Home › Home & Kitchen › Kitchen & Dining › Cookware › Saucepans How to Boil Potatoes Published: July 9, 2026 · Updated: July 9, 2026
Put the potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water, cut to even sizes, bring it to a boil, then simmer until a knife slips in easily — about 10–15 minutes for chunks or 20–25 for whole. Starting in cold water cooks them evenly from the outside in, and draining then letting them steam-dry keeps them from turning watery.
Recommended Start in cold salted water, simmer to knife-tender, then drain and steam-dry — The trick to evenly cooked potatoes is starting them in cold water, not dropping them into boiling water. If you start hot, the outside overcooks and goes mushy before the middle is done; starting cold lets the whole potato heat up together. Cut them into even-sized pieces (or leave small ones whole) so they finish at the same time, put them in a pot, and cover with cold water by an inch. Salt the water well — it seasons the potato all the way through — bring it to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer, since a hard rolling boil knocks them about and breaks up the outsides. Cook until a knife or skewer slides in with no resistance: roughly 10–15 minutes for chunks and 20–25 for whole medium potatoes, depending on size. Drain them well, then let them sit in the hot empty pan or a colander for a minute or two to steam-dry, which drives off surface water so they're fluffy rather than soggy — important for mashing and roasting. Waxy potatoes hold their shape for salads and boiling, while floury ones are best for mash; leaving the skins on reduces waterlogging and holds nutrients.
