How to boil an egg
Description: Learn how long to boil an egg for the perfect consistency, whether you're after runny yolks or hard-boiled. Plus, check out our recipe ideas.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make sure your eggs aren't fridge cold. By having the eggs at room temperature, it will be less of a shock for the egg reaching the hot water and therefore less likely to crack. You can also use an egg pricker to make a very small hole in each egg before boiling, which will also reduce the chances of it cracking in the heat.
- We used large hens' eggs at room temperature lowered into boiling water. When done, scoop the eggs out of the pan and put them in a bowl of cold water (if you’re not eating them straight away) to prevent them cooking any further.
- Follow these timings for how to boil an egg for a runny yolk, soft set centre or until hard boiled:
- 5 minutes: set white and runny yolk – just right for dipping into
- 6 minutes: liquid yolk – a little less oozy
- 7 minutes: almost set – deliciously sticky
- 8 minutes: softly set – this is what you want to make Scotch eggs
- 10 minutes: the classic hard-boiled egg – mashable but not dry and chalky