holes in it.


doh, Brutuskend beat me too it. ^

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

Try a shorter time, like 5-6 minutes, remove from microwave right away and wrap in foil, leave it there for a bit and it should finish cooking inside w/o getting cruNchified.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: slickcat
I heard microwaving something in a ziplock or in plastic wrap is really bad for you since you are heating up a plastic that is covering your food. I heard that the chemicals in the plastic wrap actually bake into your food and you eat the carcinogens that are now baked into your meal. Not sure if it's true or not but I'm not taking the chance of getting cancer because there was plastic wrap on my potato.

Even if that was true:

1) You would have to eat a hell of a lot of potatos to have any impact on your body, and

2) My guess is that the potato skin would stop the carcinogens from getting to the meat, and since I don't eat potato skins, then no problem.

 

[amnesiac]

baked potatos make the baby Atkins cry.