The Best Way To Bake Potatoes, According to a Potato Farmer

I absolutely love a good baked potato smothered with butter and a little salt. I used to microwave them, then switched to a couple of minutes in the microwave before baking them in the oven for a long time in high heat.

My way isn’t bad, says a potato expert, but there’s an even better way to ensure a baked spud turns out perfectly every time. I talked to Mike Carter, CEO of Bushmans’ Inc, a fourth-generation potato-growing operation in Rosholt, Wisconsin. Carter has been in the potato business for more than 25 years.

“You would think that a baked potato is a baked potato, but it is not,” Carter says. “For the perfect baked potato, you have to be willing to invest the time.”

First, be sure to scrub your potato. “We grow these things in the dirt!” says Carter. “We either hand scrub or use a soft brush under cold water.” Then, poke in a few holes with a fork to let steam escape. 

Carter starts with a very hot oven—450°F. Pop the potato right in the oven, not wrapped in foil, for about 20 minutes. “I’m not a big fan of the foil,” says Carter. “It will help cook it through a little faster, but it steams [the potato], and the skin isn’t crisp. We are not foilers in my house. We like crisp skin for a good texture.”

After about 20 minutes, remove the potato from the oven, spray it with olive oil, and sprinkle it with sea salt. Then bake it for another 25 minutes or so.

There are several ways to test whether it’s perfectly done. “My wife uses the squish method with an oven mitt. If it gives, then it’s done,” Carter says. “I’m a fork guy. If I can stick a fork in it without resistance, I know it’s done.”

Then you have to open it to add lots of butter and salt. “After cooking, in my opinion, the appropriate and proper way to make a potato is to squish it, and it will pop open and look pretty,” Carter says.

When Time Is Short

This double-baked method described above is the way Carter prepares the perfect potato when he has time, particularly if company is coming for dinner and he wants it to look and taste great.

When time is limited, he takes a bit of a shortcut and swaps out the first oven bake with a few minutes in the microwave. Zap it for about five minutes, then spray with oil and salt, and finish in the high-heat oven for about 20 minutes.

Carter says he’s no microwave snob and will sometimes fully cook a potato that way if he wants one quickly. “For lunch, I will absolutely throw a potato in the microwave and eat it. It takes close to eight minutes, maybe 10 if it’s a good-sized baker.” Don’t forget to squish or fork it to see if it’s done.

How To Choose the Best Potato for Baking

When you eye the big pile of potatoes at the grocery store or farmers market, choose whichever ones appeal to you.

“As Americans, we shop with our eyeballs, and I’m not sure that matters for the taste,” Carter says. “Misshapen ones will taste the same, but they’ll look a little different on the plate. I don't think there’s anything wrong at all with ugly produce.”

What if potatoes have sprouted or have green spots? Green areas occur when a potato has been exposed to light. There can be a natural toxin in those parts, and eating (large) quantities may cause GI issues. It’s best to just cut the green parts away before eating. 

To help potatoes last a long time, keep them in a cool, dark place. Carter says, “Our potatoes at home are stored in the dark in the basement.”