A large egg at room temperature needs 5 minutes for a runny yolk, 7 minutes for a jammy one and 11 minutes for hard-boiled, timed from when it goes into boiling water. Straight from the fridge, soft and jammy eggs need about 1 minute more. Each size up adds about 1 minute.
A large egg at room temperature needs 5 minutes for a runny yolk, 7 minutes for a jammy one and 11 minutes for hard-boiled, timed from when it goes into boiling water. Straight from the fridge, soft and jammy eggs need about 1 minute more. Each size up adds about 1 minute.
8 minutes · Jammy
Large egg (L), from the fridge, timed from boiling water.
Lower the eggs into boiling water with a spoon, then let the water bubble gently. Start timing now.
Runny yolks are fine for pregnant women, babies, children and older people if the hen eggs have the British Lion mark or come from the Laid in Britain scheme (FSA, NHS). Other eggs, including duck, goose and quail eggs: cook until white and yolk are solid.
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Minutes from when the egg goes into boiling water. UK and EU sizes are the same weights.
| Size | Soft-boiled | Jammy | Hard-boiled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (under 53 g) | 4 min | 6 min | 9 min |
| Medium (53–63 g) | 5 min | 7 min | 10 min |
| Large (63–73 g) | 6 min | 8 min | 11 min |
| Very large (73 g and over) | 7 min | 9 min | 12 min |
| Size | Soft-boiled | Jammy | Hard-boiled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (under 53 g) | 3 min | 5 min | 9 min |
| Medium (53–63 g) | 4 min | 6 min | 10 min |
| Large (63–73 g) | 5 min | 7 min | 11 min |
| Very large (73 g and over) | 6 min | 8 min | 12 min |
Source: British Lion Eggs, 2026
| Egg | White | Yolk | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft-boiled | set | runny | 5 min |
| Jammy | set | almost set, sticky | 7 min |
| Hard-boiled | set | firm | 11 min |
Source: BBC Good Food, 2026
Large eggs, in minutes, all timed from boiling water.
| Source | Soft-boiled | Jammy | Hard-boiled |
|---|---|---|---|
| This calculator, from the fridge | 6 | 8 | 11 |
| This calculator, room temperature | 5 | 7 | 11 |
| BBC Good Food, room temperature | 5 | 7 | 10 |
BBC Good Food gives 10 minutes for a classic hard-boiled large egg; this calculator keeps 11 so the yolk is fully firm.
Example: Jammy, large, straight from the fridge:
A large egg at room temperature: 5 minutes for soft-boiled, 7 for jammy and 11 for hard-boiled, timed from when it goes into boiling water. Medium eggs need about 1 minute less, and soft or jammy eggs straight from the fridge 1 minute more.
5 minutes for a large egg at room temperature, 6 straight from the fridge. BBC Good Food also gives 5 minutes for a large egg at room temperature: set white, runny yolk.
10 minutes for a medium egg, 11 for large and 12 for very large. BBC Good Food gives 10 minutes for a large egg. After 8 minutes the yolk isn’t quite firm yet (German Federal Centre for Nutrition).
Into boiling water: the cooking time then starts straight away and the times match (BBC Good Food, German Federal Centre for Nutrition). British Lion’s guide starts in cold water and times from the simmer, so its times are shorter.
Soft and jammy eggs, yes: cold water stops them cooking further (BBC Good Food). Hard-boiled eggs don’t need it. British Lion says cold water makes eggs less likely to stick to the shell; German consumer advice says the age of the egg matters more for peeling.
In the UK, yes, if they are hen eggs with the red British Lion mark or from the Laid in Britain scheme (NHS, FSA). Other hen eggs, and duck, goose or quail eggs, only well cooked. German advice is stricter: only eggs with a firm white and yolk (BfR).
Up to a week in the fridge in their shells, and within a day once peeled (British Lion Eggs).