Small whole “baby” or small potatoes usually take about 10–15 minutes to boil once the water is at a gentle boil and the potatoes are in fork-tender range.

Quick Scoop

  • For very small baby potatoes (around 1 inch), plan on about 8–12 minutes in gently boiling, salted water until a fork slides in easily but the potato still holds its shape.
  • For slightly larger small potatoes (around 2 inches), expect about 15–20 minutes to become tender all the way through.
  • Always start them in cold water , cover by about 2.5 cm/1 inch, then bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for more even cooking and better texture.
  • Begin checking at the earlier time: poke with the tip of a knife or fork; when it goes in with light resistance and the skin is still intact, they are ready.

If you’re making potato salad or want firmer potatoes, pull them on the earlier side of the range; for very soft potatoes (for mashing), let them go a few extra minutes until the fork meets almost no resistance.

TL;DR: Put small potatoes in cold, salted water, bring to a boil, then simmer and check from 10 minutes; most small potatoes finish between 10 and 15 minutes, slightly larger ones up to 20 minutes.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.