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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Jacket potatoes used to be way bigger?

112 replies

midnights92 · 15/12/2025 21:38

DH and I both convinced the baking potatoes you can buy these days are far smaller than years ago.

Has shrinkflation spread to agriculture or are we both greedy bastards?

YABU - potatoes aren't getting smaller, that's insane.
YANBU - the conspiracy is real.

OP posts:
patchlang · 15/12/2025 22:06

I love a baked potato but I prefer one that isn't too big and just use more filling and have a big side salad with it.

IdaGlossop · 15/12/2025 22:06

midnights92 · 15/12/2025 21:54

I think you're right. As you can tell, this is a very important issue in our house and we're going to have to rethink our potato purchasing patterns somewhat. Thank you for some good recommendations.

Show quote history

Can a jacket potato be too big though? When I worked in an office, I used to have one with cottage cheese nearly every day from a stall and was stuffing myself towards the end because I can't bear to waste food.

Original poster
midnights92 · 15/12/2025 22:05

pforpig · 15/12/2025 22:01

Yes I just but a two kilo of potatoes and bake them all. Everyone gets about 3 random sizes.

DH is wondering if the variance in surface area to volume ratio doesn't cause big issues?

Update: he says he's not wondering, he 100% knows this will be chaos and can't be the solution.

I think it's a good workaround in desperate times.

OP posts:
Original poster
midnights92 · 15/12/2025 22:03

plominoagain · 15/12/2025 22:00

Yes!

I don’t buy those tragically small baking potatoes from a supermarket any more , but have found that my local fruit and veg man has proper sized ones instead . Or I buy a commercially traded sack of 40’s and keep them in the cold and dark , so they last . I buy Saxons from our local farmer , which come up beautifully fluffy and actually taste of potato . Gorgeous.

I am very intrigued by the idea of a wholesale sized sack. This is really opening my eyes to the possibilities of having a truly unhinged amount of carbs in the house and I'm really delighted.

OP posts:
pforpig · 15/12/2025 22:01

Yes I just but a two kilo of potatoes and bake them all. Everyone gets about 3 random sizes.

plominoagain · 15/12/2025 22:00

Yes!

I don’t buy those tragically small baking potatoes from a supermarket any more , but have found that my local fruit and veg man has proper sized ones instead . Or I buy a commercially traded sack of 40’s and keep them in the cold and dark , so they last . I buy Saxons from our local farmer , which come up beautifully fluffy and actually taste of potato . Gorgeous.

Original poster
midnights92 · 15/12/2025 22:00

OutOfVecnasReach · 15/12/2025 21:57

yes the ones in packs of 4 rhat are specifically labelled as baking potatoes are much smaller than they used to be!
Dh and I both have to have 2 for a main meal whereas 1 would have sufficed before.

Thank you for the moral support. Some nights are just a 2 potato night and I wasn't sure the competitive undereaters of mumsnet would be able to acknowledge that fact.

OP posts:
OutOfVecnasReach · 15/12/2025 21:57

yes the ones in packs of 4 rhat are specifically labelled as baking potatoes are much smaller than they used to be!
Dh and I both have to have 2 for a main meal whereas 1 would have sufficed before.

Original poster
midnights92 · 15/12/2025 21:54

IdaGlossop · 15/12/2025 21:43

Just like Mars Bars, now tiny. I know what you mean about potatoes. If you buy from farm shops, there's more size variety. Supermarkets buy for uniformity. I wonder if the huge potatoes are seized by the people who run stalls in markets and bonfire night events.

I think you're right. As you can tell, this is a very important issue in our house and we're going to have to rethink our potato purchasing patterns somewhat. Thank you for some good recommendations.

OP posts:
CalmShaker · 15/12/2025 21:54

Has anyone tried the jackets from Subway yet? Are they any good?

WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · 15/12/2025 21:53

@midnights92 will try out your method 🤞🤞🤞

Original poster
midnights92 · 15/12/2025 21:52

illsendansostotheworld · 15/12/2025 21:48

Hard agree op - l eat them all the time - def smaller

Thank you, feeling very vindictated.

OP posts:
Original poster
midnights92 · 15/12/2025 21:51

WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · 15/12/2025 21:50

Yes the skins! I haven’t changed anything about how I cook them, and never get that proper hard crispy shell now 😓😓😓

Show quote history

We've had good results with a 20min microwave / spray of oil and salt / 20min air-fry routine. But still not quiiiiite the same.

OP posts:
gogomomo2 · 15/12/2025 21:51

The big ones are sold loose

Original poster
midnights92 · 15/12/2025 21:50

PurpleCoo · 15/12/2025 21:46

The multi packs are usually smaller sized, but you just pick the size you want if sold loose. I think the small ones are the ideal portion size when you think what most people's TDEE is. They are a plenty big enough portion for a reasonable sized meal

I'm pregnant, DH is over 6ft and had a full day on his feet on the wards. Our TDEEs cannot and will not be contained by a measly standard sized potato.

OP posts:
WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · 15/12/2025 21:50

TooOldToGiveAShinyS · 15/12/2025 21:41

They used to be monsters! One potato would be plenty. And the skins were thicker too.

Yes the skins! I haven’t changed anything about how I cook them, and never get that proper hard crispy shell now 😓😓😓

illsendansostotheworld · 15/12/2025 21:48

Hard agree op - l eat them all the time - def smaller

PurpleCoo · 15/12/2025 21:46

The multi packs are usually smaller sized, but you just pick the size you want if sold loose. I think the small ones are the ideal portion size when you think what most people's TDEE is. They are a plenty big enough portion for a reasonable sized meal

Original poster
midnights92 · 15/12/2025 21:46

TooOldToGiveAShinyS · 15/12/2025 21:41

They used to be monsters! One potato would be plenty. And the skins were thicker too.

Yes! Proper huge and thick skinned. I can only assume in the noughties when we lived off them for school lunches there were lighter laws on some pesticides or similar.

OP posts:
cobrakaieaglefang · 15/12/2025 21:45

Baking potatoes in my local Tesco are no bigger than the ordinary general purpose spuds.

youalright · 15/12/2025 21:44

Yanbu we always have 2 each now

Original poster
midnights92 · 15/12/2025 21:44

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 15/12/2025 21:41

You seem to only get big ones in cafes.

This is DH's point. They are always huge in canteens but underwhelming at home. We need to find a better potato dealer.

OP posts:
writingsonthewall · 15/12/2025 21:44

Nevermind17 · 15/12/2025 21:41

I bought a bag of baking potatoes last week. Every one was tiny! You can still buy decent sized ones loose in Sainsbury’s (if they have them) but the packs are scandalous.

This

schoolfriend · 15/12/2025 21:43

Hmmm - I buy them loose so there’s usually a range of sizes and I pick the ones I want.

Eta - ah, I can se you mean the bag of 4. Yeah, they probably don’t want to put the price up so they make them tiny and now you just need to buy twice as many 🙄

SnugglyJumpersMakeItBetter · 15/12/2025 21:43

Yes! Also, eggs! I've always bought 'large' and the ones you get these days definitely would have been classed as 'medium' 10 years ago.