Something as simple as a potato can be transformed into so many different ways to eat it: mini potatoes, chips, crisps, and of course, jacket potatoes! And yet, they're so filling.

Jacket potatoes can be served with almost anything. The most obvious and probably national favourite is jacket potatoes with cheese and beans.

Or how about having them with tuna mayo and sweetcorn, or beef chili con carne? This meal is packed with protein and all the goodness to follow.

The beauty of this meal is that it can be cooked in either the oven or the microwave. For a completely crisp jacket, cook in the oven for about 25 minutes.

This gives it that satisfying crisp sound when the fork pierces the skin, revealing the soft potato inside, perfect with butter. Alternatively, in the microwave for 8-10 minutes works just as well.

It's a time-effective choice for a quick after-work meal, post-gym snack, or a family dinner.

If there's anyone more passionate about potatoes than Ben Newman, the 'Spud Expert', known as 'Spudman' on TikTok with over 3 million followers, then they have a lot to prove.

In a video, the spud-obsessed expert said: "At the minute, every day is nuts. On average, I prep 1,000 spuds on a weekday and 1,500 on the weekend.

"Every video I've posted since October has gone viral - it's like someone turned a switch on, and suddenly everyone went mental for spuds."

An app that was once dedicated to dancing in the house and making funny videos now has a niche that many people surprisingly find appealing.

The Spud Expert also added that people have travelled from as far as Australia to sample his taters.

So, with that in mind, who else is there to trust when it comes to perfecting the baked potato?

When Ninja Kitchen spoke exclusively with Spudman, Ben revealed his top three tips for making the perfect jacket spud at home:

1. Make sure you use the right type of potato:

He said: "It's all about the variety of potato, rather than how you cook it. When buying jacket potatoes, avoid 'Nadine Potatoes' - they are a variety stocked by many supermarkets. While they look great and most likely have a high-yielding crop, the cook on them is absolutely awful."

2. Use two small potatoes instead of one large one:

He said: "Cooking time will depend on the size of the potato. If the potato fits in the palm of your hand, cook for around an hour and a half.

"Everyone makes the mistake of going for the biggest potato they can find, but it's better to buy a couple of smaller ones and have two. They will cook more evenly and won't have any hard bits in them."

3. Don't wrap your potato in foil:

Whilst many may think you must wrap a spud in tin foil, Spudman says not to.

He added: "I never wrap my potatoes in foil at home. You're less likely to burn them in your home oven, which doesn't reach the extreme temperatures of an industrial potato oven that hits 300-350 degrees."