The journalists interviewed the chefs, who all agreed that six minutes is the magic time for cooking the perfect soft-boiled egg. The chefs emphasized three key points: place room-temperature eggs in boiling water, maintain a gentle simmer, and submerge the eggs in an ice bath for two to five minutes after the timer goes off. This stops the cooking process and makes it easy to peel the shells. Eight minutes are required for medium-done eggs with a “creamy” yolk, and 10–12 minutes are required for hard-boiled eggs.
If you want soft-boiled eggs, know that even one or two extra minutes of cooking will ruin the result. That’s why it’s important to know how long to boil eggs. Express writes about this.
A journalist asked four chefs about it, and they all gave the same answer: the ideal time to make a soft-boiled egg is six minutes.
“The perfect boiled egg depends on what you want: runny, soft, or hard. For a creamy, runny yolk, place the egg in gently boiling water for six minutes, then immediately transfer it to an ice bath for two to three minutes to stop the cooking process. For medium-done eggs, boil for 8 minutes; for hard-boiled eggs, boil for about 10–11 minutes,” explained David Davydov, recipe developer and founder of The Cooking Foodie.
He also shared a few additional tips:
- Boil eggs at room temperature to prevent cracking.
- Gently lower them into boiling (not cold) water.
- Always use an ice bath after cooking—that’s the secret to easy peeling.
Herman Chan, who shares his recipes on Instagram, confirmed that to get a perfectly cooked egg with a runny yolk, you need to boil it for six minutes starting from the moment the water comes to a boil.
“While the egg is cooking, the water should be simmering. After cooking, transfer the egg to an ice bath to stop the cooking process,” he said.
He also advised adding a tablespoon of vinegar to the water to make peeling the eggs easier.
Alison Mayret, who runs the food blog MealInspired, explained that to achieve a runny yolk, eggs should be boiled for six minutes, eight minutes for medium-done, and 12 minutes for hard-boiled.
“If I want eggs with a runny yolk, I’ll boil them on low heat for exactly six minutes. The best time for medium eggs with a custard-like yolk is eight minutes. For fully hard-boiled eggs, I set the timer for 11 minutes, which results in a firm but not ‘chalky’ yolk.” Immediately after cooking, I place the eggs in an ice bath for at least five minutes. This stops the cooking process, prevents a gray-green ring around the yolk, and makes the eggs much easier to peel,” explained Mark McShane, a chef and food safety expert.
However, there are other tips for boiling eggs with runny yolks. For example, here’s what Henry O’Connor, founder of the British brand Better Eggs, had to say:
“Place the eggs in a pot, cover them with cold water, add a pinch of salt, and bring everything to a full boil. Once you’re sure the eggs have come to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let them sit for one minute. This quick rest will give you a soft, tender result without overcooking. Then, open the pot and enjoy.”