How Long It Takes To Make A Baked Potato In The Microwave

Baked potatoes are a classic for a reason. With soft and fluffy flesh, crispy skin, and loaded with all your favorite toppings, it's hard not to love them. Making them is a fairly simple process — although things can definitely go wrong when baking potatoes. And there are plenty of different baked potato methods to choose from, some of which are more complex and time-consuming than others. If time is of the essence, though, you'll know that microwaving your baked potato is a great hack as it's quick and simple. But you may be wondering exactly how much time it takes to get the best results.

Well, depending on the size of the spud and your individual microwave, cooking your potato should take around eight to 10 minutes. And even if you're cooking a few potatoes, it shouldn't take much longer, making it a good method for a speedy meal. Each extra potato only takes around a minute longer, and you may be able to do three or four at once depending on how much room there is.

When microwaving your potato, it's important to turn it over about halfway through the cooking time. You can check if it's ready by inserting a knife, fork, or skewer into the middle. If there's still resistance, continue cooking in minute-long intervals until the center is soft. If you're doing multiple spuds, check each one individually.

When it comes to microwaving your potato, there are a few things to look out for to get the best results. Firstly, your potato choice is crucial for success. While you want a waxier spud when choosing the right variety for potato salad, a starchy option like russet is a much better choice for baked potatoes as the lower moisture content will give you a fluffy inside. Once you've scrubbed and dried your potato, don't forget to poke some holes in it. This will release some of the steam, and give you a fluffy yet crispy spud.

If crispy skin is your favorite part, then rub the potato with oil right before microwaving. This will help the skin crisp up like it would in an oven. For the crunch lovers, microwaving your spud for a little longer, closer to the 10-minute mark, will give you some crispy skin pieces. 

If you're worried about uneven cooking, try microwaving your potatoes on half power – it might take slightly longer, but it should only be by a few minutes. Or if you have a bit more time and want super crispy potatoes, you can also preheat your oven while microwaving the spuds, and finish them off in the oven for 10 minutes rubbed with some oil and a little salt. Either way, compared to other cooking methods, you'll still spend less time waiting and more time eating your delicious microwave baked spuds.