What are the Ideal Cooking Times for Baked Potatoes?
Finding out the ideal cooking times for baked potatoes can be tricky. It isn’t as simple as picking your favorite potatoes, tossing them in an oven, and hoping for the best. Unfortunately, the only thing you will get by doing that is burned or soggy tasteless spuds. But no need to worry! As long as you know under which conditions you should use a specific temperature for baking potatoes, you will be OK.
You can obtain great results by baking small russet potatoes in an oven for about 45 minutes at 400 °F or 204 °C. Medium russet potatoes only need one hour at 400 °F or 204 °C. Finally, large Russets require one hour and 15 minutes at 400 °F or 204 °C to be baked to perfection. Although not ideal, it is possible to bake potatoes at different temperatures.
Picking the Right Potatoes for Baking
Before you are ready to bake potatoes, you have to select them wisely. Since not all baking potatoes are the same, you need to use a variety that will surely do well for baking.
You may bake yellow, red, and even purple potatoes if you like, but no spud can be as fluffy as the Russet. Next, you have to pay attention to the tuber size.
Size does affect cooking time quite a bit, so think about that carefully. Large potatoes may fill you faster but will definitely take much longer. Small ones cook fast but may not cut it if you or your guests are starving.
Medium-sized spuds are the ones that often hit the spot. Most people have different opinions on what is the ideal size of potatoes. For the purpose of this article, I consider a small potato to be 5 ounces or fewer, a medium one is from 6 to 10 ounces, and large tubers are over 10 ounces.
Choosing the Time for Baking Potatoes in Oven
It is almost a universal principle that baking potatoes should be done at 400 °F or 204 °C. Still, that doesn’t mean it is impossible to bake potatoes at other temperatures. Cooking them at 325, 350, 375, 425, 450, and 475 °F is feasible and often, depending on the circumstances, might be your only choice.
Before you start experimenting with other temperatures, though, you have to keep in mind that the time it takes for the tubers to be thoroughly baked depends on several factors. The variety and size may significantly affect the optimal temperature and time you should use to cook them.
So what happens when you bake a small potato at 350 °F? It will take around 60 minutes for it to get done. How about at 475 °F? You are looking at a cooking time of approximately 30 minutes. However, there are a few drawbacks to baking them at lower and higher temperatures.
For example, if you bake spuds at 325 °F, they are likely to take longer than you would like, and you might even forget you are cooking them.
At 475 °F, a potato cooks fast, but it could end up with severely wrinkled skin and turn into charcoal if you get careless. That’s way too crunchy for my taste and probably yours.
Either way, you have to pay more attention than you usually would when playing around with low and high temperatures.
There are situations where you might want to use a low or high temperature regardless of the risks. For example, you might want all parts of your meal to be done simultaneously, so you can delay the baking time of the potatoes by using a low temperature.
If you are in a hurry and need baked potatoes asap, a high setting is the way to go.
The charts below provide the temperatures and baking times for small, medium, and large potatoes.
Cooking Times for Baked Potatoes in the Oven
| Potato Size | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 325 °F or 162 °C | 90 minutes | |
| 350 °F or 176 °C | 60 minutes | |
| 375 °F or 190 °C | 50 minutes | |
| Small (5 ounces or fewer) | 400 °F or 204 °C | 45 minutes |
| 425 °F or 218 °C | 40 minutes | |
| 450 °F or 232 °C | 35 minutes | |
| 475 °F or 246 °C | 30 minutes |
Temperatures and baking times needed for small potatoes
As you can see in the chart above, small potatoes cook the fastest. However, they are often too small and leave people still craving for more.
| Potato Size | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 325 °F or 162 °C | 115 minutes | |
| 350 °F or 176 °C | 80 minutes | |
| 375 °F or 190 °C | 70 minutes | |
| Medium (6 to 10 ounces) | 400 °F or 204 °C | 60 minutes |
| 425 °F or 218 °C | 55 minutes | |
| 450 °F or 232 °C | 50 minutes | |
| 475 °F or 246 °C | 45 minutes |
Temperatures and baking times needed for medium potatoes
Baking medium potatoes takes a few more minutes than small potatoes. Still, they tend to be the chosen alternative at parties and events as they are more filling than smaller spuds.
