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What the heck? I've been baking potatoes for upteen million years and have never had a potato burst. But the last two times, I have had one burst in the oven.
I poked them all over with a fork and baked at 400/1hr. Is the baking time too hot? too long?
(You rotten potato, you!)

p.s. Anyone want to clean out my oven?

I would guess that your oven was too hot. I think I use a 350 degree oven to bake mine.

I could see how a potato that has a higher moisture content might build up more 'steam pressure' and burst easier. And I can also see how growing or storage conditions might cause an extra moist potato. Did both of your spuds come from the same bag?

I often bake them at 425 to 450 and never had any burst. Lots of times, I don't even bother to poke them first, either.
I think it's just a quirky coincidence it happened to you.

I've had that happen rarely, but never two in a row. To make the Idaho baked potato more mealy in the middle, Mom always trimmed a small bit off the ends. We use potato baking nails to speed things up. Whatever temperature anything else is baking at in the oven at the same time.

I bake them at 400 degrees also. Try using a meat fork to poke the holes first. Perhaps the holes weren't deep enough.

Try putting some damp paper towels over the potato mess to soften it. Then it should be an easy wipe to clean the oven.

I don't wrap the potato in foil but sometimes put them on a lined baking sheet. The skin still gets thick and crispy.

I've baked a lot of potatoes at 400 or even 450 and never had one pop. Heard this could happen but I never paid attention to it. Guess I should be more careful.

I have always baked my potatoes at 400 for one hr. and have never had one explode on me. I recently heard that you don't even need to pierce them, but I always have. I take a sharp paring knife and stab the potato 3 times and place them in my round cake pan.

Thanks everyone...I vacuumed up the "bits" with my lil vacuum, pressed the self-cleaning button and went shoppin' this afternoon. Came home to a nice clean oven.

DH is wiping out the ashes as I type. I told him he can reach the back better than I can and he went for it. Shhhh....

Have only had this happen ONCE and not that long ago. Put potato in oven... poked with fork several times, probably 350. After what I thought might be enough time, reached in with oven mitt (GLAD I didn't try a quick bare-hand), gave it a little squeeze and it spewed ALL of the insides all over inside of oven!?! Was literally left with just the SKIN??

Can't help ya on WHY it happened, but figure it's pretty rare occurence?!?

I cut a big X in mine. Then when they are done just squeeze them open. When I do twice baked I cut a long slit along the side, it's easy to cut in half and scoop out.