My husband j cooked a potatoe in one of those quilted poatoe bags. It caught on fire. If he wasn't standing there it would of started the microwave on fire. We had to throw it away. Definitely not safe.

Welcome to the board from Iowa. I have heard that about those bags. Thank you for the information.

heard this several times, not good! :cry:

Hi I'm from Iowa!I'm a housewife and mother of two. . Grandmother of six.

I have made these potatoe bags entirely from cotton including the batting just like the instructions said. Our microwave is an 1100W and when I set it for 5 min. I had burn spots on the bag. If we time 2min and 3min. we don't have a problem, but I would never leave them unattended. I think it is the higher wattage microwaves that are doing it. Perhaps when this bag was designed there were no microwaves over 900W. Just my thoughts.

I posted that about a year ago.........it was a good thing I was standing right there. it frightened the bagebbers out of me.

I haven't had problems. Mine is 100% cotton and I set it for 8 minutes to start with and then reset if needed.
I have heard it must be 100% cotton.
My microwave ovens are fairly new and they are over 1000w. Don't know why some have problems, but I will not sell them in a bazaar or give them as gifts since I heard of the fire hazard.

Hello and welcome to the board ! Glad you joined us :lol:

They now make a special batting for the potato bags that does not catch fire in the microwave :thumbup:

I thought they had come out with a new fabric that would not catch on fire. Thanks for letting me know differently.

I love these bags, but not for baking potatoes. Great for putting fruit in lunch bags, fruit dosent get bruised. Also great for keeping pudding/yogurt cool in lunch bags. The bags also work great for Barbie sleeping bags.

Welcome!

Hi there and welcome from Florida. Thank you for the tip. :):):)

I just saw this batting at the fabric store..won't buy any now..

Hello, and welcome from Idaho!
I don't know why some catch on fire, I have used mine many, many times and have never had a problem.

I made some many years ago and used them quite often in a 1000 w microwave and never had any problems with it-even used poly batting in it. There is new batting out there specifically for baking the potatoes in. I would use that, now.

Welcome from Michigan. :)

Welcome from Washington State. I think you will love this message board. :)

Sorry about your fire! :thumbdown:

Welcome. Your bag was probably made with batting that has scrim in it. It really needs the potato bag batting

I have used mine without a problem.....cotton fabric, warm and tater batting and cotton thread.

I made them from all cotton fabric, batting, and thread. No problems and we use ours at least once a week - love them. Oh, make sure that there is NO metallic thread or design on the fabric.

Hello, and welcome from Michigan!

Hi and welcome from the sunny state of Florida!!

Hi from Ohio!

Stick with all cotton fabric and batting and you won't have any problem. Be sure your potato is wet when you put it in the paper towel. I cooked potatoes in the microwave before I had a bag and allowed 3 minutes, stuck a fork in and if it wasn't done, cooked it one minute more. My microwave has a setting for a potato that works fine for me. Sweet potatoes takes a little longer to cook in the bag.
Didn't know there was a special batting for a potato bag, will have to look for that.

Carol J.

Depends on the batting! I have one and my microwave is 1300 watts. Never a problem.

Hello and welcome to the board from Michigan. I am sorry about your potato bags catching on fire but it did give you inspiration for a cute board name!

Welcome! I just used my potato bag the other day and have never had a problem with it. And I have a high wattage over! Mine was not home made but bought for me as a gift from a "regular store". Not sure what's in it but so far so good. However, I won't walk away from it while cooking now.

Potato bags are supposed to be 100% cotton, from fabric to thread, and should be prewashed before construction to get the sizing out of the fabric. That is what is flammable.polyester is also flammable And of course you never start cooking anything in the microwave and walk away, no matter what you are cooking or what you are cooking in

welcome from se TX

welcome from se TX

I have made these bags for about 5 years as gifts for family and friends. Mine are all 100% cotton. Only one has started on fire. When I asked if it might have been used for a potholder and got grease spilled on it we decided that that was most likely the cause. You must keep your bag clean, make sure you have you micro set for the right time keep and eye on it., My DIL found a new use for hers. She was leaving on a trip and wanted to pack her Kindle book reader. She had an extra potatoe bag and said it was just the right size.

I to have made many, but they are 100 percent cotton. Bought one for a pattern that was made with double sided quilted fabric, that did get burn marks. How they can sell that now I do not know. My microwave is an older one. The best part is the potatoes taste like out of the oven, of course the skin is shriveled.

those bags are wonderful if made the correct way....all the fabric, batting and thread have to be 100% cotton.I have made many for family and friends and not one has caught on fire.I would be afraid to buy these at a sale unless it was marked as all 100% cotton.

I have been lucky and never had a problem. I think it's safer if you make your own so you can be sure the batting and thread are 100% like the fabric.

So did I! I think I'll use the other one in the camper for storing other things.

Your board name matches the post. Cute. Thanks for the nice note under feedback, I sent you a private message PM so when your light shows up on Private messages, click on it and then you can read what I sent to you. Have fun on the board.

Welcome from San Gabriel, California

Here is a hint for cooking whole potatoes in a microwave.
Simply put wet potatoes, run under the faucet a second, shake, and put into the microwave with a film of water on them. Most varities will come out with paper thin loose skins.

G'day from Australia.

Welcome from Wisconsin, I use the bags all the time,for white potatoes and sweet poatoes never had a problem