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.
Don't wrap your potatoes in foil
"I see a lot of people using foil to wrap their potatoes in but this is a big no-no and causes soggy skins!" he says. 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.
It's important to note that not every baked potato will bust open if it is not pierced beforehand, but since you (and we) are unable to predict if a potato is liable to explode, it's a good idea to pierce the surface as a precaution. Extra Tip: we do not recommend wrapping a potato in aluminum foil when you bake it.
If you use foil, you'll want to lightly grease it to prevent the potatoes from sticking.
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.
3. Use an Oven That's Hot (But Not Too Hot) Potato baking temperatures range from 350˚ to 450˚F. The sweet spot seems to be at 400˚F, a temperature that cooks the potato all the way through and crisps the skin without singeing it.
soak your potatoes in room temperature water for 2 hours before you bake them. Yep! It really does make a difference. While resting in the water bath, the potatoes will soak up some of the water and this, in turn, will help make them fluffy inside when you bake them.
The shiny side should be down, facing the food, and the dull side should be up when cooking meals wrapped or covered in aluminum foil since it has a shiny and dull side. This is due to its greater reflectiveness, the shiny side will reflect more heat radiation than the dull side.
Usually the local health department determines how long you can hold them, which is typically no more than two hours, but I recommend no more than 45 minutes to keep the integrity of the potato, as the base will turn dark brown and outer skin will wrinkle.
So, now that you know the reason behind the different appearances of the two sides, you're probably wondering if you should use aluminum foil with the shiny side up or down. Quite simply, it doesn't matter. Since the exact same material makes up both sides, they will perform precisely the same way.
Expert Advice. "Yes, it's good to prick them," says Brennan Smith, a faculty member of the School of Food Science at University of Idaho. "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.
Thus, if baked potatoes are left in the oven for more than an hour and 15 minutes, they will likely reach an overbaked stage when resting out of the oven, leading to both dry potato skin and dry "meat" inside.
It is said that poking holes in the potato allows steam to escape the potato so it doesn't explode, but in reality, steam is actually able to escape from the skin (and we've never experienced a potato explosion!). If you're firmly team holes, though, it won't hurt anything to poke a few to give you peace of mind.
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.
Here's the theory: Baked potatoes typically cook from the outside in, requiring about 75 minutes in a 350-degree oven to cook through. A piece of metal stuck through to its center will conduct heat, thus speeding up the process.
Eating a baked potato that has been left out overnight is not recommended. The potato can become a breeding ground for bacteria, such as staphylococcus and bacillus cereus, which can cause food poisoning. If a baked potato has been left out overnight, it should be discarded.
Either open the bag or store them in an open container. This lets the air circulate around the potatoes and keeps the moisture levels down. Too much moisture can cause your potatoes to go bad quickly.
To get some answers, we reached out to Reynolds Consumer Products. A representative of the company told us that foil's shiny- and dull-sidedness is simply the result of the manufacturing process—and that there are no performance differences between the two sides.
Material makeup: Tin foil was made with thin leaf tin and sometimes combined with lead. Aluminum foil is made from an alloy that is between 92 and 99 percent aluminum. Cost: Aluminum foil is significantly cheaper to make than tin foil. As an added bonus, it's also more efficient and effective.
Aluminum foil is a thinly rolled sheet of aluminum that's claimed its place as a common kitchen staple. Not only is it safe to cook with aluminum foil in the oven, but cooking with aluminum foil can help transmit heat readily and make cleanup easier.
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.
Here's the secret to making ultra crispy potato wedges: Soak your raw potato wedges in hot water for 10 minutes before baking. This step releases some of the starch in the potatoes and lets them absorb moisture, which leads to crisp outsides and moist interiors.
The standard method is 200C for 1hr-1hr 20mins. For a super-crispy skin and a slow-cooked inside, go for 180C for 2hrs 20 mins. If you're time-pressed, ping your potato in the microwave for 5 mins to soften it up, then finish in the oven for 35-40 mins.