Egg Cooking Time Calculator
Written by Thierno Sadou Diallo, formula verified per our methodology • Last checked on 9/5/2026
For an egg dropped into already-boiling water, count 3 minutes for soft-boiled, 6 minutes for medium-boiled, and 10 minutes for hard-boiled. Add about 1 minute if the egg comes straight from the refrigerator.
Explanation
The cooking time of an egg in boiling water directly determines the texture of the white and yolk: soft-boiled (3 minutes), the white is barely set and the yolk stays almost liquid; medium-boiled (6 minutes), the white is fully set while the yolk stays creamy and slightly runny; hard-boiled (10 minutes), the white and yolk are both fully cooked. These times assume an egg dropped into water that's already boiling, the most reliable method for reproducible results, rather than starting in cold water (where cooking time depends more on stove power and the volume of water). An egg straight from the refrigerator, colder at its core than a room-temperature egg, needs a bit more time to reach the same internal texture: adding about 1 minute is a reasonable approximation to compensate for this starting temperature gap, even though the exact adjustment also depends on egg size and the amount of water. One essential detail once cooking is done: plunging the egg immediately into cold water stops the cooking dead, which prevents a medium-boiled egg from continuing to cook from residual heat and accidentally turning out harder than intended.
Example: a medium-boiled egg straight from the refrigerator
Inputs
Desired doneness: medium-boiled. Egg temperature: straight from the refrigerator.
Calculation
Base time for a medium-boiled egg: 6 minutes. Adjustment for a cold egg: +1 minute. Total: 7 minutes.
Result
Cook this egg for 7 minutes in boiling water.
Frequently asked questions
Why drop the egg into already-boiling water rather than cold water?
Because starting from already-boiling water gives a fixed, reproducible cooking time every time, whereas starting in cold water makes the result depend on stove power and the amount of water used, two factors that change how long it takes to reach a boil before the actual cooking even begins.
Why stop the cooking in cold water right away?
Because the heat stored in the white and especially the yolk keeps cooking the egg for several tens of seconds even after it's taken out of the boiling water. This phenomenon, called carryover cooking, can turn a perfectly timed medium-boiled egg into an almost hard-boiled one if the cooking isn't stopped quickly by running it under cold water.
Do these times change with the size of the egg?
Yes, to some extent: these benchmarks correspond to a medium-to-large egg. A noticeably smaller egg cooks a bit faster, and an extra-large egg a bit slower, but the gap generally stays limited to a few tens of seconds rather than several minutes for typical store-bought sizes.