Introduction

Potatoes are a staple of the American diet. They’re inexpensive, easy to cook, and versatile. But when it comes time to microwave a potato, how long do you need to cook it? Well, that depends on how big the potato is and what kind of microwave you have. To help answer that question for you, we’ve put together this guide on how long it takes to cook potatoes in microwaves of all different sizes:

Potatoes take only a few minutes to cook in the microwave.

Microwaves are a great way to cook potatoes. Microwave ovens cook food quickly, so you can use them when you’re in a hurry or if you don’t have much time. They also use less energy than conventional ovens and heat food more evenly, so what comes out of them is fresher-tasting and more nutritious than if it were cooked on the stovetop or in an oven.

The only downside is that microwaves don’t brown foods–they just heat them from within–so they aren’t great for making crispy items like French fries or potato chips.[1]

Remove any dirt or mud from potatoes with a paper towel.

Before you cook potatoes in your microwave, make sure they’re clean. Do not wash the potatoes! Just use a paper towel or damp cloth to remove any dirt or mud from their skin. If you don’t have either of those things handy, try using soap and detergent instead–but this is not recommended because it may cause the potato’s natural oils to break down faster than normal during cooking and leave them less flavorful than usual.

• DO NOT SCRUB THE POTATOES.*

Place the potatoes in a microwave-safe dish with at least 1/2 inch of water.

• Place the potatoes in a microwave-safe dish with at least 1/2 inch of water.
• Add enough water to cover the bottom of your dish, but not so much that it will overflow when you add your potatoes. The moisture will help steam them as they cook, which keeps them from drying out or burning on the bottom.
• If necessary, use something like wax paper or parchment paper under your potato so it doesn’t stick to the surface of your microwave-safe dish (as long as these items don’t contain metal).

Cook potatoes at full power for 2 minutes per potato.

The cooking time for potatoes in a microwave depends on their size and shape. Smaller potatoes take less time to cook than larger ones, so you’ll want to check your potatoes frequently once they’re done.

Potatoes are done when they’re soft all the way through, but not mushy or browned at all (you don’t want them overcooked). If you’ve got a digital probe thermometer, use it! This will ensure that your spuds aren’t over- or undercooked by more than a few degrees–and save yourself from having to guess whether or not it’s safe to eat any undercooked bits of potato left behind when cutting open your microwaved taters.

Rotate each potato 90 degrees, if you like, for even cooking.

If you want to cook potatoes evenly, rotate them every 2 minutes. If you don’t rotate them, they may be undercooked in the middle and/or burn on the edges. Rotate each potato 90 degrees after the first two minutes of cooking time has elapsed (i.e., once your potato has been microwaved for 2 minutes).

Check for doneness by piercing the potato with a fork; it should slide in easily.

Check for doneness by piercing the potato with a fork; it should slide in easily. The potato should be soft but not mushy, and the skin should be soft but not mushy. There should be no black spots or green spots on the potato, which might indicate that it’s too old to eat.

You can cook potatoes in your microwave without a problem

Potatoes are a good source of potassium, vitamin C and fiber. Potatoes also contain vitamin B6 and niacin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. Potatoes are also a great source of vitamin B1

Conclusion

Now that you know how to cook potatoes in the microwave, you can enjoy delicious mashed potatoes, French fries and more without having to heat up your kitchen. It’s a great way to save time and energy when it comes to preparing food!