Baking potatoes in the microwave.

I just found out this is really common in America. Never even heard of it before.

And apparently it works. Ten minutes and you have a baked potato.

Weird.

I'd sooner nuke North Korea than a potato.

line_of_fire

Do it all the time. Just take sure ya stab it with a knife few times or might explode it microwave

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

I actually prefer microwaved potatoes to baked. Baked potatoes, I will never get the fuss about. The skin just becomes unpleasantly chewy and the flesh is just... grand. At least microwaved spuds are pretty quick. Nothing beats mash or roasters or skinny chips though.

line_of_fire

line_of_fire wrote: »

Do it all the time. Just take sure ya stab it with a knife few times or might explode it microwave

Is it actually good? I've always just looked at microwaves as a way to heat something up or defrost something quickly.

Charlie19

Baking=oven.

antodeco

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Is it actually good? I've always just looked at microwaves as a way to heat something up or defrost something quickly.

I use mine to store random letters and flyers I don't want to throw out

JohnnyFlash

Stab them a few times with a fork, wrap in damp kitchen towel, and microwave. Top class.

anewme

Get a fork and pierce the potato several times right through to the middle. Otherwise it will be like a rock in the middle. Takes about 6-8 mins depending on size of potato. Turn halfway through.

I make these all the time for lunch with either baked beans, or tuna, sweetcorn and mayo.

Alun

I microwave them first for about 5 minutes and then into the oven. Speeds it up a good bit, and you don't end up with such dried out chewy skins.

Ger Roe

Being excited about that, must be an age thing... I am old enough to have been around when microwave ovens first hit Ireland (early 1980's?). You couldn't walk into anyone's house without being offered a baked potato.... it was a modern miracle.

The other party piece was to bake a cake.... any cake .... and then peer through the glass as it rose up of it's own accord. It kept us amused for hours... in the days before multichannel TV and t'internet.

Microwave ovens were bigger in those days too... I still have one of the early one's and it is the size of a CRT TV, .... you could put a turkey in it. The only controls it has are a slider for power output and a mechanical twister for time.

You actually get a better understanding of how to use them with the simpler controls.... none of the pre-set modes and obscure selection of graphics that you see on the modern units. Just power and time, that's all you need.

Just when you think you've got a decent understanding of the world, this happens. What else do I not know? How do I even find out?

anewme

To get a crispy skin on baked potato in oven, coat the outside of the potato lightly with oil and a bit of salt rubbed in before wrapping in foil.

Delish.

Wayne Jarvis

Dunno, doesn't sound very apeeling to me. That was an awful joke, I'll get my jacket. I'll go and read the works of my favourite author, Edgar Allen Poetato.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Baking potatoes was probably on of the first uses of microwaves in the country. How could you not have come across it before now?

scio me nihil scire
Socrates

spurious

They end up cooked, but not really baked as in yummy crispy skin.

ygolometsipe

Apparently its true, still suspicious tho...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fko1W8loWIQ


so many questions remain....so little time....

lawred2

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I just found out this is really common in America. Never even heard of it before.

And apparently it works. Ten minutes and you have a baked potato.

Weird.

Do it all the time. I can cook most things going but ask me to boil a potatoe and it either takes forever or explodes after 15 minutes into mush.

10 minutes in the microwave and let sit for five minutes.. perfectly done boiled potatoes.

You can't bake one in the microwave. That still needs the oven.

suicide_circus

Deleted User wrote: »

I just found out this is really common in America

dosnt surprise me. having been there on holidays the quality of the slop that they feed themselves is shocking

Church on Tuesday

Nah tin foil and oven for me.

Beasty

Please do not try wrapping in foil and placing in the microwave...

Beasty

Beasty wrote: »

Please do not try wrapping in foil and placing in the microwave...

I'll get back to you with the results shortly.

anewme

Beasty wrote: »

Please do not try wrapping in foil and placing in the microwave...

Yeah like that time recently I hoovered the spider out of the bath with the water still in it.

