Egg Boiling Timer

About the Egg Boiling Timer

Suggests how long to boil eggs for soft, medium or hard yolks, adjusted for egg size and whether you start from cold or boiling water.

How to use

Pick doneness, egg size and starting water, then click Calculate.

Worked example

Medium, large egg, from boiling water → about 7 minutes.

How to use this calculator

1. Choose the doneness level you want, such as soft, medium, or hard.
2. Select the egg size, such as small, medium, large, or extra large.
3. Use the calculator to get the recommended boiling time instantly.
4. Follow the time, then cool the eggs to stop the cooking process.

The formula explained

• \(\text{boil time}\) = the recommended boiling time for the egg
• \(\text{base time}\) = the time chosen by the desired doneness
• \(\text{size adjustment}\) = the extra time added for a larger egg size

Step by step method

1. Start with the doneness setting, because that determines the base boiling time.
2. Adjust the result for egg size, since larger eggs usually need a little more time.
3. Check the final recommended time and use it as your timer.
4. When the timer ends, move the eggs to cold water so they do not keep cooking.

Worked example

For example, if you want medium-boiled large eggs, you can combine the doneness time with the size adjustment.

1. Suppose the calculator uses a base time of \(7\) minutes for medium eggs.
2. A large egg adds \(0.5\) minute, so the total is \(7 + 0.5 = 7.5\) minutes.
3. That means you should set the timer for 7 minutes 30 seconds.

Tips and common mistakes

• Use the same egg size each time if you want consistent results.
• Start timing only once the water reaches the boiling stage the tool expects.
• Cool the eggs in cold water right after boiling to prevent overcooking.
• If your eggs are very cold from the fridge, expect a small change in results.

Frequently asked questions