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Egg Timer Guide: Soft, Medium, and Hard-Boiled Times

Kitchen & cooking · October 2026

Egg Timer Guide: Soft, Medium, and Hard-Boiled Times

Free online egg timer with soft, medium, and hard-boiled starting times by egg size. Press Start, go fullscreen by the stove—no account, no app.

Open egg timer

Egg timer guide soft medium hard boiled times – free online kitchen timer share card

Why egg timing is so fussy

The same number of minutes gives a different result depending on egg size, starting temperature, altitude, and how hard the water boils. That is why "boil for 8 minutes" advice online disagrees with itself constantly. Start from a preset on the free egg timer, then adjust once for your own stove—no account, no app.

Boiling times by doneness

  • Soft-boiled (~6 minutes). Set, jammy yolk. Use the soft-boiled egg timer (6:00 default) as a starting point.
  • Medium (~8 minutes). Firmer white, yolk still a little soft in the center.
  • Hard-boiled (~10–12 minutes). Fully set throughout. Start from the egg timer (10:00 default) and adjust toward 12 for extra-large eggs.

These are common starting points, not a certified recipe or food-safety rule—adjust by a minute next time based on how this batch turned out.

How to start the egg timer in one tap

  1. Pick doneness. Open the egg timer for the 10:00 hard-boiled default, or the soft-boiled egg timer for 6:00.
  2. Adjust for size and altitude. Add a little time for extra-large eggs or higher altitude where water boils at a lower temperature.
  3. Start and go fullscreen. Press Start (or Space), then fullscreen so the countdown stays readable from across the kitchen.
  4. Ice-bath immediately. Move the eggs straight into ice water when the alarm rings.

Adjust for size and altitude

Extra-large or jumbo eggs need a little longer than the preset; small or medium eggs a little less. At higher altitude, water boils at a lower temperature, so eggs generally need extra time to reach the same doneness as at sea level. Treat the timer as the starting point for your kitchen, not the final word.

Egg timer vs general cooking timer

The egg and soft-boiled-egg landings are the same countdown engine as the general cooking timer, just with egg-focused defaults and copy already applied. Cooking more than eggs at once? See Kitchen Cooking Timer with Multiple Timers for queuing several dishes, or open the cooking timer hub directly.

Tips for easy peeling

  • Ice bath immediately—the sudden temperature drop shrinks the egg away from the shell.
  • Slightly older eggs peel easier than very fresh ones, if you have a choice.
  • Crack and roll gently under cool running water rather than picking at small fragments.
  • Treat presets as starting points, not certified food-safety guidance—adjust to your own stove and taste.

Start the egg timer

Open the egg timer (10:00) or the soft-boiled egg timer (6:00), adjust for size, press Start, and ice-bath when it rings. Cooking pasta alongside? See Pasta Timer: Times by Shape.

Open egg timer

Frequently asked questions

How long should I boil an egg for soft, medium, or hard?
Common starting points from the boil: about 6 minutes for soft, 8 for medium, and 10–12 for hard. These are starting points, not fixed rules—adjust for egg size, starting temperature, and your stove.
Why do my eggs come out different every time?
Egg size, altitude, whether the egg started cold from the fridge or at room temperature, and how hard the water boils all shift the result. Treat the timer as a starting point and adjust by a minute next time.
Does this timer know my egg size automatically?
No—there is no sensor involved. Start from the soft-boiled or standard egg preset, then nudge the dial up for extra-large eggs or down for small ones.
How do I make the eggs easier to peel?
Move them straight into an ice bath right when the timer ends. The sudden temperature drop shrinks the egg away from the shell and makes peeling noticeably easier.