You do not need to boil water for ten minutes. Or twenty. Or until your pot looks like a steam engine from a Victorian novel. The old “roll for a full ten minutes” advice is pure overkill.
In fact, the World Health Organization says a rolling boil for just one minute is enough at most altitudes. Yes, one minute. That’s shorter than your average TikTok video.
But wait—does altitude change things? Oh, you bet your lungs it does.
At high altitudes, water boils at a lower temperature. So if you’re up in the Rockies or hiking the Andes, that rolling boil isn’t as hot. It’s like the water is saying, “I’m done! I’m bubbling! But, uh, I’m only 195°F instead of 212°F.”
In that case, the CDC recommends you boil for three minutes. Just to be safe. Three minutes is basically the length of a pop song. Or the time it takes to argue with your GPS.
