To produce baked potatoes with an evenly fluffy interior, we figured out their ideal doneness temperature is 205 degrees F. And while a microwave might seem like a fast way to “bake” a potato, we found several reasons why it’s actually the worst approach.
First, microwaves heat foods very unevenly, so some parts of the potato might rapidly reach 205 degrees while others get to only 180 degrees. Second, rapidly heating a potato causes pressure to build and cell walls to burst, releasing starch molecules that glue together the broken cell walls. And lastly, baking them in a hot (450-degree) oven prevents a leathery “pellicle” from forming underneath the peel.
