How to use the egg timer
Bring a pan of water to a full, rolling boil first — every time in the table assumes the eggs go into water that is already boiling, which is far more repeatable than starting them in cold water. Pick how you like your egg (runny for dipping soldiers, jammy for ramen and salads, medium for a just-set fudgy yolk, hard for egg mayonnaise and devilled eggs), the size printed on the box, and whether the eggs are from the fridge or at room temperature. The time appears on the egg straight away.
Lower the eggs in gently on a spoon, press Start (or Space) the moment they are in, and turn the heat down so the water simmers steadily rather than rattling the eggs about. The egg fills as the time runs down and the yolk on screen gradually firms up to match the doneness you chose. +30 s adds a little time if you want your eggs firmer — or snoozes the alarm when it rings. Have your own favourite time? Type it in the custom box as minutes and seconds, such as 6:15.
When the alarm sounds, press Stop alarm (or Esc) and lift the eggs straight into cold water. For peeling, press Start 2 min ice bath to time the cooling too.
Boiled egg cooking times
These are the times the timer uses at sea level, for eggs lowered into boiling water and then simmered. UK egg sizes: small under 53 g, medium 53–63 g, large 63–73 g, very large over 73 g.
| Egg | Runny | Jammy | Medium | Hard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small, from fridge | 5:15 | 6:15 | 7:45 | 9:15 |
| Medium, from fridge | 6:00 | 7:00 | 8:30 | 10:00 |
| Large, from fridge | 6:30 | 7:30 | 9:00 | 10:30 |
| Very large, from fridge | 7:00 | 8:00 | 9:30 | 11:00 |
| Medium, room temperature | 5:00 | 6:00 | 7:30 | 9:00 |
| Large, room temperature | 5:30 | 6:30 | 8:00 | 9:30 |
A runny egg has a set white and a completely liquid yolk. Jammy means the edge of the yolk has started to thicken while the centre is still glossy and spoonable. Medium is set all the way through but still soft and deep yellow. Hard is firm and pale with no wet centre — go much beyond eleven minutes and a grey-green ring of iron sulphide forms around the yolk, and the white turns rubbery.
Why do fridge eggs need longer? An egg at 4 °C starts roughly 16 degrees colder than one at room temperature, and it takes about a minute of simmering to make up the difference. Cold eggs are also more likely to crack when they hit boiling water, so lower them in slowly.
Boiling eggs at altitude
Water boils at a lower temperature the higher you are, because there is less air pressure pushing down on it: roughly 1 °C lower for every 300 metres (about 1,000 feet). At 1,500 m water boils at about 95 °C, and in La Paz, at 3,600 m, at around 88 °C. The lower the water temperature, the more slowly heat flows into the egg, so the same egg needs longer.
Rather than a fixed "add a minute" rule, the timer scales the time by how much heat the water can push into the yolk. Egg yolk sets at around 65–70 °C, so the driving force is the gap between the water and 70 °C: 30 degrees at sea level, but only 25 degrees at 1,500 m. That makes the egg take about 30 ÷ 25 = 1.2 times as long. Some worked examples for a large, fridge-cold, jammy egg:
| Altitude | Water boils at | Jammy, large, from fridge |
|---|---|---|
| Sea level | 100 °C | 7:30 |
| 1,000 m (3,300 ft) | 96.7 °C | 8:25 |
| 1,500 m (4,900 ft) | 95 °C | 9:00 |
| 2,000 m (6,600 ft) | 93.3 °C | 9:40 |
| 3,000 m (9,800 ft) | 90 °C | 11:15 |
Enter your altitude in metres or feet and every time in the table updates. The correction is capped at 5,000 m; above that, a pressure cooker is the reliable answer. Weather changes air pressure too, but only by the equivalent of a hundred metres or so — not enough to matter for an egg.
Tips for perfect boiled eggs
- Use enough water. Eggs should be covered by at least 2 cm, and the pan shouldn't be crowded, or adding them will knock the water off the boil and every time will run short. Cooking more than six eggs? Add 30 seconds.
- Simmer, don't gallop. Once the eggs are in, turn the heat down to a steady simmer. A hard boil bangs the eggs together and cracks them.
- Stop the cooking. An egg keeps cooking from its own heat for a couple of minutes. Soft eggs should go to the table at once; jammy, medium and hard eggs should go straight into iced water.
- For easy peeling, older eggs (a week or more) peel more cleanly than very fresh ones, and cooling in iced water for two minutes helps the membrane come away. Tap the wide end first — that is where the air pocket is.
- Cracked shell? A splash of vinegar in the water helps the escaping white set quickly and seal the crack.
The timer keeps accurate time from timestamps, so you can switch to a recipe in another tab and the alarm still sounds on time. It is the same engine as our online timer, which is better if you are timing several things at once — and for a longer session in the kitchen, the Pomodoro timer keeps work and breaks in rhythm.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I boil an egg for a runny, dippy yolk?
For a medium egg straight from the fridge, lowered into boiling water, allow 6 minutes; a large egg needs 6 minutes 30 seconds. Room-temperature eggs are about a minute quicker. Serve immediately, because the yolk keeps setting from the egg's own heat for a couple of minutes after it leaves the pan.
Should I start eggs in cold water or boiling water?
Boiling water gives far more consistent results, because the time starts from a known temperature. Starting in cold water makes the timing depend on your hob, pan and how much water you used. All the times on this page assume eggs lowered gently into water that is already at a rolling boil, then simmered.
How much longer do eggs from the fridge take?
About a minute longer than eggs at room temperature for medium, large and very large eggs, and 45 seconds for small eggs. The egg starts around 16 degrees colder, so it needs extra simmering to reach the same yolk temperature. Lower fridge-cold eggs in slowly to stop the shells cracking.
How do I adjust egg boiling times for altitude?
Enter your altitude and the timer works it out. Water boils about 1 °C lower for every 300 metres, so heat reaches the yolk more slowly. At 1,500 metres an egg needs about 20% longer and at 3,000 metres about 50% longer. A 7 minute 30 second jammy egg becomes roughly 9 minutes at 1,500 metres.
Will the egg timer still go off if I switch tabs or lock my phone?
In a background tab on a computer, yes: the alarm is booked in advance on the browser's audio clock, so it sounds on time. Phones often silence background tabs, so keep the page open with Keep screen on ticked, or turn on notifications. If you reload, the timer carries on with the correct time left.
Why is there a green ring around my hard-boiled egg yolk?
It is iron sulphide, formed when sulphur from the white meets iron in the yolk after long cooking. It is harmless but looks unappetising and usually comes with a rubbery white. Stick to the hard-boiled time in the table rather than going longer, and cool the eggs in iced water straight away.