How long to boil eggs
Bring the water to a boil, lower in the eggs and start the timer. Pick how you like the yolk. The timer counts down and beeps when it's time for the ice bath.
Egg timer
Start it when the eggs go into the boiling water.
Eggs are done. Into the ice water.
Boiling time chart
Large eggs from the fridge, lowered into boiling water, then an ice bath. The 8 min egg is a photo of real eggs. The others are drawings.
8 min: medium
Photo: a large egg from the fridge, 8 minutes in boiling water, then ice water. Yolk set at the edge, still slightly soft in the centre.
How to boil eggs on the stove
- Put enough water in a pot to cover the eggs by about an inch (2.5 cm) and bring it to a boil.
- Turn the heat down to a steady, gentle boil. Lower the eggs in with a spoon, straight from the fridge.
- Start the timer: 6 minutes for soft, 7 minutes for jammy, 9 minutes for medium, 11 minutes for hard and 13 minutes for firm.
- Move the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Leave them 1 to 2 minutes if you're eating them warm, or 10 to 15 minutes if you want them cold or plan to peel and store them.
These times are for large eggs from the fridge, lowered into water that's already boiling. That's the most predictable way to do it, because the clock starts at the same point every time. Starting in cold water works too, but the timing depends on your stove. See cold water vs boiling water.
What changes the time
- Egg size. Medium eggs need about 1 minute less. Extra-large and jumbo eggs need about 1 minute more.
- Fridge-cold or room temperature. Eggs that have sat out cook faster. Take off about 1 minute less.
- Altitude. Water boils at a lower temperature the higher you live, so eggs take longer. Add a little time and test one egg.
- A crowded pot. A lot of cold eggs cools the water down. Use a pot big enough to hold them in one layer and let the water get back to a boil quickly.
The easiest fix for any of these is to cook one test egg, cut it open, and write down what you got. Next time you'll know your stove.
Egg guides
Doneness
Other ways to cook them
- Cold water vs boiling water
- Air fryer boiled eggs
- Instant Pot boiled eggs
- Boiling eggs in the microwave
Boiling eggs for
Peeling, storing and problems
- How to peel boiled eggs
- How long boiled eggs last
- Why is my boiled egg green?
- Eggs cracking when boiling
Questions people ask
How long do you boil eggs?
5 to 6 minutes for soft with a runny yolk, 6½ to 7½ minutes for jammy, 8 to 9 minutes for medium and 10 to 12 minutes for hard boiled. Those times are for large eggs from the fridge, lowered into water that is already boiling.
Do you put eggs in cold water or boiling water?
Either works. Lowering eggs into boiling water gives more predictable timing, which is why the timer uses it. A cold start is gentler, but the timing depends on how fast your stove heats the pot.
Do I need an ice bath?
It stops the cooking so the yolk ends up where you timed it, and it makes the eggs easier to handle and peel. A bowl of cold water with a tray of ice cubes is enough.
Can I boil a lot of eggs at once?
Yes, as long as they sit in one layer and the water covers them. A pot full of cold eggs cools the water more, so keep the heat up until it is back to a gentle boil, and test one egg the first time.
Should I add salt or vinegar to the water?
Neither changes the cooking time. A splash of vinegar helps any white that leaks from a crack set faster. Salt mostly just seasons the water.