Skip to the timer
minute·timer

Soft · jammy · hard

Egg timer

Six minutes is loaded — a jammy yolk from a large egg lowered into already-boiling water. The table below has the rest.

Eggs

06:00

Shortcuts: space start or pause · R reset · F fullscreen. The alarm rings even if you switch tabs.

In short

Boiling times for a large egg lowered into already-boiling water: 4 minutes for a liquid yolk, 5 for soft, 6 for jammy, 7 for fudgy, 9 for just set and 11 for hard boiled. This page opens at 6 minutes. Add about 30 seconds for extra-large eggs and a minute at high altitude.

Very soft, liquid yolk
4 minutes
Soft
5 minutes
Jammy — the ramen egg
6 minutes
Fudgy
7 minutes
Just set
9 minutes
Hard boiled
11 minutes
After boiling
Cold water for a minute to stop carry-over cooking

Boiling times that actually work

These assume large eggs taken from the fridge and lowered gently into water that is already at a rolling boil, then held at a strong simmer.

TimeResult
4 minVery soft. Set white, liquid yolk — the dippy egg
5 minSoft. Runny yolk with a thickened edge
6 minJammy. The ramen egg — bright, thick, still flowing at the centre
7 minFudgy. Barely soft in the middle, good for salads
9 minJust set. Tender, deep yellow, no chalkiness
11 minHard boiled. Firm all the way through, good for sandwiches
13 min+Overdone. Grey ring, dry yolk

Add roughly 30 seconds for extra-large eggs, take 30 off for medium, and add a minute at high altitude where water boils cooler.

The bit people skip

Eggs carry on cooking after they leave the pan. If you want a jammy yolk to stay jammy, move them straight into cold or iced water for a minute — that stops the carry-over and makes them far easier to peel. Older eggs peel more easily than very fresh ones, which is why a fortnight-old egg beats one from this morning for boiling.

Poached and fried, for completeness

Poached: 3 minutes in barely-simmering water with a splash of vinegar. Fried, sunny side up: 2 to 3 minutes covered. Both are short enough that the 3 minute timer is the page you want.

Questions about the egg timer

Should I start timing from cold water or boiling?

Boiling, for consistency. Starting cold means the time depends on your pan, your hob and how much water you used. Lowering eggs into water that is already boiling makes the times above repeatable.

How do I stop the shells cracking?

Take the eggs out of the fridge fifteen minutes early, lower them in with a spoon rather than dropping them, and keep the water at a strong simmer rather than a violent boil.

Will it still work if I lock my phone?

Yes. Locking the screen does not pause anything — the remaining time is worked out from the clock, not from how long the page has been visible. While the timer runs the site also asks your phone to keep the screen awake, so it will not dim on you mid-countdown.

Is there a limit on how many timers I can run?

No. Open the page in as many tabs as you like — each one counts independently and shows its own remaining time in its tab title.