The typical time to parboil potatoes is about 3 to 5 minutes when cut into chunks of about ½-inch, or until they offer slight resistance when poked with a fork. For whole small potatoes, parboiling can take around 10-15 minutes until fork-tender but not falling apart. The goal is to partially cook the potatoes so the interior softens without fully cooking them, preparing them for the next cooking step like roasting or frying. After parboiling, potatoes should be drained immediately and cooled before further use or storage. It's important to start parboiling potatoes in cold water, bringing it to a boil, and then timing the parboil from when the water reaches a full boil for best results. Salt can be added to season the potatoes during parboiling.