How to use the egg timer
- Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil.
- Pick a preset, such as Medium · 8 min, or type your own minutes and seconds and press Set the timer.
- Gently lower the eggs into the water with a spoon and press Start right away.
- When the alarm sounds, lift the eggs out and put them in cold or iced water for a minute or two to stop the cooking.
The timer opens set to 8 minutes. Use +1 min if the eggs need a little longer, and Pause if you need to stop. The countdown stays exact in a background tab, so you can read a recipe while it runs.
Boiling times as a guide
These times are a starting point for large eggs taken straight from the fridge and lowered into water that is already boiling, then cooled in cold water.
| Preset | Time | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Soft-boiled | 6 min | Set white, runny yolk, good for dipping |
| Jammy | 7 min | Soft, sticky yolk, popular for ramen and salads |
| Medium | 8 min | Mostly set yolk with a soft center |
| Hard-boiled | 10 min | Fully set yolk, for slicing or egg salad |
| Hard-boiled, extra-large | 12 min | Fully set yolk for bigger eggs |
Results vary with the size of the egg, how cold it is, how many eggs share the pan and how strongly the water boils. If your eggs come out softer or firmer than you like, change the time by about a minute and note what works in your kitchen.
Tips for better boiled eggs
- Eggs at room temperature cook faster, so take a little time off if they were not in the fridge.
- Do not crowd the pan. Too many cold eggs lower the water temperature, and cooking takes longer.
- Altitude matters. In the mountains, water boils below 100 °C (212 °F), so add time.
- Cool them quickly. Cold water stops the yolk from overcooking and can make peeling easier.
For a quick soft egg, the 6 minute timer does the same job, and the 10 minute timer suits hard-boiled eggs. For anything else in the kitchen, use the online timer.