🥚 Egg Timer
Choose how you like your eggs — soft, medium, or hard boiled — or set a custom time using the arrows below. Hit Start Timer and we'll count down with a sound alert when done!
Free Online Egg Timer
This free egg timer helps you cook perfectly boiled eggs every time. Whether you prefer a runny soft-boiled egg for breakfast, a jammy medium-boiled egg for ramen, or a firm hard-boiled egg for salads — just tap the preset and let the timer do the work.
How to Use
Pick one of the three presets — Soft (6 minutes), Medium (9 minutes), or Hard (12 minutes) — or use the up/down arrow buttons to set a custom time. Press Start Timer and place your eggs in the already-boiling water. The circular progress ring will count down visually, and when time is up, a sound alert will let you know your eggs are ready. Immediately transfer the eggs to ice water to stop the cooking process.
Recommended Cooking Times
- Soft boiled (6 min): Runny yolk, set white. Perfect for toast soldiers or ramen.
- Medium boiled (9 min): Jammy, golden yolk. Great for salads and grain bowls.
- Hard boiled (12 min): Fully set yolk. Ideal for sandwiches, deviled eggs, and meal prep.
Stove Heat & Burner Guide
Getting the right heat level is just as important as timing. Here's what we recommend:
- Step 1 — Boil: Fill a pot with enough water to cover the eggs by about 1 inch. Bring it to a full rolling boil on high heat.
- Step 2 — Lower the eggs: Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water using a spoon or ladle.
- Step 3 — Reduce heat: Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low (a gentle simmer with small bubbles). This prevents the eggs from bouncing around and cracking.
- Which burner? On a typical 4-burner gas or electric stove, use the small or medium burner (sizes 1–2). The large and extra-large burners provide too much heat and make it harder to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Step 4 — Ice bath: When the timer goes off, immediately move the eggs to a bowl of ice water for at least 2 minutes. This stops the cooking and makes peeling easier.
Tips for Perfect Boiled Eggs
- Start with eggs at room temperature to prevent cracking from thermal shock.
- Use a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) during cooking for even results.
- Add a pinch of salt or a splash of vinegar to the water — this helps the white set faster if the shell cracks.
- Older eggs (7–10 days old) peel more easily than farm-fresh ones.
- Keep this browser tab open so the sound alert can play when done.