The baked potato is a quick, healthy side dish for lunch or dinner. Baked potatoes are nutrient rich, especially when eaten with skin. You can certainly bake potatoes uncovered in the oven. But cooking potatoes in foil steams them in their own juices. In some cases, it's even possible that foil-wrapped potatoes cook a bit faster.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash the potatoes under running water while scrubbing the potato gently with a vegetable brush. The water should be cool.
Pierce each potato in several places using a fork. The piercing allows steam to escape while the potato is baking. You may also slice the potato in half, season the inside of the potato, rejoin the halves and wrap the potato in foil.
Wrap each potato tightly in aluminum foil with no gaps or openings in the foil.
Place the foil-wrapped potatoes on the oven rack and bake for about 40 to 60 minutes. Use an oven mitt to test the doneness of the potato. When done, the potato should be tender enough to give a little under pressure.
Tip
Another way to bake potatoes in foil requires placing 1/4-inch think potato slices on heavy aluminum foil with a sprinkle of seasoning. Close the foil over the potatoes and bake for 30 minutes.