Boil water for one minute (three at high altitude) and it’s sterile enough to drink. That’s the whole secret. Not five minutes, not ten. Don’t overthink it. Don’t set a complicated timer. Just give it a minute of rolling boil, then turn off the heat.
And if you’re boiling water for baby formula or a scientific experiment? Respect the one-minute rule. For a cup of tea? Boil it as long as you want—tea snobs have opinions, but germs don’t.
Final thought (because I’m long-winded like that).
Water is tough, but it’s also forgiving. You don’t need to babysit it. Boil it, cool it, and drink up. Now go make some pasta with that sterile water—it’s a shame to waste all that heat.
Spoiler alert: Pasta water doesn’t need to be sterile. But hey, now you know.
