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How Long to Boil Eggs
By Strudel Team · Updated
Quick answer
Boiled egg timer
Doneness
Egg size
Eggs start
Boil for
7 min
For a jammy egg, in water at a rolling boil.
Start the timer as the eggs go in. A chime plays at zero, so turn your sound on.
Boiled egg times by doneness
Large, fridge-cold eggs lowered into water at a rolling boil.
| Doneness | Time | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft | 6 min | White just set, yolk fully liquid. | Toast and soldiers, eaten from the shell |
| Jammy | 7 min | White firm, yolk set at the edge and jammy in the middle. | Ramen, grain bowls |
| Medium | 9 min | Yolk set through but still moist and fudgy. | Salads, niçoise |
| Hard | 11 min | Yolk pale and fully set, with no green ring. | Deviled eggs, egg salad |
Adjust the time: Medium, 30 seconds less. Extra-large, 1 minute more. Room temperature, 1 minute less. The timer does this for you, and never goes under 5 minutes.
How to boil eggs
- Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Use enough to cover the eggs by about an inch.
- Lower the eggs in gently with a spoon or spider, then start the timer.
- Keep the water at a gentle boil so the eggs don't knock together and crack.
- When the timer ends, move the eggs to a bowl of ice water for at least 5 minutes.
- Bring about an inch of water to a boil in a pot fitted with a steamer basket.
- Set the eggs in the basket in a single layer, cover and start the timer. Steam doesn't cool down when cold eggs go in, so the times match boiling.
- Move the eggs to ice water for at least 5 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of water and the trivet. Set the eggs on the trivet in a single layer.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then vent the rest.
- Move the eggs to ice water for 5 minutes. This gives hard-cooked eggs.
Why starting in boiling water peels better
Eggs that go into water that’s already boiling are easier to peel than eggs started in cold water. The sudden heat sets the outer layer of white fast, before it can bond to the membrane under the shell, so the shell comes away clean. Steaming works the same way.
It’s also more reliable. A cold start depends on how fast your stove brings the pot up to a boil, so the same number of minutes gives different eggs in different kitchens. A boiling start takes that out of the equation, which is why the times on this page work.
Fix common boiled egg problems
Cracked shells
Cold eggs crack when they knock the bottom of the pot or each other. Lower them in gently with a spoon and keep the water at a gentle boil, not a hard one. A hairline crack is fine: the white sets and seals it.
Green ring around the yolk
The egg cooked too long or cooled too slowly. It's harmless, just iron in the yolk meeting sulfur from the white. Stick to the timer, then move the eggs to ice water for at least 5 minutes.
Hard to peel
Very fresh eggs and cold-water starts both peel badly. Start in boiling water or steam, chill in ice water, then crack the egg all over and peel under running water, starting at the wide end where the air pocket is.
How to store boiled eggs
Hard-boiled eggs keep 1 week in the fridge, peeled or in the shell. Unpeeled eggs are the easier keepers, since the shell stops them drying out and picking up fridge smells. Keep peeled eggs in a covered container. Don’t freeze boiled eggs.
Don’t leave them out of the fridge longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it’s above 90°F. That counts for deviled eggs on a buffet and egg salad at a picnic too.
Boiled egg questions
How long do you boil eggs for hard-boiled?
11 minutes for large eggs straight from the fridge, lowered into water at a rolling boil. Move them to ice water right away so the yolk stays yellow, with no green ring.
How long do you boil eggs for a runny yolk?
6 minutes for a large, fridge-cold egg. The white is just set and the yolk is fully liquid. For a jammy yolk that's set at the edges, go to 7 minutes.
Should eggs go into cold water or boiling water?
Boiling water. The timing is the same every time, whatever your stove or pot, and the eggs peel more easily.
Do room-temperature eggs cook faster?
Yes, by about a minute, since they don't have to warm up first. The timer takes that off when you choose Room temperature.
How long do hard-boiled eggs last?
1 week in the fridge, peeled or in the shell. Don't freeze them, and don't leave them out of the fridge longer than 2 hours.
Eggs on, hands free. Strudel keeps time.
Strudel reads you each step out loud and runs the timers, so you can keep your hands on the food.