Best baked potatoes...

[K Frame]

Do yourself a favor... bake your potatoes in an air fryer.

How they come out is incredible! Crispy skin and tender, flaky interior. Absolutely incredible.

Rub the washed potato with oil, sprinkle with coarse salt, and put in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn it over, and air fry until done (depending on the side, another 20 to 30 minutes.

The results are well worth it.

[griz]

Sounds promising, I'll try it this week.

[BobR]

I get the same results in a standard oven, it just takes longer. Wash the little guy, dry it, put an aluminum potato nail in it, poke a few holes in it with a 3 pronged fork I have, rub down with veggie oil, sprinkle liberally with kosher salt, put in a 425 oven for 60-90  minutes (depends on size). Take out cut, smush, butter and eat. Light fluffy interior, crispy skin. It just takes longer than an air fryer. If I had one I would try your method.

bob

[K Frame]

The big difference  between the oven and the air fryer is that the skin on the air fryer potatoes is crisper. A LOT crisper than an oven baked potato.

[JTHunter]

K Frame - have you ever cooked Idahos, Yukon Gold, or sweet potatoes in a microwave?
I don't know the wattage of mine but I've been using it for ~30 years.  It has a built-in turntable that helps a lot.
If I take a sweet potato about 1.5-2" diameter and about 4" long, scrub it under running water, and put it on a MW safe plate for about 2-2.5 minutes, flip it over and rerun for about 1.5-2 minutes.  It may need a bit more than that but usually less than a minute.  I slice it in half, cross-hatch and smear with butter/margarine, then reheat for about 30 seconds.
With the larger Idahos or YGs (bigger than my fist), the first MW session runs for 3-3.5 minutes, then 2-2.5 minutes the second time, but it may need as much as another minute - depending on the size of the 'tater.
With the Idahos and YGs, I frequently melt a slice of Swiss or American cheese (the individual slices) as I heat the butter back up.  If the 'tater is big enough, it can be my entire supper.

[BobR]

The big difference  between the oven and the air fryer is that the skin on the air fryer potatoes is crisper. A LOT crisper than an oven baked potato.

I think I am going to crank the heat up on the Traeger and try baked potatoes in there, it is after all nothing but a big outdoor convection oven with a hint of smoke!

bob

[K Frame]

"K Frame - have you ever cooked Idahos, Yukon Gold, or sweet potatoes in a microwave?"

Yes. They come out more steamed than baked. Not as steamed as if you were to wrap them in foil and then throw them in the oven, but nothing like baking them in a regular oven or in the air fryer.

The main benefit to the microwave is that it is a LOT faster, but the texture isn't nearly as pleasing. But, certainly perfectly adequate.


I wonder how a hybrid method, 10 minutes in the microwave, and the rest of the time in the air fryer, would work out. I might have to experiment with that.

Hum... Yep, this might be something: https://www.jcookingodyssey.com/air-fryer-jacket-potato-microwave/



"I think I am going to crank the heat up on the Traeger and try baked potatoes in there, it is after all nothing but a big outdoor convection oven with a hint of smoke!"

I've baked potatoes many, many times on my Weber over indirect heat and the results have always been very good. And the hint of smoke really adds to the flavor. My ex-wife didn't like that, however. She preferred oven baked.

[K Frame]

Oh, and regarding sweet potatoes... I really don't care for baked sweets.

I like to peel and cube mine then steam them with several cloves of garlic until nice and soft, then roughly mash (the garlic too) with a bit of chicken bullion powder, butter, lime juice and then served topped with hot sauce and a bit of sour cream.

Savory sweet potatoes.

[BobR]

^^^

In regards to baking sweet potatoes the hybrid microwave/oven works really well. Ten minutes in the microwave and then one hour in the oven at 400 degrees gives a perfectly baked sweet potato.

bob