Summarize:

Take your potatoes to the sink and rinse them under cold water, rubbing them as they rinse to clean them. If you want the potatoes to cook with the skin on, leave it. If you want skin off, hold the potato with your nondominant hand underneath. Stick the 2 blades on your potato peeler at the top of the potato and drag it down at a 45-degree angle to peel a length of skin. Repeat this process for each section of each potato.  You can use a clean produce brush to scrub your potatoes if you’d like. This will leave them really clean, although this is usually unnecessary. Boiling potatoes in the microwave is not the preferred method, since the microwave tends to heat items unevenly. The major benefit of this method is that you free up a burner if you’re making a particularly big meal. Glass is always going to be a safe bet, and unpainted ceramic will usually work as well. Check the bottom of a bowl or dish to see if it says “microwave safe.” Any microwavable container will work with your potatoes. Stick your potatoes in the bowl or container and fill it with room-temperature water until the potatoes are fully submerged.  If a dish doesn’t say “microwave safe,” look for 3 squiggly lines, usually accompanied by 2-3 circles on the right. This is the symbol indicating that a dish is microwavable. You can add a pinch of salt if you’d like, but the results won’t be very noticeable when compared to stove-top boiling. Refold the plastic wrap over the bowl and put your oven mitts back on if you took them off to stir. Carefully lift the bowl back into the center of your microwave and close the door. Heat the bowl on high for an additional 5 minutes. If you’re cooking smaller potatoes and they feel relatively soft when you were stirring them, try heating them on low for 4 minutes and then test them with your fork. Place a colander in your sink and lift the bowl while wearing a pair of oven mitts. Slowly pour the bowl into the colander to drain your potatoes. Let the potatoes cool or use tongs to put them into the pot or pan that you’re going to use to continue cooking them.
Clean your potatoes and peel them if you want the skin off. Place your potatoes in a large, microwave-safe bowl and fill it with water. Return your potatoes to the microwave for an additional 5 minutes. Drain your potatoes in a colander and let them cool.