Baked potatoes are made in two basic ways: in the oven or in the microwave. The oven takes a long time to fully cook the potato and if you don’t have that much time to wait, microwaving the potato is a time saver. Like any other cooking method, determining how long to microwave a baked potato is vital to avoiding a grossly overcooked or undercooked potato. This method is different to measure how long to bake a potato.
How Long to Microwave a Baked Potato – The Microwave
One of the most important considerations to microwave cooking times is the power of the microwave. A high powered microwave takes much less time to bake the potato than a low powered machine.
If the microwave is high powered, the average medium sized potato needs around eight minutes to cook. Cook the potato for four minutes on one side and then turn it over and cook another four minutes on the other side. Some potatoes might cook within three minutes on each side, so always consider checking the potato after 6 minutes of cooking if you feel the microwave is very strong.
A very low powered microwave will usually need about 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the potato. Unfortunately, the microwave is not the only consideration regarding how long to microwave a baked potato. Other factors are also involved that might change these basic times.
How Long to Microwave a Baked Potato – Potato Size
Another consideration that affects the cooking time of a baked potato is the size of your potatoes. A small potato takes less time in the microwave than a large potato due to the thickness and overall size.
On average, a small potato requires around five to seven minutes of cooking time in the average microwave. As stated previous, the potato should flip over halfway through for the best cooking results.
A medium sized potato, which is the average baked potato put into a microwave, typically requires the 8 to 10 minutes to fully cook. Anyone who buys a five pound bag of russet or Idaho potatoes is usually dealing with medium sized potatoes.
Large potatoes typically require the most time to fully cook in the microwave. A large potato usually takes around 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the specific size of the potato and the microwave power.
While the microwave power and the potato size are the two main factors that affect how long to microwave a baked potato, one more consideration is necessary before determining the exact time that is best for your baked potatoes.
How Long to Microwave a Baked Potato – Number of Potatoes
The number of potatoes put into the microwave is the final consideration regarding the appropriate cooking time for baked potatoes.
Start with the initial considerations of potato size and microwave power. For example, if the single potato is medium sized and the microwave is average power, it needs around eight minutes or so to cook.
Now add the second potato. Considering the average medium potato, the microwave now has two medium potatoes.
The added minutes are not the same as the initial minutes. Instead, add about four minutes for every added medium potato. For example, the two medium potatoes should cook for about eight minutes plus another four minutes for total of 12 minutes. In general, four to five extra minutes per potato is appropriate.
How long to microwave a baked potato varies on a few factors, but is usually quick and easy.