The theory is that heat will be conducted through the metal nail and down through the center of the potato, adding an internal heating boost, which will help the potato cook from the inside out.
A piece of metal stuck through to its center will conduct heat, thus speeding up the process. Though most potato nails are made of aluminum, there are also stainless-steel versions available. To test the theory, we selected three potatoes of the same weight.
They're exactly what they sound like: Potato nails are small metal rods that you insert into potatoes to reduce their baking time. They're usually made out of aluminum or stainless steel, and they're intended to conduct heat into the potato's flesh, enabling them to cook faster.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile rub potatoes with enough oil to coat and sprinkle generously with salt. Microwave on high power for 8 minutes while oven heats. Transfer potatoes to a rimmed baking sheet; bake until tender, about 30 minutes.
"Yes, it's good to prick them," Smith told Food52. "It pokes holes in the skin, which allows steam to escape. Otherwise, they could explode—it doesn't happen all the time, but it happens every once in a while. The potato is full of water it's trying to turn to steam, or water vapor.
Some say wrapping baked potatoes in aluminum foil helps them cook faster (aluminum conducts heat, then traps it), and it does keep them hot for longer once they come out of the oven, which is why we think restaurants use this method. Wrapping potatoes will also give you a softer, steamed skin, if that's what you like.
The oven is too hot.
Low and slow—that's the mantra of the Perfect Baked Potato. If you've got the time to spare, cook the potatoes at 300°F for 90 minutes. If you need to speed that up, bump it to 450°F for 45 minutes. (Note: Your baking time will vary depending on the size of your potato and how hot your oven runs.)
Wrapping potatoes in foil does not hasten baking. On the contrary, since the foil itself has to be heated before the potato begins to bake, cooking times increase slightly. Not only do you get better baked potatoes when you bake them unwrapped, you also save money.
No! Wrapping potatoes in foil holds the moisture in—which means the potatoes will start to steam. If you wrap them in foil you'll be left with soggy potatoes instead of crispy ones. Baking them on a baking sheet (or even directly on the oven rack) spaced apart lets the air circulate around them for more even cooking.
The Potato Trick
The theory is that if you add a potato to a salty soup and simmer it, the potato comes out salty. If there's salt in the potato, it stands to reason that you've removed some of the salt from the soup.
(Fun fact: supermarkets cover their potato bins overnight to block out the light and prevent greening.) It's not going to hurt you to eat that potato, but it may taste bitter, so you'll want to peel or cut away the green areas first. And keep the rest of your potatoes out of the light.
Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.
A baked potato spike or potato stand holds the potatoes upright so that the skin can get evenly crispy. The metal spike also conducts heat into the inside of the potato for faster and more even cooking. I really recommend having one of these!
Foil holds in moisture and steams the potatoes, resulting in a "boiled" taste and texture. Plus, without the use of foil, the skin will get extra crispy and flavorful.
We recommend baking potatoes at 400 degrees F for about an hour. Smaller spuds might take a little less time, while larger baking potatoes over 1 pound might take a little more.
A whole potato or sweet potato can take up to 90 minutes to cook all the way through in a conventional oven; but a potato that's been pre-cooked in the microwave—say for 5 to 10 minutes—only needs about 20 minutes in a 450°F oven to finish roasting.
Boiling your potatoes for a little bit before roasting helps make sure that you get that beautiful crisp crust on the outside. If you don't parboil your spuds, the outside skin will remain quite tough, meaning that whatever fat you use will not be able to get inside the cracks.
So once you've added the tomatoes to a minestrone or the vinegar to a sauce, vegetables essentially stop cooking exactly where they are. The simple solution to this is to add the acidic component toward the very end of cooking.
How many potatoes can you cook at one time in a regular oven? A regular (30 inch) oven will hold up to 24 – 25 average size potatoes per shelf (3 rows of 8 each) x 2 shelves for a total of 48 – 50 potatoes per oven. NOTE: If you're cooking 16 ounce potatoes, plan on 17-19 potatoes per rack or 34-38 potatoes per oven.
Over baking the potato -
Visual signs: The potato skin will start to wrinkle when over cooked. The potato, when wrapped in foil or placed on the bottom of a pan will have a dark brown spot on the bottom, a sure sign of over cooking.
Choose large potatoes to minimize peeling. It's better to overcook the potatoes than undercook them; be sure to cook them so they are thoroughly tender. Try adding garlic cloves and bay leaves or other aromatics to the cooking water; it adds another layer of flavor to the potatoes.
Roasted potatoes can become soggy if the water content in the potato isn't fully cooked. Different potatoes have different water content percentages. Also, be mindful of the oil. Potatoes can react like sponges; too much oil can make your potatoes appear to be soggy.