How Long to Boil Eggs: Times for Soft, Jammy, Hard, and Well-Done
The exact times for soft, jammy, hard, and well-done eggs from a hot start, plus what changes the clock and how to avoid the usual mistakes.
EggDone
Egg timer for soft, jammy, hard
Hot-start matrix · ice bath when done
Egg timer
Loading egg timer…
When the timer ends: move eggs straight into an ice bath for at least 2 minutes — stops cooking and helps peeling. See the time chart ↓
Hot-start time chart
Large fridge eggs · start the clock when water returns to a boil · ice bath after. Same numbers as the timer above.
- Large fridge eggs
- Hot start · return to boil
- Ice bath after
- How we test →
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DonenessTimeResult
Soft6 minSet white, runny yolk
Jammy8 minCustardy / jammy yolk
Hard10 minFully set tender yolk
Well done12 minFirm yolk for chopping / egg salad
Start the timer when water returns to a boil after eggs go in. Shock in ice water for 1–2 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to boil an egg?
From a hot start (eggs into already-boiling water), large fridge-cold eggs take about 6 minutes soft, 8 jammy, 10 hard, and 12 well-done. Ice-bath as soon as the timer ends.
When do I start the egg timer?
Start when the eggs go into boiling water (hot start), or when cold water first returns to a full boil if you use cold start — don’t mix the two charts.
Why ice-bath boiled eggs?
An ice bath stops carryover cooking (which can chalk the yolk or add a green ring) and makes peeling easier. Move eggs as soon as the timer beeps.
Hot start or cold start?
Both work with different clocks. EggDone defaults to hot start because the start point is exact and repeatable. Cold-start times are labeled separately in our guides.