How Long to Boil Potatoes? (The Ultimate Time Guide & Tips)
Wondering how long to boil potatoes so they’re perfectly tender – not mushy or undercooked?
The answer depends on the size of the potatoes and what you’re using them for. Below you’ll find an easy time chart, plus a simple German technique that keeps potatoes from falling apart every time.
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How Long to Boil Potatoes (Time Chart)
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Time Chart
- Whole large potatoes: 20–25 minutes
- Cubed potatoes (1-inch pieces): 10–12 minutes
- Baby potatoes: 15 minutes
How to tell they’re done:
A knife should slide in easily with no resistance, but the potato should still hold its shape.
The German Secret to Potatoes That Don’t Fall Apart
Growing up in Germany, I had my fair share of potatoes in every possible form because Germans love them! Authentic dishes like rouladen come with a hearty potato side dish and more often than not, some kind of cabbage or white asparagus in the spring.
Even if you boil potatoes for the correct amount of time, a hard rolling boil can cause them to crack and fall apart. In Germany, we use a gentle simmer – called leise köcheln – to cook potatoes evenly without damaging their structure.
How Long to Boil Potatoes for Potato Salad
- Whole or large chunks: 15–20 minutes
- Add 1–2 tablespoons of vinegar to the water
- Use a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil
This helps potatoes stay firm and absorb dressing without turning mushy.
How Long to Boil Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes
- Peeled and cubed potatoes: 10–12 minutes
- Cook until very soft – the knife should slide through effortlessly
Let potatoes steam dry for a minute after draining before mashing for the best texture.
Choosing and Prepping Potatoes for Boiling
First, it helps to determine how you would like to eat your potatoes. That will drive what type of potatoes you will use. Generally speaking, there are these varieties:
- Starchy foods such as Russet potatoes and Idaho potatoes: These are best for mashed potatoes
- Waxy, such as red potatoes, new potatoes, or fingerling potatoes: They are best for classic potato salad or soups since they hold their shape
- All-purpose, such as Yukon Gold potatoes: They fall somewhere between starchy and waxy and are good for most dishes
How you prepare them will likely depend on what kind of potato dish you would like to make.
- Peeled vs. unpeeled: Unpeeled potatoes will retain more of their nutrients and flavor. Peeling them before cooking often cuts down on the cooking time and works great for mashed potatoes.
- Whole vs. chopped: Cooking them whole is best for smaller potatoes and potato salads, as they won’t absorb as much water. However, if you cut them into smaller pieces, they will cook a lot faster, and they will be softer, which is perfect for mashed potatoes.
Tip: If your potatoes have a lot of dirt on them, give them a good scrub with a vegetable brush under cool water.
How to Boil Potatoes the Right Way
- Start with cold water: Make sure to always use cold water to allow for even cooking all the way through. Add just enough water to barely cover the potatoes.
- Use a large saucepan or pot with a lid: Make sure the pot is big enough for the potatoes to have some room to move around.
- Salt the water: Add a teaspoon of salt to the cooking water for flavor.
- Right temperature: Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the temperature to a low simmer. This will prevent the skin from cracking.
- Boiling time:
- Whole larger potatoes take about 20-30 minutes.
- Cubes and chunks are usually fork-tender in 10-15 minutes.
- Small or baby potatoes will be done in about 12-18 minutes
- Test for doneness: Insert a small paring knife or fork into the center. When perfectly cooked, the knife should slide easily all the way into the center of the potato.
- Drain: For best results, drain the water immediately to keep the spuds from becoming soggy.
My favorite tools
- Vegetable peeler: I love this little Swiss vegetable peeler. It is inexpensive, stays sharp for years, and fits my hands really well.
- Potato pick: While you can use a fork for peeling cooked potatoes, I love using this German potato pick. Since the tines are very small, the potatoes don’t tend to fall apart.
Helpful Recipe Tips
- Using a vegetable peeler is one of the easiest ways to peel potatoes.
- If you scrub your potatoes and cook them with the peel on, the skin is perfectly edible. Most of the nutrients are in the peels.
- When boiling potatoes for potato salad, slightly undercook them. This way, they will keep their shape better. For mashed potatoes, be sure to cook them all the way through.
- Avoid overcooking them; otherwise, they will be mushy.
- Cut large potatoes in half to reduce the cook time
- Whether to cover the pot with a lid or not is a matter of personal preference. The key is to keep them at a low simmer.
Other Cooking Methods
While I think that boiling potatoes in a pot on the stovetop is the best way, there are other ways to cook them.
- Rice cooker: Specifically, smaller spuds come out perfectly on the white rice setting.
- Pressure cooker / Instant Pot: Using a pressure cooker saves time and is ideal for mashed potatoes, especially if you cut them into chunks before cooking.
- Microwave: This method essentially steams the spuds. Put the potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, in a microwave-safe dish. Add 1/4 cup of water to the dish, then cover with plastic. Use the tines of a fork to poke some holes in the plastic for venting. Microwave on High in 5-minute intervals, testing for doneness after each interval.
How To Boil Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes
- 1-2 tsp salt
Instructions
For unpeeled potatoes:
- For best results, choose potatoes approximately the same size.
- Add potatoes to a pot large enough that they have some room. Fill the pot with enough cold water to barely cover them.
- Over medium heat, bring the potatoes to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Cook the potatoes until a small knife goes easily all the way to the center. That can be after 12 mins (small potatoes) to 25 mins (large potatoes).
For peeled whole potatoes:
- For best results, choose potatoes approximately the same size.
- Peel the potatoes and add them to a pot large enough that they have some room. Fill the pot with enough cold water to barely cover them and add 1-2 tsp of salt.
- Over medium heat, bring the potatoes to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Cook until the potatoes are soft but not mushy. Drain them immediately.
For peeled potato cubes:
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly sized cubes.
- Add the potato cubes to a pot large enough that they have some room. Fill the pot with enough cold water to barely cover them. Add 1-2 tsp of salt
- Over medium heat, bring the potatoes to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Cook until the potatoes are soft but not mushy. Drain them immediately.
Notes
- Thin skinned, waxy potatoes are best for potato salads and fried potatoes
- Starchy potatoes (Russet) are best for mashed potatoes
- Peeling and cutting the potatoes into cubes works best for mashed potatoes
Nutrition
Best Potatoes for Different Uses (and How Long to Boil Them)
While technically, any type of potato can be boiled, some varieties are better suited than others.
For Mashed Potatoes
- It is best to use starchy potatoes (Russets, Yukon Golds).
- Boil peeled or unpeeled, cut into chunks
- Boil time: 10–12 minutes once simmering
- Mash while still warm for the best texture
For Potato Salad
- Thin-skinned, waxy potatoes are best, such as red potatoes or fingerlings.
- Leave them unpeeled
- Boil time: 15–20 minutes (whole or large chunks)
- Let cool completely before cutting
For Roasted or Fried Potatoes
- You can parboil waxy or all-purpose potatoes for extra crispiness.
- Parboil time: 8–10 minutes
- Drain and let steam dry before roasting or frying
For Soups & Stews
- Waxy potatoes hold their shape better in broth-based dishes.
- Boil time: 10–15 minutes, depending on size
- Cook directly in the broth for the best flavor
For Smashed Potatoes
- Yellow potatoes work best because of their creamy interior.
- Boil time: 15–20 minutes (whole)
- Potatoes should be fully tender before smashing