I think I need to reiterate what I said about pre-cooking in the microwave. I don't completely bake potatoes in it. I agree that potatoes cooked in the microwave oven are not baked, rather more like steamed (which isn't a bad thing, just not baked). I put them in the microwave until hot and partially cooked (the hard thing about microwave ovens is that the power really varies from oven to oven). Then I put them in a very, very, very hot oven to finish them. When you are through no one, but no one, can tell you haven't baked them for the hour or two it takes to bake potatoes. People love my fried potatoes as well done that way. Again, I microwave them until almost cooked, then I halve and slice them, throw them in hot fat. (I don't deep fry, this is just enough fat to cover the bottom of the skillet). Again, it makes it so that you do not have to stand over a hot stove for more than a few minutes.
These short cuts are great if you, and I've noticed some of you, like me, don't have an air-conditioned kitchen.