Egg size boiling time chart
The chart
All times below assume the boiling-start method: fridge-cold eggs lowered into water at a gentle rolling boil on a regular stove, timer started immediately. (The full method is in how to boil the perfect egg.)
| Size | Soft | Medium | Hard | Extra hard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | 4:30 | 6:30 | 9:30 | 12:30 |
| M (reference) | 5:00 | 7:00 | 10:00 | 13:00 |
| L | 5:30 | 7:30 | 10:30 | 13:30 |
| XL | 6:00–6:30 | 8:00–8:30 | 11:00–11:30 | 14:00–14:30 |
On an induction hob, subtract 30 seconds from every cell — induction recovers the boil faster after the eggs go in. In an egg cooker, the size-M totals from switch-on are 8:00 / 10:00 / 12:00 / 14:30 including heat-up; the same size adjustments are a sensible starting point there too.
Why bigger eggs need more time
Heat moves through an egg from the outside in. A larger egg has more white between the shell and the yolk, so the centre — the part that defines soft, medium or hard — simply takes longer to reach temperature. The white sets on schedule either way; it's the yolk that lags behind.
That's also why the adjustment grows with the size gap. One class up or down is worth about 30 seconds; the jump from M to XL is worth a full 60 to 90. Treat these as rules of thumb rather than physics homework: eggs within one size class still vary a little, and your first XL batch will tell you whether yours is a 6:00 or a 6:30 kitchen.
Size isn't the only variable
Two other factors shift your times in the same quiet way:
- Starting temperature. The chart assumes eggs straight from the fridge. Room-temperature eggs finish roughly 30 to 60 seconds earlier — the details are in fridge-cold vs. room-temperature eggs.
- Altitude. Well above sea level, water boils below 100 °C and everything cooks slower — see boiling eggs at high altitude.
The good news: these adjustments stack predictably. A room-temperature L egg lands roughly back at the reference time — plus 30 seconds for the size, minus about the same for the temperature. Pick one egg size and one storage habit, and your numbers stop moving.
Finding your number
The practical path: check the size class on your carton, start from the chart, and note what you get. If your eggs run large within their class, add 15 seconds next time; if a soft egg comes out more set than you like, take 15 off. After two or three batches you'll have a number that's yours — and it will keep working as long as you buy the same size.
That's exactly how Egg Timer is built. The free presets cover a size-M egg from the fridge on stove, induction or egg cooker — and with the one-time Pro upgrade, every time is adjustable in 15-second steps from 2:00 to 30:00, separately for each doneness level and appliance. Set your L-egg soft time once, and it's there every morning.
Times that fit your eggs
Egg Timer comes with the size-M presets built in — and Pro (one-time purchase, no subscription) lets you tune every time in 15-second steps.
Coming soon to the App Store