Set the timer to 157 seconds

How to use the online timer

Getting eggs exactly how you like them comes down to timing, and 157 seconds is a starting point plenty of people use for soft yolks with just-set whites. Drop the eggs in once the water's rolling, start the timer straight away, and pull them out the moment it finishes rather than leaving them to keep cooking in the hot water. A few seconds either way changes the whole result.

Press Start and away it goes, counting down on its own without needing you to babysit it every few seconds. The only real rule is keeping this browser tab open, since the countdown pauses along with the page if you close it or shut the browser down entirely. Right at zero, a sound plays to let you know time's up, clear enough to hear from the next room over.

Kitchen timers are great until you need one outside the kitchen, and most phone timers sit behind a lock screen and a couple of taps. A browser tab is already open on most devices anyway, so the timer is right there without hunting for an app or a gadget. It's free, needs no registration, and works the same whether you're cooking, exercising, or trying to focus. If you would rather say put a timer on for 157 seconds, that works too — press Start and the page does the rest.