---
title: "High-Altitude Cooking Time Calculator | High Nestle"
description: "How much longer pasta, rice, beans, eggs and stews take at altitude, with pressure cooker, canning and USDA food-safety guidance from published sources."
url: https://highnestle.top/high-altitude-cooking/
---

# Cooking time at altitude

Water boils cooler up high, so anything cooked in it takes longer. Choose a food and your altitude to see the boiling point and the adjustments the USDA and university extension services publish.

Water boils at about **199 °F (92.9 °C)** here, 13 °F below sea level.

Plan on

13–15 min

- Add 3 to 5 minutes, or cook until soft, and add more water if it boils dry.
- Liquid evaporates faster at altitude, so start with a little extra water.

Source: University of Wyoming Extension; USDA FSIS.

### Home canning at this altitude

Low-acid foods need 240 °F (116 °C) in a pressure canner. With a dial gauge, use **14 lb** (USDA). A weighted gauge needs the 15 lb weight above 1,000 ft. If you are unsure a low-acid jar was processed correctly, boil the food for 16 minutes at this altitude before eating it (20 minutes for spinach and corn). Always follow a tested recipe's own altitude chart.

| Altitude | Dial gauge |
| --- | --- |
| Sea level to 2,000 ft | 11 lb |
| 2,001 to 4,000 ft | 12 lb |
| 4,001 to 6,000 ft | 13 lb |
| 6,001 to 8,000 ft | 14 lb |
| 8,001 to 10,000 ft | 15 lb |

### Safe minimum internal temperatures

| Food | Cook to |
| --- | --- |
| Beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops and roasts | 145 °F, then rest at least 3 minutes |
| Ground beef, pork, lamb and veal | 160 °F |
| Egg dishes and casseroles | 160 °F |
| Poultry: whole, pieces and ground | 165 °F |
| Stuffing, alone or in the bird | 165 °F |
| Leftovers, reheated | 165 °F |

Measured with a food thermometer (USDA FSIS). Altitude does not change these.

## Why food takes longer

At 7,500 feet water boils at about 198 °F instead of 212 °F, so pasta, beans and stews simmer cooler and need more time. Turning up the burner does not help: the water just boils away faster. Oven temperatures are not affected by altitude, so roasts keep their sea-level times, although baking needs its own [recipe adjustments](https://highnestle.top/high-altitude-baking/).

## Only published adjustments

We show adjustments that extension services and the USDA publish, not guesses. The University of Wyoming notes that range-top times rise by 4 to 10% per 1,000 feet, depending on the food, its size and ripeness, and that pasta and rice need 3 to 5 extra minutes. Simmered meat may need a quarter more time at 5,000 feet. Pressure cookers raise the boiling point, which is why they are so useful up high, but they still need a little more time; Colorado State's tests found this mattered most for dry beans and rice.

## Food safety comes first

Times are only a guide: use a food thermometer for meat, poultry and egg dishes. At altitude a slow cooker simmers cooler, so the USDA advises a setting that holds food at 200 °F or above, or high for the first hour. For home canning, follow a tested recipe; if a low-acid jar may not have been processed correctly, the USDA advises boiling the food 10 minutes before eating, plus 1 minute per 1,000 feet above 1,000 feet.

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## Sources

- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. [High altitude cooking](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/high-altitude-cooking).
- Colorado State University Extension. [High altitude food preparation](https://routt.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/05/High-Altitude-Food-Perperation-Guide.pdf). Revised 2013.
- Colorado State University Extension. [Adjusting for elevation when preparing foods in an electric pressure cooker](https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/adjusting-for-elevation-when-pressure-cooking/).
- New Mexico State University. [High-altitude cooking](https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_e/E215/), Guide E-215. Revised 2015.
- University of Wyoming Extension. [Cooking and baking it up! Altitude adjusters](https://www.wyoextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B-1310%20Alitude%20Adjusters%20for%20web.pdf), B-1310. 2018.

## Questions

**Why are my beans still hard?**

Beans need a long simmer, and at altitude the water is cooler. Give them more time and liquid, or use a pressure cooker with the extra liquid and natural release Colorado State suggests.

**Do microwave times change?**

Liquids evaporate faster up high, so microwave times can differ. Follow the directions, use a thermometer, and cook longer if needed.

**Is it safe to eat soft-boiled eggs at altitude?**

The USDA advises cooking eggs until the yolks are firm. Longer cooking at a lower boiling point is fine; just do not turn up the heat.