Why Baked Potatoes Always Taste Better At A Restaurant

You don’t need to be a culinary mastermind to upgrade your baked potato game. In fact, following a few simple tips can help turn your sorry spuds into truly tantalizing taters.

#Baked #Potatoes #Restaurant

The wrong type of potato | 0:00
Potato quality | 1:03
Storing them the right way | 1:54
Salt - a potato's best friend | 2:53
Wet potatoes | 4:05
Don't forget to poke holes | 4:45
Don't use foil | 5:34
Use a food thermometer |  6:22
Don't microwave them | 7:12   
Split the potato | 8:07
Pre-bake your potatoes | 8:54
Use real butter | 9:50
Add some interesting toppings | 10:37

Voiceover By: Renee Dorian

[blandrooker]

Many years ago as an apprentice one of my jobs was to prep and bake 50 pounds of potatoes for dinner service. Standard procedure was to wash, dry, roll them in vegetable oil, salt liberally and wrap them in foil. Came out perfect and delicious every time.

[dmmness]

I have worked at plenty of restaurants over the years and can say easily that my bakers are better than what you will find at any restaurant. :)

[BrentFla]

We prep our potatoes the way you recommend but we cook ours in the air fryer for 1 hour at 400 degrees they always come out great. We like to top it with butter, chopped turkey or beef, shredded sharp cheddar and and hot sauce or BBQ sauce. Yum Yum

[colinmiles]

You just cant beat a baked spud! Great video - thanks! I do mine in the microwave for 5 or 10 minutes (depending on size) which speeds things up a little without compromising the texture.

[nitemare]

i love potatoes and this video made my mouth water so much! going to make a baked potato now

[commonsense]

Never use foil, you are completely right. It steams them. I wash my potatoes and then roll them in salt, which dries out the skins, microwave for about 3 to 4 minutes and finish in the toaster oven at 400* for 20 minutes....perfectly fluffy and crunchy skins in about 30 minutes total. Using the Microwave to get the inside started is the key along with the salt. You wont have to salt your potato at all.

[clairewyndham]

Take a clean dry potatoe, stab it here and there with a fork ( let's steam out as it bakes)..rub a bit a Crisco like product over your hand and "greSe" up the potatoes. Roll around that LIGHTLY greased potatoe in kosher salt..and place in the over. (No pan under it. I have to many things to wash as it is.) Bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes. The size of the potato dictates length of time needed. When easily pierced with an impliment of destruction, cut almost through in quarters. Push all 4 cuts simultaneously. Players and dress as ordered. Done.

[DwayneShaw]

I worked at a restaurant in the early 80's. They would boil dozens of potatoes whole, keep them in a tray in the cooler. When someone ordered a baked potato they'd microwave one to reheat and then wrap it in little pre-made foil squares and toss it on a plate. At home I mic for five minutes, coat in oil and salt, and finish (unwrapped) in a 450 oven for 15 minutes

[craigsowers]

Bonjour/Howdy from a native Texan living in the French Riviera ... quite the quandary we both have ... I can't get Russets over here and you have no "real" Butter stateside (and don't give me that Irish stuff). But great tips and much appreciated.

[josealeman]

I worked as a Cook / chef for 29 years, in the 80`s we cook potatoes with foil, if you use them fast they dont get soggy or take the foil after cooking, they last like 40 minutes on the warmer.
potatoes with not foil tasted better but may take little longer to cook.
we never use salt on them, oil / garlic yes, left over potatoes are good to make potatoes skins / salad, they dont go to wasted.
they can be microwave at home but they never taste the same. and convection oven will cook the potatoes faster but keep the temp at 350.. higher will get the potatoes skins a little burn.

regular ovens can get the temp higher but make sure it is calibrate with a inside thermometer.
Ps. also we never cut or make wholes on them, I never seem a bake Potatoe explode unless is done in the microwave the wrong way.

[ScottTempler]

Americas Test Kitchen recommends brushing on oil in the last 10 minutes of a brined potato so it's crispy. doing before cooking it most of the way makes the skin tough.

[noti]

I rap mine in plastic wrap then pierce it a couple of times, set my microwave to baked potato comes out perfect every time. Works on sweet potatoes too.

[Thommadura]

The problem with most HOME baked potatoes is that they are not cooked on their own - but are generally put into the oven along with a roast. Since most of us do not have multiple ovens at home = we have little choice in that instance. So, the potatoes are being cooked at Likely the correct temp and time for the meat- not the potato. Today - cooking them in an Air Fryer - which is basically a convection oven with higher fan speeds is one alternative.

[reneebush]

I go with the Mitch Hedberg method for Baked Potatoes.

[Michael_Brock]

Combining microwave and oven if just cooking for self yields the best results.. oven only 60 to 90 mins.
But microwave for 15 to cook insides while oven is heating to max temperature. 220c on mine. Then crisp outside for 15 to 20.
Then either microwave, or oven or grill preheated ingredients (if needed via microwave). Depending on fillings.

[pauldennis]

As a chef back in the day, I used to lay out all the rinsed baked potatoes on a sheetpan with parchment paper(dishwasher will love you), potatoes still semi wet. Kosher salt crust. Bake like usual. Simple as that. Literally, zero food cost, delicious product and not greasy using an oil as a binder, but water, . Used to get the jumbo 60 count Idahos for 8 - 12 dollars a case(40lbs) Yea, was $0.20 a lb all the time. I miss the ole days. This was only 14 years ago, mind you. Could serve a beautiful simple product at a great price. I was getting full racks on pork baby back ribs out of Wichita for 3.85 cost per slab on average. 3.85!!! for one of the best products in the country. Sigh

[dogbarbill]

My cooking method is to microwave it for 7 minutes while the oven is getting to the 450 temp. Then into the oven for 20 minutes. I usually don't poke holes. After it's done, then add toppings.

[wendyw]

Whenever we eat out, my husband always orders the steak fries. Sometimes I'll suggest a baked potato instead, and he'll say that they never taste as good as they do at home. He also says at the restaurant they taste more steamed than baked. At home, I never wrap our potatoes in foil, which may be the reason. Or it might be that we buy our (Long island) potatoes at a farmers market in 50lb bags and store them in the (cool) basement until used up. Maybe this dries them out a bit, although not sure.

[sparkysmalarkey]

Foil only goes on when it's served to hold the heat and allow you to fluff it. Foil, fluff, cut and squeeze the sides to shape it . . . bip bam boom.

[michaelstormont]

I start mine in the microwave and bake them about 75% then brush with oil, add salt to skin and finish in the oven.
Ghee clarified butter + salt + black pepper to taste.