The reasons are simple: Baked potatoes are a convenient and inexpensive staple to have on hand because they can be prepped in many ways and used in a variety of meals. They can also help relieve dinner pressure on weeknights because you just need to heat and eat them.

And, baked spuds are so versatile. They can be a blank slate for a wide variety of flavors and can be used to incorporate leftovers that’ve been hanging out in the fridge for a while.

They’re healthy. Baked potatoes are a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamins, and minerals, and they contain resistant starch, which can help with digestion and hunger. They are also low in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

Finally, they’re also long-lasting. Potatoes can keep longer in the fridge than other vegetables.

But I bet you’re thinking, “Who wants to heat up the kitchen in the summer time—baked potato advantages or not?” Right? I’m with ya on that. However, what if I told you there’s a quick way you can have your baked potatoes WITHOUT firing up your oven?

I’m referring to a slick way to use the microwave. We’ve probably all tried to bake a potato in the microwave and had it come out with a hard, thick skin and tasteless insides. No—there’s no advantages to baking your spuds in the microwave if that’s the outcome.

BUT, use a wet (very damp, not dripping) dish towel, and you’re on your way to the most tender and tasty baked potatoes you’ve ever had. While the Internet is full of suggestions to wrap your cleaned and pierced potatoes in wet paper towels, I’ve found a damp towel does an even better job. (You can also lay them out on a dry towel, wrap your potatoes up in it, and then spray the whole package with water.)

Depending on the number of potatoes and their size, I’ll “bake” mine for about 12 to 15 minutes this way. My microwave will hold around 10 or 12 medium spuds wrapped in a towel. It takes a little experimenting, but you’ll figure it out. And when you do, count on being really pleased with the results.

You can see what a huge jumpstart this would give you when making potato salad. And if you want fresh hash browns at the camp site, well, you’re in business. Just shred some of these pre-baked spuds, bag ‘em up, and head out to the camp ground.

It really is brilliance to have lots of baked potatoes on hand. They’re worth the fridge space and they’ll be the answer to so many meal-time dilemmas during these hot dog-days of summer. Try this trick and let me know what you think!