The Mistake Everyone Makes With Baked Potatoes

The best baked potatoes come out of the oven with crackling skin and perfectly fluffy interiors. Yet one of the most common mistakes everyone makes with baked potatoes often leads to underwhelming skin on the top and a nasty, hard patch on the bottom. The culprit? Your baking tray. It may seem like the logical choice to place your spuds on a sheet pan because it catches drips, makes it easy to move in and out of the oven, and offers a nice flat surface. But it doesn't provide airflow.

Unlike root vegetables, which benefit from direct heat contact, whole potatoes need air circulation. Without it, the hot tray will either turn the underside soggy as it steams or make it tough if the oven temperature is too high. It can also affect the interior texture, leaving you with overcooked, gummy potatoes on the bottom.

That's why using a wire rack is a game-changing trick that takes your baked potatoes to the next level. Whether you use the one already in the oven or place one over a baking tray, it limits the point of contact on the surface and allows more hot air to circulate over the skin, ensuring the moisture in the potato escapes at a steady rate. That's the key to consistent results and that delicious balance of textures.

Using a wire rack is one of the simplest tips you need for delicious baked potatoes, and the process is as easy as it sounds. You'll start by scrubbing the spuds clean, then drying them thoroughly (if any moisture remains on the skin, it won't crisp up). Next, prick the surface a few times on the top and bottom with a fork to let the steam escape and prevent any unwanted messes in the oven. Place the potatoes directly on the rack in the oven, or set a wire rack onto a baking sheet, and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of your spuds.

Tempted to wrap the potatoes in foil? Many cooks do, but it keeps steam pressed against the skin and ruins the texture. The same goes for brushing on oil too early. Oil seals in the moisture and keeps the skin from drying out. Instead, brush the oil on in the last 10-15 minutes and sprinkle with sea salt. They're done if they feel light and give a little when squeezed with tongs.

If you follow these simple steps, you'll end up with baked potatoes that are crisp on the outside and wonderfully tender inside, with no tough patches or gummy centers. From there, all you need are some popular baked potato toppings and a fork — then dig in.