To boil an egg the way you actually want it, pick how done you like the yolk, start the timer the moment the eggs go into boiling water, and take them out when it rings. From a rolling boil with large eggs, that is roughly 6 minutes for soft, 9 for medium and 12 for hard. The egg timer has those three as one-tap presets, so you do not have to remember the numbers or watch the pot.
It runs in your browser, free, with no sign-up, and keeps working offline once loaded, which is handy when the kitchen has weak signal.
Pick soft, medium or hard
The single thing that decides your egg is how long it cooks. The timer gives you three starting points:
- Soft, about 6 minutes. Set white and a runny, dippable yolk. Good for soldiers and ramen.
- Medium, about 9 minutes. Firm white and a jammy, sticky yolk that holds its shape.
- Hard, about 12 minutes. Fully set yolk, the kind you slice onto a salad or pack for lunch.
Tap one and the timer loads the minutes for you. If you like your eggs a specific way that falls between those, type a custom time instead and the tool remembers nothing you did not set.
Get the method right
The presets are built around one method, so follow it for the times to land:
- Bring a pan of water to a full rolling boil.
- Lower the eggs in gently with a spoon so they do not crack on the base.
- Start the timer as soon as they are in.
- When it rings, move the eggs into cold water to stop them cooking.
Starting the timer at the right moment matters more than anything. If you begin counting before the water is truly boiling, every egg will come out softer than you expected.
Small things that change the result
A few factors push the timing around, so treat the presets as a strong starting point rather than a fixed law.
- Egg size. Large eggs match the presets. Medium eggs run a little faster, jumbo a little slower.
- Starting temperature. Fridge-cold eggs need a touch longer than eggs left out to reach room temperature.
- Altitude. Water boils at a lower temperature high up, so eggs cook more slowly and need extra time.
Once you find the time that gives you the egg you like, set it as your custom time and you can repeat it exactly.
When another timer fits better
If you are timing several kitchen steps at once rather than a single boil, a plain online timer with quick presets is easier to reset between tasks. For steeping tea, the same idea applies: start the timer when the water hits the leaves and pull them at the chime.