It said microwavable but they felt as rock hard as normal raw potatoes. Normal potatoes can be baked in a microwave anyway so I really dont see the point.

by shmalliver

36 Comments

  1. Grymare

    I’m pretty sure this is done so you can microwave them keeping in the moisture so they taste better then microwaving them without it.

    Never tried it but I think that’s the reason.

  2. ratowel

    The plastic helps hold steam in the potato.

  3. skellyboysteve

    It is kinda stupid but it’s pre washed and because it steams in the bag you don’t have to coat it in some oil and poke it with a fork. When I was in college I bought these all the time especially because when I was shopping for just myself a bag of taters was pretty likely to go bad. I eventually figured out the skin gets a lil crispier if you nuke it with a little oil and it’s so much tastier when you can salt it as well. So for that reason along with paying for some plastic wrap it is indeed a stupid food.

  4. EnvironmentalAide335

    So someone can sell more packaging obviously

  5. My2cents_0

    I was today years old when I leaned people microwave their potatoes in plastic wrap!!!🤯

    You shouldn’t even microwave your food in those take away plastic containers.

    I thought it was just a way to keep moisture out so they’ll last longer. People are eating by heating it with the plastic on 😲 Is it really that hard to poke holes in a potato with a fork before sticking it in the microwave? The convenience of not poking holes over the plastic pollution? Damn! They also sell potatoes individually without the plastic, just buy a many as you need and you don’t have to worry about them going bad and needing a cover.

    This is so confounding.

    I don’t know for sure, but I’m willing to bet this individual potatoes are more expensive than unwrapped ones

  6. Just making sure you get your daily dose of microplastics with every baked potato

  7. Muted_Masterpiece535

    This OP is the reason why we have paper straws. It is people who lack basic brain function to understand why its package that way or why it needs to be made out of plastic. That and it literally states microwaveble on the label. 

  8. ReleventReference

    It’s so they don’t get dirt on them.

  9. Chairman-Mia0

    This seems like a good time to quote Rhod Gilbert:

    I like my potatoes like my women, single and stark bollock naked

  10. Froz3nP1nky

    But you should never microwave plastic, let alone plastic wrap!

  11. ieatair

    This is what they do in Switzerland too lol… gawd everything is so expensive here..

  12. zippazappadoo

    This actually helps the potato retain moisture and dry out less between harvest, storage, and food preparation.

  13. drsquig

    I use these all the time. It holds the steam in and helps cook it. Plastic doesn’t melt on it. The ones I buy specifically say to not pierce the plastic.

  14. Drie_Kleuren

    So you can eat them after using them

  15. DerpsAndRags

    So the potatoes don’t start eyeing each other and making unwanted spuds.

  16. ChrisUAP

    Figured those were organic therefore didn’t have any pesticides on it, hence why the plastic is on. Could be totally wrong.

  17. Henksjaakbiklyfrits

    You can microwave potatoes?!!

  18. 00Raeby00

    Produce manager here:

    The plastic on the “microwaveable” potato is used to help cook it in the microwave, essentially trapping in the heat and steam and making sure it’s cooked more thoroughly. Since you can’t put tin foil in the microwave and as a regular consumer you not have accesss to the kind of plastic wrap that can/should be used for this purpose, selling it prewrapped is the only real option.

    HOWEVER: In reality it’s an excuse to charge you a LOT more money for a single potato. Just pop a regular russet in an air fryer instead. It’s going to be just as convenient but also much better tasting and healthier. The plastic wrap is also going to be very likely leeching microplastics into your food or other generally unhealthy but not immediately consequential negative side effects.

    Edit: As a produce manager all those potatoes are garbage and it’s triggering me looking at this picture. The yellow potatoes and the microwaveable potatoes are green already and the red potatoes look old and likely spongey. Also edited my post for clarity.

  19. wizardrous

    Normal potatoes can absolutely be baked in the microwave. I don’t know where you got the idea that they can’t. Just gotta wrap them in a wet paper towel so they don’t dry out.

    That being said, yeah, this plastic is stupid.

  20. Main_Mix_7604

    This reminds me of gardening, in summer I wrap the flowers with cling film so the bees can’t steal my pollen.

  21. AwkwardAsHell

    It’s Wasteful: This packaging creates immediate plastic waste that often ends up in landfills or as litter, contributing to the plastic pollution crisis in our oceans and environment.

    It’s Unnecessary: You can achieve the exact same result by buying a loose potato (like the unwrapped ones in the bins above and below), washing it, piercing the skin with a fork, and microwaving it. If you want a similar steamed effect, you can simply wrap the potato in a damp paper towel.

  22. TantalumMachinist

    I saw some russet potatoes recently at the grocery store that were wrapped in foil and labeled as “grilling potatoes”. $3.99 each.

    They were right next to standard russets at $0.79 a pound.

  23. crippledchef23

    Those are microwaveable! Baked potato in 5 or 6 minutes, but they need the wrapper on to steam it properly.

  24. Jojo1212VK

    im sorry but op is either 12 or never cooked before.

  25. FastenedCarrot

    You need to meet your daily microplastics quota

  26. Fleah-13

    “convenience” product for the freaks that put potatoes in the microwave

  27. QuitScoldinUrNoodles

    They cook faster and better, and you domt have to scrub wash the potato before you cook it. I had these once when I needed to have dinner within the hour, and they are better than microwave baked potatoes, but absolutely not justifiable at what they cost for that convenience. Better to just plan ahead and do the extra effort.

  28. tomacco_man

    Wow this sure is a stupid stupid food post

  29. RepostFrom4chan

    Because your goverment doesn’t have laws stopping this. Most Western countries do.

  30. To help with microwaving, and so they can sell them individually at probably 5x the profit margin

  31. elonmusktheturd22

    Its a gommic to sell a single potato at a much higher price per weight than a bag of potatoes.

    The plastic does held hold steam in to prevent it becoming dried out in a microwave, but like come on man its a potato, its not hard to cook, selling like this just gets the store a slightly higher profit margin.