I'm gonna give this a go tomorrow. I have a load of individually bagged turmeric chicken meals in the freezer that just need rice / potato / wraps. Sounds like a handy lunch and it could be done in 10 - 15 minutes with no cleanup.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it actually good? I've always just looked at microwaves as a way to heat something up or defrost something quickly.

Microwaves are great for cooking rashers.... Needs about 10 mins & a turn half way through.

Baked potato with some tuna and cheese be lovely now

Church on Tuesday

Beasty wrote: »

Please do not try wrapping in foil and placing in the microwave...

I said oven not microwave oven.

Augeo

Augeo wrote: »

Microwaves are great for cooking rashers.... Needs about 10 mins & a turn half way through.

What sort of texture would that give it?

What other things can be done nice and quick in the microwave then?

JohnnyFlash

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Stab them a few times with a fork, wrap in damp kitchen towel, and microwave. Top class.

Why damp kitchen towel? Never heard that one, does it make a big difference?

Spanish Eyes

Works ok if you don't like the crispy skin. But have to say the spud is a bit wet if you get me. So I do the ten minutes or so in the MW and then shove in the oven having sprayed the skins with that fry thing and added salt for twenty minutes on high heat. Works grand. Better than an hour or more on it's own in the oven. Such a waste of energy.

It's the inside being floury and dry that appeals to me, not the skins, but the skins get eaten here anyway!

Ideas for fillings accepted!

Faves for me are leftover Bolognaise sauce (yes I do keep a few tablespoons back for this) topped with REAL parmesan that you have to grate yourself or the other similar one, can't remember the name.

Tuna/Mayo

Chilli/ mature cheddar cheese.

Baked Beans and chopped up crispy rashers.

Any others? Easy peasy now!

lawred2

Augeo wrote: »

Microwaves are great for cooking rashers.... Needs about 10 mins & a turn half way through.

Vomit

anewme

You can also do a baked sweet potato in the Microwave too. I out a bit of sour cream on top and served with a roast cajun salmon fillet.

Yum healthy dinner with no work in about 20 mins.

ceadaoin.

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I just found out this is really common in America. Never even heard of it before.

And apparently it works. Ten minutes and you have a baked potato.

Weird.

Yes you technically have a baked potato but it just isnt the same as a lovely oven baked one. Its watery rather than fluffy

It's also common to make tea in the microwave in america because kettles arent super common. With the tea bag in the cup and everything. Shocking stuff.

ceadaoin.

ceadaoin. wrote: »

It's also common to make tea in the microwave in america because kettles arent super common. With the tea bag in the cup and everything. Shocking stuff.

Absolute savages.

ceadaoin.

Candie wrote: »

Absolute savages.

I know, the thought of putting a tea bag into a cold cup of water makes me shudder tbh.

ceadaoin.

ceadaoin. wrote: »

I know, the thought of putting a tea bag into a cold cup of water makes me shudder tbh.

Brace yourself for this story so.

In a restaurant in the US, I asked for hot tea (so I wouldn't be given iced tea). They gave me a glass of iced tea that they heated up.

Clearly a sign that the end of times is upon us.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

ceadaoin. wrote: »

I know, the thought of putting a tea bag into a cold cup of water makes me shudder tbh.

Do they not heat the water on its own and put in the teabag afterwards? Though I cannot fathom not owning a kettle.

ceadaoin.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

Do they not heat the water on its own and put in the teabag afterwards? Though I cannot fathom not owning a kettle.

No lots of them put the water and teabag in together. Everyone here will have a coffee maker in the kitchen, kettles arent as common which I find weird. It's not like it's only used for tea. Like if they need to make up some stock or something for cooking what do they do?! I must ask.

trashcan

Alun wrote: »

I microwave them first for about 5 minutes and then into the oven. Speeds it up a good bit, and you don't end up with such dried out chewy skins.

