Egg Timer
- Set Sound
- Set Time
How to use the online egg timer
This egg timer is an online hourglass: the sand drains from the top bulb to the bottom as the countdown runs, and an alarm rings when time is up. It opens at 3 minutes, the length of a classic sand egg timer, and you can change it to any time you need.
- Click Set Time and enter the minutes (and seconds, if you want them) for your eggs.
- Click Set Sound and pick an alarm you will hear over a running stove fan, such as Bell, Doorbell or Emergency.
- Press Start when the eggs go into the boiling water.
- Pause or reset at any time. When the sand runs out, the alarm plays and an "Egg Timer Is Complete" message appears.
How long to boil an egg
These are commonly cited times for large eggs, counted from the moment the water comes back to a boil after the eggs go in:
| Doneness | Time | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Soft-boiled | about 6–7 minutes | Set white, runny yolk for dipping toast |
| Medium | about 8–9 minutes | Jammy, fudgy yolk, good for ramen or salads |
| Hard-boiled | about 10–12 minutes | Firm yolk for deviled eggs, egg salad and snacks |
Treat these as starting points. Smaller eggs cook faster, extra-large and jumbo eggs need longer, and eggs straight from the fridge take a little more time than room-temperature eggs. Altitude, the size of your pot and how many eggs you add also change the result, so adjust by 30 to 60 seconds after your first batch and remember the time that works in your kitchen.
Tips for better boiled eggs
- Lower, don't drop. Use a spoon to lower eggs into the water so the shells don't crack.
- Start timing when the eggs go in. Cold eggs cool the water for a moment, so keep the heat up until it returns to a gentle boil, then hold it there.
- Cool them fast. Move the eggs to a bowl of ice water when the alarm rings. This stops the cooking and makes them easier to peel.
- Write your time down. If 7 minutes gave you the perfect yolk, set it again next time.
Color changing egg timer vs. an online egg timer
A color changing egg timer is a heat-sensitive disc shaped like an egg that sits in the pot with your eggs and darkens as they cook. It reacts to the water temperature, so you read doneness by color instead of minutes.
This page works differently: it does not change color, and it does not sense your eggs. Instead it gives you an exact countdown and a loud alarm, so you don't have to keep checking the pot. If you like the look of sand running through glass, the hourglass gives you the same visual sense of time draining away.
Not just for eggs
An egg timer is really any short kitchen timer. Use it for steeping tea, resting meat, toothbrushing or a quick board game turn. For a bigger hourglass with presets from 30 seconds to 60 minutes, try the sand timer. If you are cooking several things at once, open a separate timer in its own browser tab for each pot; you can pick one from the countdown timers page.
Egg timer FAQ
Why is a classic egg timer 3 minutes?
Traditional sand egg timers usually run for about 3 minutes, which suits a very soft egg in some recipes. Most people today prefer longer times, so set the minutes that match the table above.
Will the alarm ring if my phone screen turns off?
The timer asks your device to keep the screen awake while it runs, where the browser supports it. Keep the page open and the volume up; the alarm only plays while the page is open in your browser.
Can I time more than one batch?
This page runs one timer. To time several things, open another timer in a new browser tab; each tab runs on its own.