How to Boil an Egg (and Serve It Properly)

Boiling an egg sounds simple, but it’s one of those things many people overthink — or get wrong. Do it right, and you have the perfect breakfast: an egg in its cup, yolk ready for dipping, and toast soldiers standing by.

Table of Contents

🥚 Prepare the eggs

🥚 Timing is everything

🥚 Serve hot

🥚 Helpful Gadgets

Prepare the eggs

Take the eggs out of the fridge about 10–15 minutes before cooking. This brings them to room temperature and helps stop the shells cracking when they hit water.

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water, about 2–3 cm above the tops. Add a pinch of salt; it helps if one does crack.

Heat the pan gently until the water bubbles steadily.

Timing is everything

Once the water is boiling, start your timer:

• 3 minutes – soft yolk, perfect for dipping soldiers
• 4 minutes – slightly firmer, still soft
• 6 minutes – firm white, yolk just set
• 8 minutes – fully hard-boiled

Serve hot

Drain the pan and serve the eggs straight away in eggcups. Tap off the top with a spoon, sprinkle a little salt if you like, and dig in.

And don’t forget the toast soldiers — simply slices of toast cut into strips, perfect for dipping into a runny yolk. Children love them, and so do many grown-ups.

Helpful Gadgets

If you want to make life easier (or a bit more fun), here are a few gadgets worth knowing about:

• Egg topper: Neatly snips the top off without shell everywhere.
• Sand timer: The classic 3-minute egg timer for soft eggs.
• In-pan egg timer: Changes colour as the eggs cook, no clock-watching needed.
• Egg cups: From plain to novelty, they make breakfast feel special.
• Egg spoon: Just the right size and shape for scooping out soft-boiled eggs.