Cooking Chart
High Altitude Cooking Adjustments Chart
Water boils cooler up high, so everything cooked in it takes longer. Here's the boiling point at your elevation and how to adjust common foods.
Water boiling point by altitude
| Altitude | Water boils at |
|---|---|
| Sea level | 212°F / 100°C |
| 2,000 ft | 208°F / 98°C |
| 3,000 ft | 206°F / 97°C |
| 5,000 ft (Denver) | 203°F / 95°C |
| 7,500 ft | 198°F / 92°C |
| 10,000 ft | 194°F / 90°C |
Cooking time adjustments
| Food | At ~5,000 ft |
|---|---|
| Boiled / simmered foods | Add roughly 20–25% more time |
| Hard-boiled eggs | 15–18 minutes (vs 10–12 at sea level) |
| Pasta | Add 2–4 minutes; keep water at a hard boil |
| Rice & grains | Add time and a splash more water |
| Candy / syrup stages | Subtract 2°F per 1,000 ft from the target temperature |
| Pressure cooking | Add ~5% time per 1,000 ft above 2,000 ft |
| Soups & stews | Longer simmer; add liquid as it evaporates faster |
The rule behind all of it: at 5,000 feet your "boil" is 9 degrees cooler than sea level. Heat transfers slower, so time, not a bigger flame, is the fix.
Get exact numbers for your altitude → free calculatorBaking instead?
Baking has its own rules. See the high altitude baking adjustment chart.