Egg Timer
Boiled egg times for eggs lowered into boiling water: soft 6, medium 8, hard 12 minutes for a large egg, adjusted for egg size and altitude, with an alarm. How it works
Use the Egg Timer
The tool adds 1 minute per 2,000 ft. That is its own rule of thumb, not a published figure.
A runny or jammy yolk is undercooked. The FDA advises cooking eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm, because children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of severe illness from Salmonella. If you prefer undercooked eggs, use pasteurized eggs.
Times are this tool's own presets for eggs lowered into water that is already boiling, not a published table. Start the timer when the eggs go in and cool them in cold water when it ends. The American Egg Board's method (cold start, then stand off the heat) uses 9, 12 and 15 minutes for medium, large and extra large hard-cooked eggs; that is a different method. Phones and browsers may suspend a background tab: keep this tab open and the screen on, and treat the alarm as a convenience, not a guarantee.
About the Egg Timer
A large egg lowered into water that is already boiling takes 6 minutes for a soft (runny) yolk, 8 minutes for a medium (jammy) yolk and 12 minutes for hard boiled, by this timer's own presets. Take 30 seconds off for a medium egg, add 30 seconds for an extra large one, and add 1 minute per 2,000 ft of altitude.
Boiling times at sea level
| Yolk | Medium egg | Large egg | Extra large egg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Boiled (runny) | 5:30 | 6:00 | 6:30 |
| Medium Boiled (jammy) | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 |
| Hard Boiled (fully set) | 11:30 | 12:00 | 12:30 |
Minutes:seconds from when the eggs go into boiling water.
Boiling times for a large egg by altitude
| Altitude | Soft | Medium | Hard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea level | 6:00 | 8:00 | 12:00 |
| 2,000 ft | 7:00 | 9:00 | 13:00 |
| 5,000 ft | 8:30 | 10:30 | 14:30 |
| 7,000 ft | 9:30 | 11:30 | 15:30 |
| 10,000 ft | 11:00 | 13:00 | 17:00 |
1 extra minute per 2,000 ft. Cut the first egg open at the alarm and move the next batch up or down by 30 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
- How long do you boil an egg for a runny yolk?
- 6 minutes for a large egg lowered into boiling water, 5:30 for a medium egg and 6:30 for extra large. A runny yolk is undercooked: the FDA advises cooking eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm, and pasteurized eggs are the choice if you prefer them runny.
- How long does it take to hard boil an egg?
- 12 minutes for a large egg started in water that is already boiling, then cool it in cold water. The American Egg Board uses a different method: start the eggs in cold water, bring it to a boil, take the pan off the heat, cover, and let large eggs stand about 12 minutes (9 for medium, 15 for extra large).
- How much longer do you boil eggs at high altitude?
- The timer adds 1 minute per 2,000 ft, so a jammy large egg goes from 8:00 at sea level to 10:30 at 5,000 ft and 13:00 at 10,000 ft. Water boils at a lower temperature the higher you go, which is why eggs take longer, but the rules of thumb people publish do not agree on how much, so cook one test egg first.
- Does the egg timer keep running if I switch tabs?
- It counts down to a fixed end time, so the display is right when you come back, and the three alarm beeps are booked on the audio clock when you press Start. Phones and browsers can still suspend a background tab, so keep the tab open and the screen on.
- When do I start the egg timer?
- When the eggs go into the water that is already boiling. When it ends, move them to cold water to stop the cooking. The timer can be paused and reset.
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