Food & Kitchen
How long do you boil potatoes?
Estimated wait
~15 minutes
Based on published sources
By case
- Faster cases~12 minutes
- Average cases~15 minutes
- Slower casesUp to 25 minutes
Test with a fork a few minutes before the time is up: it should slide in with no resistance. Potatoes go from firm to mushy quickly, and once they have absorbed too much water there is no rescuing the texture. General information.
It depends almost entirely on the size of the pieces. Diced potatoes and chunks are fork-tender in about 10 to 15 minutes, small whole new potatoes take 15 to 20 minutes, and whole medium to large potatoes need roughly 20 to 30 minutes.
More details
Start them in cold salted water and bring it up to a gentle simmer — thrown into boiling water, the outside overcooks before the middle is done.
Last updated: 20 Jul 2026
Information is for general knowledge only.