What this timer is for
An egg timer is the difference between a perfectly jammy yolk and breakfast disappointment. Boiling an egg sounds simple - drop, wait, fish out - but a minute too long turns silky into chalky, and a minute too short leaves the white slimy. Cooking time is the only variable you fully control, so it's the one worth getting precise about.
Timglas turns that minute count into something you can see across the kitchen. Pick the doneness you want, hit start, and the hourglass takes care of the rest - no setting alarms on your phone, no peeking at the stopwatch, no eggs forgotten while you butter the toast.
Pick a doneness
Three presets cover the everyday range. Times assume large eggs lowered into already-boiling water - start the timer the moment they hit the pan, and finish with a quick ice bath so they stop cooking.
Soft - 5 minutes
Whites just set, yolks still liquid. The classic dippy egg, perfect with toast soldiers or on top of ramen.
Medium - 7 minutes
Whites firm, yolk creamy and jammy. Ideal for ramen, salade niçoise, or a softer take on the picnic egg.
Hard - 10 minutes
Whites and yolks fully cooked through, with a tender (not chalky) centre. Great for slicing into salads, deviled eggs, or packed lunches.
When the egg timer earns its keep
Boiled eggs are simple - until you walk away, get distracted, and end up with rubber. Reach for the egg timer when you need to:
- Hit a specific yolk consistency for a recipe (a runny yolk on ramen is not the same as a jammy one in a salad).
- Cook several eggs on the same schedule without standing over the pan.
- Get repeatable results so breakfast tastes the same every day.
- Free your hands to butter toast, brew coffee, or set the table while the eggs cook.
How to boil the perfect egg
The boiling-water method is the most reliable way to hit a specific doneness. Cold-start methods exist but vary too much by stove and pot. Here's the foolproof version:
- Bring a saucepan of water to a rolling boil - enough to cover the eggs by about an inch.
- Lower the eggs in gently with a slotted spoon so the shells don't crack on the bottom.
- Start the timer the moment the eggs are in the water, and pick the preset that matches the doneness you want.
- Keep the water at a gentle boil - a violent boil knocks eggs around and cracks them.
- When the timer rings, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water for at least a minute. This stops the cooking and makes them much easier to peel.
Frequently asked questions
Should I start eggs in cold or boiling water?
Both work, but boiling water gives more predictable results because timing starts from a known temperature. Our presets - 5, 7, and 10 minutes - assume eggs lowered into already-boiling water. If you start in cold water and bring to a boil, add about a minute to each preset, and expect more variation.
Do these times work for any size of egg?
The presets are tuned for large eggs (around 60 g) straight from the fridge. Add about 30 seconds for extra-large eggs and subtract 30 seconds for medium eggs. Room-temperature eggs cook a touch faster, so shave roughly 30 seconds off if you've left them on the counter.
Does altitude affect boiling times?
Yes. Water boils at a lower temperature at altitude, so eggs take longer to cook. Above roughly 1,000 metres, add about 30 seconds; above 2,000 metres, add a full minute or more. The hourglass keeps the time honest - you just need to nudge the preset upward.
Do I really need the ice bath afterwards?
Strongly recommended. Eggs keep cooking from residual heat after you fish them out, so without an ice bath a 7-minute medium can drift into 8-minute territory. The cold shock also contracts the egg slightly inside the shell, which makes peeling much easier.