Set the timer to 78 seconds

How to use the online timer

Getting eggs exactly how you like them comes down to timing, and 78 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.

Using it is as simple as it sounds: hit Start and the countdown takes over from there. Keep the browser tab open while it runs, since the timer only keeps counting while the page stays loaded, and pause or reset it any time if your plans change. When time's up, a sound plays to let you know, so you don't need to keep glancing at the screen.

A phone timer works fine until a call comes in or a notification steals the screen at the worst moment. Running it in a browser tab keeps it separate from all that, ticking away quietly in the background of your computer or phone without competing for attention until it's done. There's nothing to install and nothing to sign up for, just a page that does one job well. If you would rather say put a timer on for 78 seconds, that works too — press Start and the page does the rest.