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How long to boil a soft-boiled egg

A soft-boiled egg takes exactly 5 minutes — for a size-M egg straight from the fridge, lowered into water at a rolling boil. On induction, 4:30 is enough; in an egg cooker, plan 8:00 total including heat-up. The result: a set but tender white and a runny, creamy yolk.

Why exactly 5:00

Five minutes sits right in the narrow window where the white has fully set but the yolk hasn't begun to thicken. A little less and the white near the yolk stays glassy; a little more and the yolk starts creeping toward medium. Soft-boiled eggs punish guesswork more than any other doneness, because the window is only about a minute wide.

The 5:00 figure rests on two fixed reference points: a size-M egg straight from the fridge, and water at a gentle rolling boil when the egg goes in. Boiling water is always at the same temperature, which is what makes the number repeatable in any kitchen. Water that's merely simmering around 90 °C cooks noticeably slower — a "5-minute egg" from simmering water comes out underdone.

The 5-minute method

  1. Bring enough water to a rolling boil to cover the eggs completely.
  2. Lower each fridge-cold egg in gently with a spoon — this prevents cracks on the bottom of the pot.
  3. Start the timer at 5:00 the moment the eggs are in.
  4. Keep the water at a steady, gentle boil.
  5. When the timer rings, lift the eggs out and rinse them briefly under cold water.

The cold rinse matters most at this doneness. An egg keeps cooking from its own stored heat, and a soft yolk has almost no margin — a minute of carry-over is the difference between runny and jammy. A brief shock stops the cooking right at 5:00; keep it short so the egg is still warm in the cup.

When 5:00 isn't your number

5:00 is a reference, not a law. Adjust it when your setup differs:

  • Induction hob: 4:30. Induction brings the water back to a boil faster after the eggs go in, so each time is 30 seconds shorter.
  • Egg cooker: 8:00 total from switch-on — that includes the appliance's heat-up time.
  • Egg size: about −30 seconds for S, +30 for L, and +60 to 90 for XL. The egg size chart lists every combination.
  • Room-temperature eggs: roughly 30 to 60 seconds less than fridge-cold — the details are in fridge-cold vs. room temperature.

These adjustments stack: a room-temperature L egg lands roughly back at the 5:00 reference — plus 30 seconds for the size, minus about the same for the temperature.

Serving a soft-boiled egg

A soft-boiled egg doesn't wait well. The yolk keeps thickening as the egg sits in its own heat, so serve it straight away: into an egg cup, tap around the top with a knife or spoon, lift the cap off. Salt, pepper, and something to dip — toast fingers exist for exactly this moment.

Because the window is so tight, this is the doneness where a real timer earns its keep. Egg Timer has Soft preset at 5:00 for the stove, 4:30 for induction and 8:00 for the egg cooker, and its alarm rings through the same iOS mechanism as the system timer — loud, on the Lock Screen, even in silent mode — so the difference between soft and medium never comes down to whether you heard your phone.

Keep reading

Soft eggs, zero guesswork

Egg Timer preloads 5:00 for the stove, 4:30 for induction and 8:00 for the egg cooker — and rings even when your iPhone is locked.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I soft-boil several eggs at once?

Yes — the time stays 5:00 as long as the eggs fit in a single layer and the water keeps its rolling boil. Use a pot large enough that the boil recovers quickly after the eggs go in.

What should a soft-boiled egg look like inside?

The white is fully set but tender, and the yolk is liquid and creamy from edge to centre. If the white near the yolk is still glassy, the egg needed a little more time — or the water wasn't at a full boil when it went in.

How long does a soft-boiled egg take from room temperature?

About 30 to 60 seconds less than the fridge-cold reference — so roughly 4:00 to 4:30 for a size-M egg on the stove. Note what works in your kitchen and stick with it.

Why is my soft-boiled egg different every time?

The usual suspects: water that wasn't fully boiling when the egg went in, mixed egg sizes in one carton, and skipping the cold rinse at the end. Fix the start temperature and the size, and 5:00 becomes remarkably repeatable.