Perfect Egg Timer

Your egg

Method: bring water to a rolling boil, lower the egg in with a spoon, start the timer, then cool under cold running water (or an ice bath for hard-boiled) as soon as the alarm sounds.

Tips & notes

• Rolling boil first. The timings assume the egg goes into water that is already at a full rolling boil. Starting in cold water will give quite different results.
• Fridge vs room. A fridge-cold egg cools the water slightly and needs a little longer. Room-temperature eggs are also less likely to crack.
• Stop the cooking. Plunge the egg into cold water (or an ice bath) the moment the alarm sounds — carry-over heat will keep cooking the yolk otherwise.
• Altitude. At high altitude, water boils cooler and eggs take longer. Add about 30 seconds per 300 m / 1,000 ft above sea level.
• Quail eggs are fragile — a slotted spoon helps, and peel them under running water.