🥚 Egg Boiling Calculator
Get the ideal boiling time for your eggs based on size, how done you like the yolk, and whether you start from cold or already-boiling water.
How egg boiling time is estimated
The right boiling time for an egg depends on three things: how big the egg is, how set you want the yolk (soft, jammy/medium, or fully hard), and whether you start timing from cold water or lower the egg into water that is already boiling. Larger eggs need slightly more time for heat to reach the center, and starting from boiling water is faster than starting from cold since the water is already at temperature.
How this calculator works
Select your egg size, desired doneness, and starting method. The calculator starts from standard reference times for a large egg lowered into boiling water (about 6 minutes soft, 8 minutes medium, and 12 minutes hard), then adjusts slightly up or down for egg size, and adds extra time if starting from cold water to account for the time it takes the water to reach a boil.
- Immediately transferring cooked eggs to an ice water bath stops the cooking process and makes peeling easier.
- Older eggs (about a week or more) tend to peel more easily than very fresh eggs.
This tool gives a general estimate for home cooking; exact results can vary with altitude, pot size, and starting water temperature.