How Long to Boil an Egg: Exact Times for Soft, Jammy and Hard-Boiled Eggs

Boiling an egg sounds like the simplest job in the kitchen. Then you cut into one and find a chalky yolk with a grey ring, or a white that is still slippery, or a shell that comes off in a hundred tiny pieces and takes half the egg with it.

The good news is that boiled eggs are very predictable once you control two things: the temperature of the water when the eggs go in, and the time they spend there. This guide uses the method many professional cooks prefer, because it gives consistent results and makes peeling easier.

The quick answer: boiling times

For a large egg (about 60 to 70 grams) taken straight from the fridge and lowered into water that is already boiling, then simmered:

• 5 minutes: very soft. White just set, yolk completely runny. Best for dipping toast "soldiers".
• 6 minutes: soft-boiled. Firm white, warm runny yolk.
• 7 minutes: jammy. The yolk is thick and glossy, like soft fudge in the centre. Ideal for ramen, salads and avocado toast.
• 8 minutes: medium. Yolk mostly set with a slightly soft, darker centre.
• 9 to 10 minutes: hard-boiled but still moist and bright yellow. Perfect for egg salad and devilled eggs.
• 11 to 12 minutes: fully hard and crumbly. Go beyond this and the yolk starts to dry out.

Add about a minute for extra-large eggs and take off about a minute for medium or small eggs. If your eggs are at room temperature rather than fridge-cold, reduce each time by roughly a minute.

The method, step by step

1. Bring a pan of water to a full boil. Use enough water to cover the eggs by about 2 to 3 centimetres. A wider pan is better than a narrow one, because the temperature drops less when the eggs go in.
2. Lower the eggs in gently. Use a slotted spoon or a ladle so they do not crack against the bottom of the pan.
3. Turn the heat down to a lively simmer and start your timer immediately. A rolling boil makes eggs knock against each other and crack.
4. Prepare a bowl of cold water, ideally with ice, while the eggs cook.
5. When the timer goes off, move the eggs straight into the cold water. Leave soft eggs for about one minute if you want to eat them warm, and hard-boiled eggs for at least 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Peel by tapping the egg all over on a hard surface, rolling it gently under your palm and starting at the wider end, where there is a small air pocket. Peeling under a thin stream of running water helps.

Why start in boiling water instead of cold?

Many people were taught to put eggs in cold water and then bring it to the boil. That works, but the timing depends on your hob, the pan and how much water you use, so results vary from day to day.

Starting in boiling water removes that uncertainty: the clock starts at the same temperature every time. Many cooks and food writers who have tested both methods side by side also report that eggs dropped into hot water are easier to peel. The likely reason is that the sudden heat sets the outer layer of the white quickly, before it can bond tightly to the membrane under the shell.

If you prefer the cold-start method, bring the water to the boil, then take the pan off the heat, cover it and leave the eggs for about 10 to 12 minutes for hard-boiled eggs, before cooling them in cold water.

The steaming method

Steaming is a very reliable alternative. Bring about 2 centimetres of water to the boil in a pan with a steamer basket, add the eggs, cover and steam. The times are similar to boiling: about 6 minutes for soft and 11 to 12 minutes for hard. Because only a little water has to come back to temperature, steaming is fast and the results are very consistent.

Why do eggs crack in the pan?

• Temperature shock. Eggs straight from a cold fridge can crack when they hit boiling water. Lowering them in slowly helps, and a tiny crack usually does no harm.
• Rough handling. Dropping eggs onto the bottom of the pan or letting them bounce in a rolling boil is the most common cause.
• Hairline cracks you did not see. Check eggs before cooking. A cracked egg leaks white into the water.

A splash of vinegar in the water does not prevent cracks, but if an egg does crack, the acid helps the escaping white set quickly and seal the gap.

Why do yolks turn green or grey?

That grey-green ring around an overcooked yolk is harmless, but it is a sign the egg has been cooked too long or cooled too slowly. As eggs heat, sulphur from the white reacts with iron in the yolk and forms iron sulphide, which is greenish. The longer and hotter the cooking, the more of it forms, and the stronger the sulphurous smell.

To avoid it, stick to the times above and plunge the eggs into cold water as soon as they are done. The quick cooling stops the reaction.

Why will some eggs not peel?

Very fresh eggs are notoriously hard to peel. The reason is chemistry: the white of a freshly laid egg contains more dissolved carbon dioxide and has a lower pH, and in that state it clings tightly to the inner membrane of the shell. As eggs age, carbon dioxide slowly escapes through the porous shell, the pH of the white rises and it bonds less tightly to the membrane.

Tips for easier peeling:

• use eggs that are a week or two old for hard-boiled eggs, and save the freshest ones for frying and poaching;
• start the eggs in boiling water or steam them;
• cool them thoroughly in iced water;
• crack the shell all over and peel under running water, starting from the wide end.

Adjusting for altitude

At sea level, water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. The higher you go, the lower the air pressure and the lower the boiling point, by roughly one degree for every 300 metres. In a mountain town at 1,500 metres, water boils at about 95 degrees, so eggs take longer to cook. Add a minute or two to the times above and test one egg before cooking a whole batch.

Food safety: runny yolks

Soft, runny eggs are a pleasure, but raw or lightly cooked eggs can carry a risk of salmonella. Food-safety agencies such as the US Department of Agriculture advise cooking eggs until both the white and the yolk are firm, particularly for people at higher risk: babies and young children, pregnant women, older people and anyone with a weakened immune system.

Rules differ by country. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Food Standards Agency says that eggs produced under the British Lion scheme can be eaten runny, or even raw, by vulnerable groups, because of the vaccination and safety measures in that scheme. Check the guidance where you live, and always store eggs properly.

How long do boiled eggs keep?

Hard-boiled eggs keep for up to about a week in the fridge if they are left in their shells and cooled promptly after cooking. Peeled eggs are best eaten within a couple of days; keep them in a covered container. Soft and jammy eggs are best eaten fresh, although jammy eggs marinated for ramen are often kept for two or three days in the fridge.

Three easy ways to use boiled eggs

• Jammy eggs on toast: 7-minute eggs, halved, on buttered sourdough with flaky salt, black pepper and a few chilli flakes.
• Classic egg salad: chop four 10-minute eggs, mix with two spoonfuls of mayonnaise, a teaspoon of mustard, chopped chives, salt and pepper.
• Ramen eggs: peel 6½- to 7-minute eggs and soak them in the fridge for several hours in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin and water.

The bottom line

The perfect boiled egg is not luck. Start with boiling water, lower the eggs in gently, keep the water at a simmer, time it, and cool the eggs immediately. Six minutes for soft, seven for jammy, ten for a hard-boiled egg that is still golden. Once you have found the timing you like with your own pan and your own eggs, write it down. You will never have to guess again.