Here’s the magic number: bring your water to a rolling boil and let it go for one to three minutes. That’s it! At sea level, a full minute is plenty to kill most nasties like bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.
If you’re up in the mountains (hey, altitude hiker!), boil it for three minutes because water boils at a lower temperature up there. You’re not lazy—you’re altitude-smart.
But Does the “Bubbles Count” Matter?
Yes, and this is where it gets fun. A gentle simmer won’t cut it—you need those big, chaotic bubbles that look like a tiny volcanic eruption. That vigorous motion ensures every milliliter of water gets hot enough to zap bacteria instantly.
Think of it like a dance party for your water molecules: the wilder the bubbles, the better the germ-chaos. You want chaos, not civility, here.
