Boil potatoes for about 10–30 minutes, depending mainly on size and whether they’re whole or cut.

Quick Scoop

  • Small cubes (about 1 inch): 10–12 minutes, starting the timer once the water is at a gentle boil.
  • Medium cubes: 12–15 minutes.
  • Small whole potatoes: 15–20 minutes.
  • Medium whole potatoes: 20–25 minutes.
  • Large whole potatoes (big baking potatoes): 25–30 minutes or a bit more.

Always start potatoes in cold water, cover them by about 2–3 cm (1 inch), add salt, bring to a boil, then simmer until a fork slides in easily but the potato still holds its shape. For extra-soft potatoes for mash, cook until very tender so a knife goes through with almost no resistance.

Simple doneness test

  • Insert a fork or small knife into the center.
  • If it goes in easily and the potato feels like a ripe pear (not hard, not falling apart), it’s done.

If you’re unsure, start checking a few minutes before the low end of the time range and pull them as soon as they’re tender. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.