How do you know when a baked potato is done?
When baking a baked potato in the oven how do you know when it's perfectly done?
Squeezing it doesn't seem to be that accurate for me. And using a fork seems pretty arbitrary. Any better ways?
Best Answer
If you want to go all engineer on your unsuspecting spuds, take their temperature with an instant read thermometer. According to several online sources I found, the ideal internal temp for your 'tater is 210F (99°C).
Pictures about "How do you know when a baked potato is done?"
Quick Answer about "How do you know when a baked potato is done?"
Potatoes are ready when their internal temperature reaches 208 to 211° Fahrenheit. A fork easily pierces a baker when it's done. If the potato is hard, bake a little longer. However, watch out for over-baking, or drying of the underskin will occur.Can you overcook a baked potato?
Do not overcook potatoes as the insides will be dry, so it's important to be vigilant. The higher the oven temperature, the shorter the cooking time will be and the crustier the skin. Larger potatoes will take longer to bake.Why are my baked potatoes still hard?
Potatoes that are still hard after baking haven't had a high enough heat for long enough to soften the starches in the flesh. Cooking for 15 minutes longer or pre-cooking in the microwave should soften the potato. You may need to check your oven temperature if it is faulty.How To Know a Baked Potato is Done
More answers regarding how do you know when a baked potato is done?
Answer 2
Insert a paring knife from the top of the potato. If it goes in easily and doesn't support the spud, it's done. If you can pick up the spud, it's got a few more minutes.
Answer 3
All right, I'll take the bait. Poke it with a fork and see if it feels right - tender, not much resistance.
This isn't really arbitrary at all: you need something that can poke in easily enough to not destroy the potato but not too easily, so you can feel the texture of the potato. A fork is one such thing that everyone has in their kitchen. And it's easy: most people know how a baked potato feels when you stick a fork in it because they've stuck forks in a ton of potatoes before. Sure, you could manage with a few other things, but why bother? It's a good tool for the job.
Answer 4
I am using wooden toothpick for that. If toothpick goes easily into potato - it's done, if you need some effort to put it in - it's not.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Tim Douglas, Tim Douglas, Enric Cruz López, Maria Orlova