Spud or Dud: Baked Potato Edition

[i86hotdogs]

An argument was had within my group of friends. Not entirely sure of its inception, but potatoes were brought up. We started going off about our favorite ways to cook and eat potatoes. Fries, mashed, baked, diced, cheesy. The possibilities are endless.

I decided to don my flame suit and drop a hot take: The baked potato is extremely overrated.

This, of course, sparked a debate that's been going on for over 10 hours now. Shockingly, the group was divided. I expected to be solo on this take, but it turned out I was a voice for the voiceless.

Regardless of the toppings, I've never enjoyed a baked potato. Whether it be homemade, an alternative side at Wendy's, or from the finest dining establishments, every baked potato I have had has been underwhelming. When there are simpler ways to enjoy a potato with less ingredients, the baked potato tries very hard to be very mediocre. The ratio of potato to toppings is never in the favor of the toppings.

A French fry (regardless of how it's cut) utilizes minimal ingredients: oil and salt. Throw whatever seasonings or toppings you want to further enhance the fry, but the basic French fry with those two additional ingredients surpasses the baked potato by far.

Same theory goes for the mashed potato. At minimum you need milk, salt, and butter to make the most basic mashed potato. That alone trumps the baked potato. And that's without adding cheese, chives, garlic, or gravy.

Heck, slice or dice up the potato and throw them in a skillet. Little s&p and a dash of oil is enough for a supreme side dish.

I know you Oppers love to eat; let's hear some takes.

[SSfancy]

@i86hotdogs

Baked potato? Ain’t nobody got time for that.

[facw]

@i86hotdogs The only positive about the baked potato is that you can cook one quickly in the microwave. Otherwise they are inferior to most other potato preparations. Even if you just quarter them and toss them in some oil and roast, you'll end up with something far superior.

[EssExTee]

@i86hotdogs Someone hasn't had a Maine baked potato from the Big E and it shows.

(New Englanders will know what I mean)

[ibRAD]

@i86hotdogs Baked potato is a winner from a prep point of view. Put it in the oven or grill and wait an hour. You can't beat that.

And if you load it up with butter and sour cream they are tasty as well.

[benjrblant]

@i86hotdogs previously wasn't a huge fan, but there's a local BBQ restaurant that offers one with burnt ends and it's delicious. Though I'd argue without the right toppings, they're pretty bland.

[Highlander]

@i86hotdogs The baked potato is a vessel for toppings, see also tortilla or plain bread. The problem is the baked potato is so large that it detracts from the quality of the toppings. A tortilla is a great example of a vessel for toppings/ingredients done right. Bread is a middle ground.

[flatisflat]

@i86hotdogs If the desire is minimal work, then yes, there are other ways to take a potato. But if you want the best potato vehicle for toppings (like, I don't know, sliced brisket and all the fixings), then the baked potato is the only option.

[SSfancy]

@Highlander

Excellent follow up analysis. Perfect breakdown.

[MUSASHI66]

@i86hotdogs French fries need oil and salt. Baked potatoes need butter and salt. That makes them same on the ingredients list, and you don’t need a deep frier.

Only reason why most prefer fried over baked is because they’ve been fed fries their whole lives and that oil and salt combo is like crack. Everyone is addicted to it.

[Mark Tucker]

@i86hotdogs Depends how you bake them.

[i86hotdogs]

@EssExTee I'm sorry, but I see nothing special about that besides the quantity of the toppings. Sour cream, cheese, chives, bacon bits. Those are the common toppings across most baked potatoes. Which brings me to one of my points mentioned: if you need to drown your baked potato is said toppings, is the baked potato itself that good?

[dejock]

@i86hotdogs fuck baked potatoes

[MisterButtercup]

@Mark-Tucker This looks like the best solution. Might try this, actually, looks really good

[LooseonExit]

@i86hotdogs

Twice baked! The least healthy...

[ibRAD]

@dejock said in Spud or Dud: Baked Potato Edition:

@i86hotdogs fuck baked potatoes

I didn't know it was going to be that kind of party.

[i86hotdogs]

@Highlander I'd argue most forms of potato are great vessels. All the popular toppings of a baked potato complement fries, mashed potatoes, roasted, and most others. So if you take away the common denominator of the toppings, the baked potato is inferior compared to the other potatoes.

[i86hotdogs]

@Mark-Tucker Hasselback is WAYYY different than your traditional baked potato. Hasselback rocks

[i86hotdogs]

@LooseonExit twice baked is a different story. Twice baked essentially eliminates the fatal flaw baked potato has

[Shop-Teacher]

@i86hotdogs The baked potato done properly, is fan-fucking-tastic. My wife rubs them with salt and oil, and they get a beautiful salt encrusted skin that is to die for. All I put on them is butter, and they are orgasmic.

A shitty baked potato, usually steamed for hours on end wrapped in foil in some shitty chain restaurant, yeah those are trash.

A good baked potato is my favorite potato (and I love potatoes), but they are the hardest to find done properly.

[Chariotoflove]

@i86hotdogs
A baked potato can be transformed by what you put on it, but I can also just eat one plain. Just bite it. It’s like a low fat, carb-loaded energy bar in a nice efficient shape for just biting on the go.

[CobraJoe]

@i86hotdogs Baked potatoes require toppings to make them good, but I think they're also the best potato to add those toppings to.

Adding sour cream, bacon bits, shredded cheese, chili, bbq meats, or whatever to any other potato doesn't really elevate them much.

Toppings on fries just make for messy fries that are only marginally better. (Poutine gets a pass, that's meant to be messy.) Toppings on hash browns or tater tots just will reduce the crispiness (either objectively or subjectively, I haven't done enough testing). Toppings on mashed potatoes make the potatoes seem like filler. Any chopped or sliced type potato, roasted or fried or boiled, is just plain difficult to eat the sloppy toppings and potato chunks in the same bite.

But I won't die on that hill. I like them, but I rarely have the urge to eat one.

Twice baked potatoes though, those are extremely overrated.

[Chariotoflove]

@dejock said in Spud or Dud: Baked Potato Edition:

@i86hotdogs fuck baked potatoes

I mean, that’s one way to enjoy them. Probably let them cool out of the oven for a bit first?

[SSfancy]

@LooseonExit

And the most work.

[CobraJoe]

@i86hotdogs said in Spud or Dud: Baked Potato Edition:

@LooseonExit twice baked is a different story. Twice baked essentially eliminates the fatal flaw baked potato has

Twice baked potatoes are the worst potato.

Good in theory, but I've never had a good one. They're still dry and bland, but they have so much added stuff to them that you can't add toppings.