A colleague recently asked me about the physics of baking potatoes wrapped
in foil. I remember my dad always doing this on the grill when I was
younger. I think restaurants did it back then. Not any more? Or did
restaurants cook the potatoes first and then wrap them in foil to keep them
warm (since restaurants never cook potatoes to order as it takes too long)?
I always though that foil conducted heat and made the potato cook faster.
It then trapped the heat inside to assist in the baking process. I searched
online and read that the foil actually steams the potato since the moisture
can't escape and so the skin will become soggy. But the foil also reflects
IR radiation, making the potato cook slower. Or is foil only good when
cooking potatoes in a campfire or on a charcoal grill? There seems to
conflicting info online with all of this.
Any master chefs on this list? Does anyone know the real physics behind
potatoes and foil?
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