First world problem - but horrible baked potatoes!

[LindorDoubleChoc]

AIBU or do baked potatoes taste of nothing these days? As a child I regarded a jacket potato as a beautiful thing, a real treat.

But I must be going wrong somewhere - even when oven baked until really soft inside and crispy on the outside, the potato in the middle is white and watery and tastes "raw". I've just left another half eaten dinner because of this.

Where am I going wrong?

Low and slow

Or microwave until nearly cooked then into over

Taste better 2nd time around imho

what variety of potato are you buying?

They taste the best in an air fryer. Microwave for 5 mins first. Slight oil on skin with some salt and pepper then air fry for 30 mins. Real butter to serve. Gorgeous.

I can make tasty jackets.

i microwave them for 10 mins then into the AirFryer for 30. Crispy tasty skin but cooked through.

I think it makes a difference what you do after… I put them on their side,cut lengthways, scoop out potato slightly or make slits. Unsalted butter then topping.

How long are you baking it for? Sounds like it needs longer.
I do first 20 mins at high heat (so say 180 - 200 fan) and then 1.5 hours 140-150

Also the type of potato but I can't remember whether they're supposed to be floury or waxy. I think floury..

Oil, salt and pepper on the outside.

Or go extra and make Lid Potatoes à la Milly Molly Mandy. I add cheese and spring onions to mine.

It must be a floury variety, not waxy. Waxy ones are best for when you want them to keep their shape during cooking, e.g. for stews or soups (where you want chunks of potato), or for fried potatoes, but for mash and jackets (and roast potatoes!) you want floury - they have much more flavour but you have to cook them without too much movement or they will disintegrate.

Milly Molly Mandy
Sweet as Sugar Candy
Pretty Little Eyes of Blue

Maybe use a different variety of potato. Just because it's big doesn't mean it'll bake well.

This. No microwaving imho

I put a metal skewer in the middle to cook it from the inside. Air fryer and I like the red potatoes best but I’m not fussed however the ‘finest’ brand ones are always better for baking and I never buy the baking ones just a big bag of normal ones and look for big ones in it.

Brush with oil, salt and pepper then Air fryer for 55 minutes.

Crispy on the outside. Fluffy on the inside.

Tell us exactly what you’re doing and we can see if we can spot the problem. Because I don’t have this issue - they come out great.

Baking potato - tbh they all seem to work, but try eg Sainsburys Vivaldi.
Oven on 220 ish (hot) - all temps for fan oven
Rub a bit of oil and salt all over dry potatoes and poke a few holes in with a skewer
Put direct on oven shelf for 15 mins on v hot.
Then turn the heat down to 150-160 fan and bake for about an hour, turning occasionally.
When soft and squashy, but crisp and dark brown on the outside take it out.
Don’t cut it in half. Whump it on the plate / side held in a paper / tea towel, like you’re bashing open a chocolate orange. It should split slightly as you thwack it down. This fluffs up the inside and makes it much nicer than if you cut it.
Add lots of butter salt and pepper.

I swear by the frozen ones. Microwave and then crisp in the oven. My 7 year old (jacket potato connoisseur) says they are the best.

Spuds are on the turn at the moment.

In the last 6 weeks or so they've gone from lovely and fluffy with crispy skins to wet and mushy with weirdly paper-like and sweet skins. Grim.

I love a JP and can't wait for fluffys back already!!

Anyone potato experts in the house with recommendations for a year round good spud?

Definitely metal skewer through the length while baking. It does just sound like you need to give it longer.

Potatoes in the supermarkets are at the end of their long lives when we buy them these days. I think in the past they were just fresher.

Mine are ok, definitely oven low and slow, a rub of oil and salt and a shit ton of butter and cheese and baked beans 😊

And I consider a microwave to have no part in proceedings.

No microwaving. Decent potatoes to start with. Oil and salt, chuck in the oven and ignore for
An hour

Try King Edwards. Floury.

I find it's hit and miss. I usually go between Sainsbury's and Waitrose. Sometimes I find ones that have a good flavour and other times they're insipid. Always give them the same treatment. Rub with oil and salt and give it a very hot oven for at least an hour.

Sainsbury’s Vivaldi, skewer through, bake for 90 mins at 190.

I always check the variety of potatoes before I buy them.

Saxons are , in my opinion, the worst flavoured potato and makes sloppy , grainy mash.

Potatoes that are on sale these days aren't very flavourful.

I've been growing my own in large tubs but it's a bit hit and miss.

I microwave until done inside (testily about 10 mins) then coat in olive oil salt and pepper and into the oven for around 20/30mins until crispy. They are lovely!

The key is to cook them for long enough so that they are cooked all the way through. Metal skewer through the middle is a good idea. I do microwave mine to give them a head start, only for about 10 mins, but then I air fry them for about 50 mins at 185 degrees, brushing them with oil salt and pepper every 15 mins or so.

Same here now. It’s just me that eats them and this way I don’t get sprouts!

Just adding this as can’t edit my post but obviously don’t use a metal skewer in the microwave!