As floury and dry as possible. As an Irish person I'm going to say a Dublin Queens or a Kerrs Pink. But sadly, it's very difficult to get decent spuds in the UK. Most potatoes sold as 'baking' in UK supermarkets are far too wet to bake properly.

Some of the very large potatoes touted as baking potatoes have a really weird sweet flavour or (else they're tasteless). Are they putting sugar in the soil or something ? If I want a sweet potato I'll buy proper sweet potatoes.

Thanks for those replies.


I do them in the oven but a friend of mine does them in the micro but puts them in kitchen paper first.

stab it all over with a fork (lets the heat in to cook the inside soft and fluffy)

coat with oil for a crispy skin.

oven at about gas 6 for about 60-75 minutes.

i once forgot to stab it with a fork and it was still cold and solid inside

I usually stab them with a knife, thinner slits, maybe thats contributing to then being cold and solid.

I was given this advice on here and ever since my jacket spuds have been faultess!!! In fact they are so delish I now eat the skin too (which I never used to)

Rinse spuds, prick with a fork, rub with olive oil and sea salt.... The rub again with olive oil a sea salt.

Bake on gas mark 6 for 45 minutes, turn and bake for another 30 minutes, then slice through spuds, prod the inside about and bake for another 15 minutes....

Mine have been consistently perfect using this method (I use meduim sized spuds obv smaller ones will need less cooking time!!)

Maris Piper are good for jacket spuds. I always do mine in the microwave for 5 minutes on high, after pricking them all over, then rub them with olive oil and a twist of sea salt from the grinder then put them in the oven, straight onto a shelf at about 6 for up to an hour, pierce them with a skewer or something sharp to see if they're soft inside. The skins should be nice and crispy.

I'll try this.

Thanks for all the advice so far.

No one has mentioned the best tip for cooking in an oven - a metal skewer. It will take a fair chunk off the cooking time.

Apart from that I just bung em in the oven with a little olive oil/salt to crisp up the skin then go on gas mark 5.

Yep. Just to explain, the metal conducts the heat through to the centre of the potato, helping it cook in the middle quicker.

Oh, and I use a knife to pierce the skin too paul and mine are always fine. Just keep them out of the boiling water...

Just wanted to say thanks for this advice! I tried it last night and they were the best baked potatoes I've had.

I have been told I make the best baked potatoes this side of the equator!!

First I make sure they are not dirty and dry scrub them if any dirt on the skin.

Then I stab them all over with a fork.

(at this point if I am short on time I put them in the microwave for 10mins before the next stages, though I usually like to miss this part out as I think it is not needed)

I then rub them all over with olive oil and then cover in salt.

I shove them in foil (loosely wrapped)

Place on a baking tray and put in the oven for two and half hours at gas mark 4-5

I always turn them over after an hour.

To check them, pop a knife in the middle and squeeze each sides.

You can leave a baked potato in the oven for hours at a lower gas, the longer the better.

When ready to serve cut and break the middle of the potato with a fork - to fluff it up.

This method enables your potatoes to have a crispy skin and are always fluffy in the middle.

Thank you - but I can't take full credit as I am sure I got the advice from this forum LOL!!

Glad you enjoyed, think I will be partaking in a jacket spud tonight

Wash them & make sure they are very dry.
stab them,
brush or roll in/with olive oil & ground crystal salt if you wish.
cook at 200 for aprox 40 minutes then turn & cook for another 40 mins & they should be perfect.

potatos that make good mash, will also make good baked potatoes.