# Microwave Potatoes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-potatoes/336798>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 22, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-potatoes/336798 "2005-12-22T14:56:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-potatoes/336798/1 "2005-12-22T14:56:23Z")

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So I see most grocery stores are selling individually wrapped ready to microwave potatoes. These things are awesome. Not to mention that they were for sale for .79 apiece, when regular bulk potatoes were selling for .89 / lb (and the microwavable ones were over a pound).

Here’s my question. The wrapper on these say very emphatically DO NOT POKE HOLES before microwaving. Some of the labels even say not to worry if the potato makes a whistiling sound while microwaving. Why do you suppose they don’t want you poking holes in the wrapper? I was taught when I microwave potatoes that I should poke a hole or two in the wrapper. If I ever go back to the “old” way of microwaving potatoes, do I need to worry about poking holes in the wrapper?

E3

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-potatoes/336798/2 "2005-12-22T15:11:07Z")

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I would imagine it’s because you could cause it to split. They’re probably pre-perforated.

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**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-potatoes/336798/3 "2005-12-22T15:18:47Z")

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I’ve seen those and I just cannot bring myself to buy them.

Baked potatoes are, by definition, baked. I’ve never tasted a microwaved spud that matches the taste of an actually **baked** potato.

I know I’ll hear from the “you can’t possibly tell the difference” crowd on this. But yes I can. You can too.