Same here. Really speeds up the process as against baking from scratch. I like a chewy skin on my baked potato - it’s a big part of the appeal for me, so the oven gets that job done. Microwave is a great head start though, especially if your short of time.

Pressure King for 10 and 5 mins in the oven. Business.

I’m not adverse to microwaves though.

Muahahaha

Deleted User wrote: »

What sort of texture would that give it?

What other things can be done nice and quick in the microwave then?

I use one of these to cook rice in the microwave in about 8 minutes. Very handy and it produces lovely fluffy rice without the need to be standing over it on a stove
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sistema-Microwave-Rice-Cooker-2-6/dp/B00BTIVNT4/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=microwave+rice+cooker&qid=1580687528&sr=8-3

looksee

Microwave mystery. You will find an electric kettle and a microwave in any canteen/ office tea room anywhere. Kettle is fine, no problem.

But you have all these different people using a microwave they don't know anything about and not only do they have to figure out the complications of how the damn thing works, they also need to know that secret fact that is only made available in the instruction book - which has long gone awol: what is the power rating of the microwave?

Maybe its on a little plate on the back, but it should be printed on the front of the machine...800w or whatever. Why is it such a secret? How are you supposed to know how long to put your tuna pasta bake (blerck) in for? Why has this not dawned on somebody, somewhere that this is a vital bit of information?

And yes, baked potatoes...microwaves...obvious!

lawred2

Almost every single microwave I've ever seen had the wattage on the front

Padre_Pio

You should try it with fish, takes about 3 mins to cook fish fingers in the microwave, then under the grill for 2 mins to crisp up the batter.

Potato waffles in the toaster too and it's a meal in 5 mins.

Mellor

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it actually good? I've always just looked at microwaves as a way to heat something up or defrost something quickly.

Which is basically the principle of all cooking methods.

People have this weird aversion to microwaves. Like it's borderline poisonous.

Heat up cooked mash potato. Nobody blinks.
Heat up raw potato so it steams itself and cooks. What is this black magic.

And if you dared cooking raw chicken in the microwave. :eek:

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

ceadaoin. wrote: »

No lots of them put the water and teabag in together. Everyone here will have a coffee maker in the kitchen, kettles arent as common which I find weird. It's not like it's only used for tea. Like if they need to make up some stock or something for cooking what do they do?! I must ask.

Yeah, I use my kettle for so many things. And they’re inexpensive and don’t even take up much room. They’re such a vital piece of kit.

Tails142

The 110 volt thing in the USA is why kettles aren't popular I think, they don't have the power, would take too long to bring to the boil. They just use the gas ring or the cooker which if electric is fed from 3 phase power

ceadaoin.

Tails142 wrote: »

The 110 volt thing in the USA is why kettles aren't popular I think, they don't have the power, would take too long to bring to the boil. They just use the gas ring or the cooker which if electric is fed from 3 phase power

I have a kettle in the US and it's not that bad, maybe 3-4 minutes max to boil when its full . When family come to stay from home though they do think it takes ages.

Mellor

Tails142 wrote: »

The 110 volt thing in the USA is why kettles aren't popular I think, they don't have the power, would take too long to bring to the boil. They just use the gas ring or the cooker which if electric is fed from 3 phase power

110v could do it, but it would need to be on 25Amp circuits. Very high for domestic.

Appliances are actually fed 220v (2 x 110v) not 3 phase. They've a bizarrely inefficient system

ceadaoin. wrote: »

I have a kettle in the US and it's not that bad, maybe 3-4 minutes max to boil when its full . When family come to stay from home though they do think it takes ages.

Fancy a 1 litre time trial?

Potential-Monke

Am I the only one who peels potatoes before eating them? Never got the love of the skin...

We boil/steam our spuds, never in the microwave, but the mother used to use the microwave if she had a busy day and doesn't want to boil spuds. And the flavour is different when cooked in the microwave vs anything else. Baked beans are the prime example. In the microwave, the sauce is watery, on the hob the sauce is creamier.

SmartinMartin

What fcukin idiot doesn't know about this.