Baked potatoes are a delicious and versatile dinner that allows for a huge variety of toppings, but unfortunately, they can take ages to cook.

Luckily, you can get the “perfect” baked potato in just minutes using one foodie’s top tip to make them faster, as well as getting the texture right, every time.

Writer Becca Hayes shared her secret to fluffy baked potatoes with crispy skins in a blog post for Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

The food blogger first recommends picking the right variety, as some are more suitable for baking than others due to their qualities.

Potato bags in supermarkets often indicate their best uses, but if unsure, Maris Pipers, King Edwards, Yukon Golds, or Rooster potatoes work best for baking.

Once she chooses and prepares her preferred potatoes, Hayes then pierces the skin with a fork to prevent them from splitting.

Then, she puts them in the microwave for six to 10 minutes (depending on size) to soften up. You can check if the centre is nearly soft with a fork or sharp knife.

Microwaving them first helps create a soft and fluffy interior while avoiding a tough skin.

Be sure to turn it over halfway through to promote even cooking, and when it’s ready, the skin should just begin to wrinkle.

Hayes mentioned that, while she previously did not oil her jacket potatoes, she later found that doing so significantly improves the crispiness of the skin and enhances the overall flavour.

She advised drizzling a small amount of oil over the potato and rubbing it in, along with a sprinkle of salt if desired.

Finally, the writer explained that once the potato is mostly cooked, it can be baked for any length of time—between 10 minutes to half an hour—until the skin reaches the desired crispiness.

After that, she said it’s simply a matter of cutting it open and adding toppings, stating that “a dollop of butter is a must,” as it beautifully melts into the warm potato.