How to use the online timer
Seven minutes lands you in the middle ground of egg cookery: the white is fully set, but the yolk keeps a fudgy, slightly sticky centre rather than the wet centre of a soft egg or the chalky texture of a hard one. It's the timing ramen shops chase for their ajitama-style eggs, and it works just as well halved over avo toast or tossed through a salad. The count starts once the eggs go into water that's already at a rolling boil, not from when you turn the stove on — a cold start adds several unpredictable minutes.
Egg size and fridge temperature both shift the result. A large fridge-cold egg at seven minutes reads differently to a small one, or one left on the bench overnight in a Queensland summer. If your eggs keep going more solid than expected, drop to six minutes and adjust from there — better to test once and remember your number than guess every time.
The moment the timer ends, move the eggs straight into iced water. This halts the cooking instantly and stops a grey-green ring forming around the yolk, which is just a harmless reaction between sulphur and iron but looks unappetising on a plate. Peel under running water once they're cool enough to handle, and the shell should come away in large pieces rather than tearing the white.
Common questions
Why does the timer start after the water is already boiling?
Starting from a cold pot adds an unpredictable warm-up period that depends on your stove and pot size, so the seven minutes would mean something different every time. Boiling water gives a consistent starting point.
What if my egg comes out more or less set than I wanted?
Adjust by a minute next time — six for a slightly softer centre, eight for firmer. Fridge temperature and egg size both shift the result, so it's worth finding your own number.
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