Cooking times for eggs

In short: A soft-boiled egg needs about 5 to 6 minutes, a medium one 7, a hard-boiled one 9 to 10 minutes in boiling water. Rinse in cold water straight after so it does not keep cooking.

In more detail: The time depends on size, starting temperature and altitude. Eggs from the fridge take slightly longer.

In detail

• Piercing: Piercing with an egg pricker prevents bursting due to the air bubble.
• Lower into boiling water: Put eggs into the bubbling water with a spoon.
• Cold rinse: Cold water stops the cooking and makes peeling easier.
• Greenish ring: If cooked too long a grey ring forms on the yolk through iron sulphide. Harmless but unattractive.
• Freshness test: Fresh eggs sink in a glass of water, old ones stand up or float (eier-kennzeichnung-den-code-auf-dem-ei-verstehen).