A chef has found the best way to cook a jacket potato and it’s not what you think
A leading chef has revealed the ultimate technique for preparing the perfect jacket potato. Culinary expert and potato enthusiast Poppy O’Toole recently tested three distinct cooking approaches to discover which delivers superior results.
In a new Instagram video, she evaluated conventional oven roasting against air frying and microwave methods. Each technique demanded varying cooking durations and temperatures, reports the Express. Poppy said: “I’m going to be ranking the best way of cooking a jacket potato. Is it oven? Is it air fryer? Or is it le microwave?”
To maintain consistency, Poppy prepared all potatoes identically by pricking them with a fork. She then coated the spuds in oil and seasoned them with a pinch of salt.
For oven cooking, the temperature should be set to 200 degrees. The potatoes require baking for approximately 40 to 50 minutes.
Regarding air fryer preparation, the spuds need initial microwave softening for roughly 10 minutes. She explained: “This just means that it’s gonna get a little bit cooked.”
The potatoes should then cook in the air fryer at 170 degrees for 25 minutes. For microwave cooking, the potatoes require an initial 12-minute blast. Additional time may be necessary, depending on the appliance’s power.
Commenting on the oven-baked jacket, Poppy said: “They do look very pretty and they’re very crispy. Appearance-wise, probably a five out of five, I’ll be honest with you.”
For the taste test, the chef added a little dollop of butter for good measure. The oven-baked potato boasts a wonderfully crispy skin, with Poppy awarding it a four for fluffiness.
She suggested adding more butter and a filling. Overall she gave the oven-roasted potato a score of 4.75 out of five.
When discussing the air fryer potato, Poppy said: “I think in terms of appearance, very nice. They’ve still got that lovely colour. Looks really, really well-cooked.”
Poppy awarded the air fryer spud a four for appearance, a five for fluffiness, and a three for the skin. She said: “I do think it’s slightly under overall than the oven-baked potato, so I’m going to have to give it a four.”
Poppy discovered that only one corner of the microwaved potato was completely cooked. For its appearance, she gave it a 2.5 and a three for fluffiness.
The crispiness of the skin was missing, so the chef marked it as one. Overall the microwaved potato received a two out of five.
She said: “There is place for it in my heart, just not that much space.” For Poppy, the oven-baked method beat the others to the post.
Home cooks shared their thoughts in the comments, with one person saying: “I microwave the potato first and then for the crispy skin it goes into the air fryer. Perfecto!”
Lisa wrote: “I suspect that microwaving a spud then chucking it in the oven could be an excellent way to get the best of all worlds.”
Sam suggested: “My top tip to keep the skin crunchy whilst you serve (I had eight people to feed most weekdays lol) is cut into it to let the steam out as soon as it’s out the oven. You probably already know this but others might not.”
Another said: “If I had to choose, I’d say oven, but we wrap ours in foil. Never tried it oiled and salted. Will try it though.
“I hate the air fryer as a means to cook. But I do find microwaving potatoes you have to turn them over to be sure they’re cooked.”