Why does restaurant served baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil?

Answer 1

I do not know why people wrap them in foil at home, one can bake a potato in their oven without wrapping it. I do wrap them when I cook them on the grill. In many places the potatos are boiled before wrapping them and placing them in the oven. A friend in the food business said that people expect them to be in foil. I guess that people see it wrapped so it must be clean. Some folks don't want the potato to dry out while it's cooking. A spud wrapped in foil will not suffer the water loss that an unjacketed one will. Depending on the cooking time, one may chose to put on the foil or not. Even when spuds are cooked quickly in the microwave, it is recommended that they be cooked in a covered dish or bowl. (They will not, of course, be covered with foil when we nuc 'em.) It's a moisture thing. Bon appétit!

Answer 2

A potato would normally be wrapped in foil to stop the skin burning.

You would do this if using a very hot oven, a BBQ grill or an open camp fire.

If the potato is being baked in a medium oven or a microwave then there is no need to wrap them in foil.

Answer 3

Most say it is to shorten the cooking time of the potato, but any chef will tell you it extends the holding time by trapping in the heat longer.

Answer 4

Aluminumn is a great insulator of heat. By wrapping the potato in foil, it keeps it hot longer. Also, potatoes are great cooked in aluminum foil, it makes them just better.