How to make the perfect baked potato?

[wicket]

Any fellow DU cooks want to share their tips on making the perfect baked potato? Thanks in advance :)

[demnan]

1. Well the perfect fattening baked potato

is made by buttering the skin, wrapping the potato in foil and putting in a 375o oven for about an hour until tender. Remove from oven and prick the skin a few minutes before serving with generous amounts of sour cream, salt and pepper.

[bearfan454]

2. Yes !

The gas grill works good that way too.

[wicket]

3. mmmm sound great, thanks!

:D

[BamaGirl]

4. I drizzle olive oil on the foil, sprinkle with sea salt, rolled it up

and bake for about an hour on 450. Then I add butter, bacon, cheddar, and some pepper.

[FuzzySlippers]

5. I think wrapping the potato in foil causes too much steam to build up.

Baking it unwrapped produces that flaky texture that absorbs butter
so well.

On edit: It also should be pricked several times either before or halfway through baking or it might explode.

[troubleinwinter]

7. I am with you! And, yes, prick with a fork before baking.

[XanaDUer]

12. It does.

I never wrap them. But it's important to poke them so they don't explode. (I learned that lesson).

[Beaverhausen]

6. Use a baking nail in each potato

They conduct the heat all the way thru the potato for even and thorough cooking.

[chefgirl]

8. As with most things

There's about a million ways to do it.

The best way I've found is just to put them in the oven, dry with no foil at about 400 degrees, till they're as soft as you want them. Usually about an hour for average to large potatoes.

-chef-

[ronzo]

11. That's pretty much what I do...

except I wash 'em, then rub them with some vegetable/lt. olive oil...
About an hour at 400, right on the middle rack. turn them at 30 minutes.
Gotta love a good baked potato.

[lpbk2713]

9. Use Russet potatoes.

I don't wrap mine. I rub them with Wesson Oil. Put em on the middle rack in the oven at 325 for an hour. And poke them a time or two beforehand. I have had them burst before. What you don't use right away can be MWed later at Med-High for about 2.5 minutes and they're just as good.

[wicket]

10. I don't wrap mine either

Thanks for the tips! :)