| Potato Size | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 325 °F or 162 °C | 125 minutes | |
| 350 °F or 176 °C | 90 minutes | |
| 375 °F or 190 °C | 80 minutes | |
| Large (over 10 ounces) | 400 °F or 204 °C | 70 minutes |
| 425 °F or 218 °C | 60 minutes | |
| 450 °F or 232 °C | 55 minutes | |
| 475 °F or 246 °C | 50 minutes |
Temperatures and baking times needed for large potatoes
The previous chart shows the time it takes for large potatoes to be baked at different temperatures. Although they are more satisfying than medium potatoes, they take longer to cook and sometimes are harder to manage.
Baking a Large Amount of Potatoes at Once
It isn’t rare to face the challenge of having to bake a bunch of potatoes at once for at event at work, a party, or a big family meal. Still, it is fairly easy to do as long as you know the basics of baking potatoes. The first thing you need to understand is that whether you are cooking 20, 40, or 60 potatoes it will take the same amount of time. (facts)
For example, imagine these hypothetical scenarios:
Making a lot for a team tonight. What temperature and for how long if I have 26 medium potatoes in the oven? For 26 potatoes you will need to bake them at 425 °F (218 °C) for about 55 minutes or until they are tender.
I have to cook 40 medium potatoes for an event. I need to know how long I will have to cook the potatoes. How much time do I have need to bake 40 medium potatoes at 425 °F? Baking 40 medium potatoes will take about 55 minutes at 425 °F.
I need to bake 13 medium-sized Russet potatoes today in one oven. If I bake at 350 °F, how long should it take? If you bake 13 Russet potatoes at 350 °F (176° C), they will be ready in about 1 hour, 20 minutes.
How long does it take to cook 20 medium baked potatoes at 350 °F? About 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
So you see, the time it takes is pretty much the same regardless of the amount of potatoes. Of course, there are a few caveats to this.
Baking Potatoes to Perfection
- You want all your spuds to be Russets and about the same size and shape. If you mix up yellow, white, and reds with russet potatoes, the timing will be off, and some will get done before others.
- On top of that, your non-russets spuds will tarnish your guests’ experience with their lack of fluffiness. The same happens when you bake tubers of different sizes and uneven shapes. Some remain uncooked, while others run the risk of turning into ash.
- Another detail you have to consider is the spacing. In a typical 30-inch oven, you might fit around 38 large 1 lb potatoes (details). You may also accommodate near 50 medium-sized potatoes. If they are on the smaller size, you probably can get away with squeezing in a few more.
- You must never forget to place your spuds evenly distributed directly on the oven racks in a single layer to allow airflow between them. Otherwise, you will have a mess of undercooked and overcooked potatoes.
- Remember that all cooking times shown here require preheating the oven to the set temperature. If you don’t preheat it, you might be looking at 20 extra minutes of baking time.
- Piercing potatoes with a fork before baking them is a given. Poke them with a fork deeply from three to four times on each side at approximately one-inch intervals to prevent spuds from exploding.
- Avoid aluminum foil wrapping when baking potatoes at all costs (source). The only thing that will do is trap the moisture inside and turn good potatoes into soggy potatoes. Aluminum foil is only acceptable if you are using fire to cook or want to keep them hot once they are done.
- Ultra crispy skin is only possible after rubbing the potato’s skin with butter, olive oil, or another oil before baking them. The crispiness is also enhanced with higher temperatures (but not too hot).
- Turn potatoes once half their cooking time has passed. This approach prevents browning of the areas in direct contact with the rack.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, you may check the potatoes with a thermometer to see if they have reached the required internal temperature of 210 °F. You can also use the fork test to determine if they are ready. If the fork goes through them with ease, they are ready for the taking!
