Egg timer
Choose how you like your egg, its size and whether it comes from the fridge. The timer sets a boiling time to start from, and counts it down once you lower the eggs into boiling water.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Choose the doneness, the egg size and whether the eggs come from the fridge.
- Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil and lower in the eggs gently with a spoon.
- Press Start straight away. When the beep sounds, move the eggs to cold water.
How it works
The base times are for a large egg straight from the fridge: 5, 6, 7, 9 and 11 minutes for runny, soft, jammy, firm and hard. A medium egg takes 15 seconds less, a small one 30 less and an XL one 30 more, and an egg at room temperature 30 seconds less. The countdown follows the system clock, so it stays correct if the tab is in the background.
Worked examples
- Large egg from the fridge, jammy: 7:00.
- Medium egg at room temperature, jammy: 420 − 15 − 30 = 375 seconds, or 6:15.
- Small egg from the fridge, hard-boiled: 660 − 30 = 630 seconds, or 10:30.
Good to know
Pans, stoves and the number of eggs change the result. Use the first batch to find your own time, then keep it.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I boil an egg?
For a large egg from the fridge in boiling water, this timer starts from 5 minutes for a runny yolk, 6 for soft-boiled, 7 for a jammy yolk, 9 for a firm egg with a soft centre and 11 for hard-boiled. These are rule-of-thumb starting points, so adjust by 30 seconds to your taste.
Why do size and starting temperature change the time?
A smaller egg heats through sooner and a larger one later, and an egg from the fridge starts colder than one from the counter. The timer takes 30 seconds off a small egg, 15 off a medium one and adds 30 for XL, and takes 30 seconds off for room temperature.
Why put the eggs in cold water afterwards?
Cold water, ideally with ice, stops the cooking so the yolk does not keep setting and it makes the shell easier to peel. A minute or two is enough for soft eggs, and a few more minutes for hard-boiled ones.
Does altitude matter?
Yes. Water boils at a lower temperature higher up, so eggs take longer to cook. Add some time and judge by results, because the timer does not correct for altitude.