How Long to Boil Eggs: Times for Soft, Jammy, Hard, and Well-Done

H2How long to boil eggs

For a hot start — eggs lowered into water that's already at a rolling boil — the times are: 6 minutes for soft, 8 for jammy, 10 for hard, and 12 for well-done. These are large, fridge-cold eggs at sea level, timed from the moment they hit the water, followed immediately by an ice bath.

That's the direct answer. The rest of this guide covers the table, what nudges those numbers around, and where people usually go wrong.

H2Assumptions before you start

Every time below assumes:

• Large eggs (about 50–60g, USDA Large)
• Fridge-cold, straight from the refrigerator
• Hot start — eggs go into water that's already boiling
• Ice bath right after cooking, for at least a couple of minutes (longer is fine for hard-boiled)
• Sea level

If your stove runs hot or slow, your pot is crowded, or you're at altitude, expect the real result to shift by roughly 30–90 seconds from these numbers. That's normal — not a sign you did it wrong. Once you've tested your own setup once or twice, you'll know exactly where to land.

If you'd rather not watch the clock yourself, start the EggDone timer and pick the preset that matches the yolk you want.

H2Hot start time chart (default protocol)

This is the one chart to use for stovetop boiling. All times below are hot start — eggs added after the water is already boiling.

• Large fridge eggs
• Hot start · return to boil
• Ice bath after
• How we test →

6SoftminStart timer

8JammyminStart timer

10HardminStart timer

12Well doneminStart timer

Start when eggs hit boiling water. Ice bath when the timer ends.

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Style	Time (hot start)	Yolk result
Soft	6 min	Set white, runny yolk
Jammy	8 min	Custardy, jammy yolk
Hard	10 min	Fully set, tender yolk
Well-done	12 min	Firm yolk, good for chopping or egg salad

For a deeper look at hard-boiled specifically, see the hard-boiled eggs time chart. If you're mainly after a jammy or runny yolk, the soft-boil guide walks through that end of the range in more detail.

H2How to boil eggs, step by step

1. Bring a pot of water to a full rolling boil. Use enough water to cover the eggs by about an inch.
2. Lower the eggs in gently with a spoon or spider — straight from the fridge, no need to bring them to room temperature first.
3. Start your timer the moment the eggs go in. A gentle, steady boil (not a violent one) is enough; you don't need it roaring the whole time.
4. When the time's up, move the eggs immediately into an ice bath. Let them sit for at least 2 minutes for soft or jammy, and longer — 5 to 10 minutes — for hard or well-done, since a longer cold soak helps the shell separate from the white.
5. Peel when cool enough to handle, or store in the shell if you're not eating them right away.

The hot start method works well because you're not guessing when the water hits a boil partway through cooking — the clock starts at a known point, which is why it's easier to repeat the same result twice.

H2What changes the timing

• Egg size: medium eggs cook about 1 minute faster than large; extra-large or jumbo need about 1 minute longer.
• Altitude: above roughly 3,000 feet, water boils at a lower temperature, so add about 1 minute as a starting point and adjust from there.
• Crowded pot: too many eggs in too little water cools the boil down when you add them, which can quietly add 30–60 seconds to your effective cook time. Give them room.
• Vigorous vs. gentle boil: a hard, rolling boil versus a gentle simmer-boil can knock eggs into each other and crack shells, but it doesn't meaningfully speed up cooking — a steady boil is all you need.

None of these need a separate chart — just treat the times above as your baseline and nudge by 30 to 90 seconds based on your setup. For more on how we arrive at these numbers in the first place, see how we test boil times.

H2Cold start alternate (labeled separately)

Some cooks prefer starting eggs in cold water and bringing the pot up to a boil together. This is a genuinely different protocol with its own timing — don't mix these numbers with the hot start chart above.

• Large fridge eggs
• Hot start · return to boil
• Ice bath after
• How we test →

6

6

Soft

8

9

Jammy

10

12

Hard

12

14

Well done

• Hot start
• Cold start

Cold start is timed from the boil — do not mix these with the hot-start chart above.

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Cold start (fridge-cold, large eggs), timed from when the water reaches a boil:

• Soft: 6 minutes
• Jammy: 9 minutes
• Hard: 12 minutes
• Well-done: 14 minutes

Cold start tends to be gentler on shells since there's less thermal shock, but it's harder to nail precisely because "time to boil" varies by pot and stove. If you use this method, time consistently from the moment the water actually starts boiling, not from when you turn the burner on.

H2Storing what you don't eat right away

Cooked eggs shouldn't sit out longer than about 2 hours at room temperature. In the shell and refrigerated, hard-boiled eggs are good for about a week; once peeled, plan on 5 to 7 days. Freezing isn't recommended — the whites turn rubbery and don't come back to a good texture once thawed.