Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner is a writer and recipe developer. She's a regular contributor to The New York Times, Time Out New York, Forbes, and many more publications. She also writes the food newsletter, Specialty.

A great baked potato is one of life’s greatest simple pleasures. It’s a blank canvas for toppings, and a comfort food that can just as easily be eaten on Game Day or during a celebratory festive meal. It’s a completely plant-based, gluten-free, and generally low cost food that’s an instant crowd pleaser when made correctly. And luckily, there are so many simple ways to bake a potato, and it’s pretty difficult to mess up. If you need to troubleshoot, just keep cooking your potato until it’s to your liking. Too soft? Cover it in butter and cheese, or mash it up and enjoy.

The most traditional way to bake a potato, oven-baked potatoes, are efficient if you’re trying to yield a large batch of potatoes or make the most of a preheated oven. Baked potatoes in the oven results in a creamy center with a crisp exterior—a crunchy jacket to hold all the good stuff and toppings. 

Don’t want to heat your entire oven to cook a single potato? We don’t blame you. Cooking a baked potato in the microwave is easy, quick, and just as satisfying. Just remember to never heat aluminum foil in the appliance.

While your typical toaster isn’t going to accommodate a baked potato, a toaster oven is the perfect appliance for baking a single potato or two, or a bunch of smaller potatoes. 

Ah, the appliance that makes everything better, even baked potatoes. Make as many baked potatoes as you can fit in your air fryer without overlapping, and enjoy a crisp skin that tastes almost like a chip.

While all baked potatoes can be prepped and even baked in advance, the Instant Pot adds the special advantage of a set it and forget it method that cooks a batch of up to five baked potatoes in one go.

If you want to come home to freshly baked potatoes, use a slow cooker for the perfect baked spuds. This is also a great way to keep baked potatoes warm for families with various schedules, or at a party with a toppings bar.

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