Corn Boil Calculator
Corn boil pot water, time, and salt from ear count.
What it does
Sweet corn wants a big hot bath. Enough rolling water keeps ears at temperature instead of stalling the pot.
The tool above gives a gallon per six ears with a one gallon floor. Twelve ears need 2 gal with 2 tbsp of salt for a 5 minute boil. The metric match is 7.6 L with 30 ml.
Water volume matters more than clock watching. Crowded pots drop temperature and cook unevenly, while roomy pots return to rolling fast.
Salt seasons in the pot. A tablespoon per gallon lightly seasons kernels, with butter and toppings finishing at the table.
Five minutes suits fresh ears. Older starchy ears and cold starts take a minute more, while tiny ears finish sooner.
How to use
- Pick imperial (gal) or metric (L).
- Enter ear count: 12 suits the default.
- Read water first.
- Read boil time next.
- Read salt.
- Rolling boil, timed 5 min.
Formula
- ears
- Corn ears to cook.
Metric water floors at 4 L with 15 ml salt per gallon equivalent. Time stays 5 min both ways.
Worked example
Example: 12 ears
Imperial defaults: 12 ears. These are also the default values, so the page opens on this answer.
- Ears: 12.
- Water: max(1, 12 / 6) = 2 gal.
- Salt: 2 tbsp for the pot.
- Boil: 5 min once rolling.
- Tool shows 2 gal water, 5 min boil, 2 tbsp salt.
Reference table
| Ears | Water | Salt |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 gal | 1 tbsp |
| 12 | 2 gal | 2 tbsp |
| 24 | 4 gal | 4 tbsp |
| 30 | 5 gal | 5 tbsp |
Limits
- Pot math only. Sweetness needs fresh corn.
- Crowded pots need splitting.
- Altitude shifts boil temps.
- Toppings need own counts.
Common mistakes
- Small pot for two dozen ears.
- Cold start timing from lighting.
- No salt, then flat corn.
- Boiling tiny ears to mush.
- Holding cooked corn for hours.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
6 ears?
Water is max(1, 6 / 6) = 1 gal. Salt is 1 tbsp.
30 ears?
Water is max(1, 30 / 6) = 5 gal. Salt is 5 tbsp.
Questions
Water for 12 ears?
Divide ears by 6 with a 1 gal floor. Here 12 / 6 = 2 gal.
Salt?
One tablespoon per gallon. Here 2 tbsp.
Boil time?
Five minutes at a rolling boil after the pot returns. Big ears and cold starts add a minute.
Shuck first?
Shuck just before the boil. Husked ears drink salt better than wrapped ones.
Crowded pots?
Yes. Overcrowded pots cool and stall; split past 24 ears.
Butter included?
No. Butter and toppings need their own counts.