How do restaurants make baked potatoes so quickly?

One of the most critical skills that a chef must come to learn is how to have the ability to “fire” off various courses at different times for different parties at a fully booked restaurant without sacrificing the integrity of the cuisine. Setting aside cooking, these skills are an art within themselves.

To address your question directly, please allow me to share with you that nobody on this planet is capable of actually cooking a baked potato faster than you. A baked potato is “cooked” when it reaches an internal temperature of 190° degrees Fahrenheit. The technique that these restaurants are using is called “par-cooking”. Par-cooking is taking an ingredient and partially cooking it — sort of like a head start. How a chef par-cooks their precious ingredients is what separates hacks from good chefs to great chefs.

The best way that I have found to cook potatoes in a restaurant setting is by utilizing the sou vide method. Vacuum seal the potatoes with some rosemary, salt, and pepper. Leave them in the water for a minimum of one hour at 190 Farenheight temperature. When one is fired, open the bag, dry any moisture off with a paper towel that may be there. Then, either drop the potato in a deep fryer for 30 seconds to get that beautiful crispy texture or air fry it for 3–5 minutes.