Other Ways to Bake Potatoes
Although baking potatoes in a conventional oven is the standard practice, there are other ways to do so. Convection ovens, microwaves, slow cookers, and even air fryers are viable alternatives to baking potatoes.
Some of these methods are slower, while others are faster. Still, it’s a good idea to know them if you want to try a new approach.
Using a Convection Oven for Baked Potatoes
Convection ovens are quite similar to traditional ovens. The main difference is that convection ones have a fan with an exhaust system. Why does that matter? That fan blows hot air over the food while the exhaust system allows the air to flow consistently, so everything gets cooked faster and more evenly.
Because they heat food faster, you can bake potatoes in a fraction of the time of conventional ovens (resource). You may also cook at a lower temperature using the same time.
The general rule is that you can cook at 25 °F lower than with a standard oven given the same cooking time. You may also choose to cook at the same temperature but at a 25% faster pace.
The charts below give the baking times and temperatures you should use when baking small, medium, and large potatoes in a convection oven.
Cooking Times for Baked Potatoes in Convection Ovens
| Potato Size | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 325 °F or 162 °C | 68 minutes | |
| 350 °F or 176 °C | 45 minutes | |
| 375 °F or 190 °C | 38 minutes | |
| Small (5 ounces or fewer) | 400 °F or 204 °C | 34 minutes |
| 425 °F or 218 °C | 30 minutes | |
| 450 °F or 232 °C | 26 minutes | |
| 475 °F or 246 °C | 23 minutes |
Temperatures and baking times needed for small potatoes in convection ovens
| Potato Size | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 325 °F or 162 °C | 86 minutes | |
| 350 °F or 176 °C | 60 minutes | |
| 375 °F or 190 °C | 53 minutes | |
| Medium (6 to 10 ounces) | 400 °F or 204 °C | 45 minutes |
| 425 °F or 218 °C | 41 minutes | |
| 450 °F or 232 °C | 38 minutes | |
| 475 °F or 246 °C | 34 minutes |
Temperatures and baking times needed for medium potatoes in convection ovens
| Potato Size | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 325 °F or 162 °C | 94 minutes | |
| 350 °F or 176 °C | 68 minutes | |
| 375 °F or 190 °C | 60 minutes | |
| Large (over 10 ounces) | 400 °F or 204 °C | 53 minutes |
| 425 °F or 218 °C | 45 minutes | |
| 450 °F or 232 °C | 41 minutes | |
| 475 °F or 246 °C | 38 minutes |
Temperatures and baking times needed for large potatoes in convection ovens
Baking Potatoes in the Microwave
Often, you might not have the time to wait for 40 minutes to get baked potatoes. It is at those moments the microwave can get you out of a tight spot.
On average, you can bake one medium potato in the microwave for about 5 minutes. So although it won’t be really “baked,” it can get quite close.
Just wash the potato, pat it dry, and poke it many times with a fork. Then, place it inside the microwave and set the timer for 3 minutes. Once the time is up, turn it to the other side, and give it an extra 2 minutes. After that, poke with the fork and check it for doneness.
If the potato is ready, get it out and enjoy! If it isn’t ready, give it one extra minute and keep checking until it is done.
Ideally, you want medium-sized potatoes to cook in the microwave. Two or more medium potatoes require 10 minutes (5 minutes per side). If you have two or more small potatoes, give them 8 minutes (4 minutes per side) (info).
On average, you can bake one medium potato in the microwave for about 5 minutes. So although it won’t be really “baked,” it can get quite close.
Just wash the potato, pat it dry, and poke it many times with a fork. Then, place it inside the microwave and set the timer for 3 minutes. Once the time is up, turn it to the other side, and give it an extra 2 minutes. After that, poke with the fork and check it for doneness.
If the potato is ready, get it out and enjoy! If it isn’t ready, give it one extra minute and keep checking until it is done.
Ideally, you want medium-sized potatoes to cook in the microwave. Two or more medium potatoes require 10 minutes (5 minutes per side). If you have two or more small potatoes, give them 8 minutes (4 minutes per side) (info).
