Scrub the baby potatoes. Use a paring knife and remove the skin from the top side of the potato. Pierce with the knife.

Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Place the potatoes on a microwave safe platter, add ¼ cup of water to the plate, and microwave for about 8 minutes, until they just reach a fork tender texture. Don’t overcook, the air fryer will take care of the rest.

Put the par-cooked spuds into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Do separate batches if your basket is small. Stacking the potatoes will result in poorly cooked baked potatoes.

Air fry at 400 for 12 minutes. My Cooks Essentials has a French fry mode, and that is the default—seems to work very well! Check for doneness after 10 minutes to ensure you don’t burn the skins.

After cooking, remove the air fryer baked potatoes to a platter. Top with your favorite toppings and serve.