How Long to Bake a Potato?

The complete guide to a baked potato

A great baked potato is one of the simplest things a home cook can make — and one of the most often ruined. Most home bakers wrap them in foil (which steams the skin), pull them too early (which leaves the centre dense), or bake at the wrong temperature (which gives leathery skin). Get the three core variables right and the result is a side dish that holds its own next to a steakhouse cut.

The right temperature

425°F (218°C)218°C (425°F) is the sweet spot. Hot enough that the surface dries fast and crisps before the inside is fully cooked, but not so hot that the skin burns before the starch interior reaches its fluffy zone. Recipe sites range from 350 °F to 450 °F — the lower end gives you leathery skin and a longer wait; the higher end risks burning. America’s Test Kitchen, The Kitchn, and most professional kitchens converge on 425 °F.

Why russets are the answer

Russet potatoes are the baked-potato variety. They’re high in starch (about 20–22% of their weight) and low in moisture, which means as they cook the starch granules absorb water, swell, and eventually burst — that bursting is what gives you the fluffy, almost-dry interior texture you want. Yukon Golds are medium-starch (creamier, denser, less fluffy), and waxy potatoes like reds or fingerlings stay firm and aren’t really meant to be baked whole. If the recipe doesn’t say otherwise, “baked potato” means russet.

The 208 °F rule (and why it matters)

The single most important number in baking a potato is the internal temperature it finishes at. 208°F (98°C)98°C (208°F) is the magic number — at that temperature the starch granules have absorbed every drop of moisture they can, then ruptured, releasing the texture-defining fluff. Below about 200 °F the starch hasn’t fully converted yet; you’ll get a dense, slightly pasty centre that no amount of butter and salt can save. The clock is just an estimate — potato shape, size, and your oven’s personality all swing the time. The thermometer (or skewer) is what tells you it’s actually done.

Foil is wrong, and here’s why

Wrapping a potato in foil and calling it baked is a common restaurant shortcut, but it’s actually steaming. Foil traps moisture against the skin, which stays soft and slightly damp. You also lose the radiant dry heat that creates the contrast between crispy outside and fluffy inside — the whole reason to bake instead of boil or steam in the first place. Bake naked on the rack. The skin should be a slight shade darker, dimpled, and noticeably crisp by the end.

Oil + salt: the biggest single upgrade

A teaspoon of neutral oil rubbed over the skin, then a generous coating of coarse or kosher salt — that’s the entire trick that separates a fine baked potato from a steakhouse one. The oil draws surface moisture out (helping the skin crisp) and lightly fries the salt onto the surface. Use coarse salt or kosher; fine table salt dissolves and disappears. Most of the salt actually falls off as the potato bakes — that’s fine; you’re left with a perfectly seasoned, glassy crust.

The hardcore version is a saltwater brine: dissolve about 2 tablespoons of salt per cup of water and soak the potatoes for 4–8 hours in the fridge before baking. This pulls surface moisture out so aggressively that the skin crisps even more dramatically. America’s Test Kitchen swears by it. We didn’t add it to the timer because the soak time doesn’t fit a “tap to start” flow — but if you have the time, try it.

Rack vs. sheet pan

The best place for a potato is directly on the middle oven rack — the dry heat hits every surface evenly, including the bottom. If you’re worried about drips (oil + salt does drip a little), put a sheet pan on the rack below to catch them, but don’t put the potato on the sheet pan: the bottom will steam against the metal and the skin will be soggy on one side. A wire rack inside a rimmed sheet pan works too if your oven racks are too far apart.

Common mistakes

• Foil-wrapping. The single most common mistake — see above.
• Pulling too early. The outside looks done long before the inside has hit 208 °F. Trust the skewer test, not the timer.
• Sheet pan with no rack. The bottom steams against the metal, soft-skin city.
• Wet skin going into the oven. Pat it bone-dry. Surface moisture steams instead of crisping.
• Not piercing. Bursts are rare, but a real possibility. 6–8 fork pokes solves it.
• Piercing too aggressively. Beyond ~10 holes, you start losing moisture from inside. Restraint.
• Wrong potato. A Yukon Gold “baked potato” will be creamy-dense, not fluffy. Use russets.

The microwave-then-oven shortcut

If you’re in a real hurry, here’s the validated time-saver: microwave the pierced potato for 6–9 minutes (flipping every 3 minutes) until the internal temp hits about 200 °F, then transfer it to a preheated 425 °F oven for 15–20 minutes to crisp the skin. The total time is roughly half the oven-only method. America’s Test Kitchen developed this for sweet potatoes; it works just as well for russets. The only thing that doesn’t work is microwave-only baking — the skin stays rubbery because dry heat is what crisps it. We didn’t add this as a default in the timer to keep the flow simple, but it’s a great option for weeknights.

Storage and reheating

Cooked baked potatoes keep 3–5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. The best way to reheat without ruining the skin is a 400 °F oven for 15–20 minutes (directly on the rack), or an air fryer at 350 °F for 3–4 minutes — both restore most of the original crispness. The microwave will warm it through fast, but the skin softens and can turn slightly leathery. If you must microwave, split the potato in half and cover with a damp paper towel; you’ll keep the inside fluffier even if the skin doesn’t recover.

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