Massive potatoes are tricky to cook in the microwave because they tend to get overcooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside.
If you still want to give them a try, start with 5 minutes. Then turn them and wait 5 more minutes. Finally, turn them once more and give 5 more minutes. That should be enough time for the large potatoes to be ready. If they aren’t cooked, keep microwaving them one minute at a time. Remember, cooking times may vary depending on the microwave’s power.
Cooking Times for Baked Potatoes in the Microwave
| Potato Size | Number of Potatoes | Time in the Microwave |
|---|---|---|
| Small | two or more | 8 minutes (4 minutes per side) |
| Medium | two or more | 10 minutes (5 minutes per side) |
| Large | two or more | 15 minutes (5 minutes on one side, 5 minutes on the other, 5 more minutes on the first side) |
Baking times for potatoes in the microwave according to their size
Putting a Slow Cooker to Good use
You can use a slow cooker as an oven to bake potatoes. I know you might be thinking, “but that’s not an oven.” True; however, for all purposes, you can consider it “baked” to make both of us happy. The way to do this is by preparing the potatoes as usual by washing, drying, poking holes, and rubbing them with oil, salt, and pepper if you prefer.
Place them inside the slow cooker. Set it on high for 2 hours and 30 minutes if they are small. Medium potatoes should be ready in around 3 hours. Large potatoes would need at least 4 hours.
Cooking them on slow is another alternative. In such a case, 6 hours and 30 minutes for small tubers, medium-sized spuds require around 7 hours and 30 minutes, and large ones need 9 hours and 30 minutes. Always check them with a fork or a thermometer (for an inside temperature of 210 °F) to ensure they are ready.
Cooking Times for Baked Potatoes in a Slow Cooker
| Potato Size | Time (High setting) | Time (Low setting) |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 2 hours and 30 minutes | 6 hours and 30 minutes |
| Medium | 3 hours | 7 hours and 30 minutes |
| Large | 4 hours | 9 hours and 30 minutes |
Baking times for potatoes in a slow cooker according to their size
Utilizing an air fryer for Baking Potatoes
Believe it or not, you can bake potatoes in an air fryer. Will they be good? Oh yeah! You can be certain they will boast that crispy skin and fluffy interior you crave so much.
Begin preparing your spuds the same as usual (washing, drying, poking holes, and rubbing with oil and salt as needed). As a general rule, set them in the air fryer basket at 400 °F for 30 minutes (reference). Once the time is up, flip them over and give an additional 10 to 25 minutes, depending on the size.
Use the fork test, and if they are still hard at the center, cook for 3 extra minutes. When they can be pierced with ease, just get them out and enjoy!
Regardless of the potatoes’ size, you should start with an initial time of 30 minutes before having to flip them over.
Small potatoes should be good 10 minutes after flipping. Medium ones require around 15 more minutes. Large potatoes might need an additional 25 minutes to achieve an outer layer of pure crispiness with tender flesh.
In the following video, you will see how to bake potatoes in an air fryer the easy way:
Cooking Times for Baked Potatoes in an air Fryer
| Potato Size | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 400 °F or 204 °C | 40 minutes |
| Medium | 400 °F or 204 °C | 45 minutes |
| Large | 400 °F or 204 °C | 55 minutes |
Baking times for potatoes in an air fryer according to their size
- Try not to place too many potatoes inside the basket of the air fryer, or the potatoes won’t cook evenly.
- You shouldn’t exceed a max of 4 medium potatoes at a time. They must have decent spacing between them so the air can crisp their skins appropriately.
- Baking times may change depending on the air fryer’s brand.
As you can see, determining the ideal cooking times for baking potatoes is not an easy task. You have to consider the potatoes’ variety, size, specific characteristics of the cooking device, and the baking method.
Once you know them well, you can play around with different settings to see which ones work best for you. So keep experimenting, and you may discover new awesome ways to bake potatoes.