The process of boiling an egg to perfection can be a bit challenging. The big question is: How long should you boil an egg? Generally, it takes approximately four to five minutes to soft boil a large egg, which is ideal for dipping toast soldiers into. There are several factors that determine how long an egg should be cooked, such as the type of pan, the size, and whether the eggs are refrigerated. If you prefer soft-boiled or hard-boiled eggs, we have compiled a list of easy-to-follow instructions. Regardless of how you like your eggs boiled, our recipe works for any meal.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• Water for boiling
• Pinch of salt
• Buttered toast cut into soldiers to serve (optional)

Method

• Place the large egg in a small saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and cover the pan with at least 2.5cm (1 inch) of cold water.
• After the water has almost boiled, gently stir the egg and set a timer. 
• 3 minutes for a really soft-boiled egg yolk and almost set white.
• 4 minutes for a runny egg yolk and lightly set white.
• 5 minutes for a gooey egg yolk and firm white.
• 6 minutes for a softly set egg yolk and hard-boiled white.
• 7 minutes for a hard-boiled egg.
• 8 minutes for a firmly hard-boiled egg.
•  Reduce the heat a bit to keep the water bubbling but not boiling quickly, and stir the egg again.
• As soon as the egg is done cooking, remove it from the pan using a slotted spoon, place it in an egg cup, and serve it immediately with hot buttered toast soldiers.

How long to boil an egg?

It takes four to five minutes to soft boil a large egg. Thus, we all know that boiling an egg isn’t rocket science: just boil some water in a pot, drop in your egg (gently!), and wait a few minutes. In fact, boiling an egg for a shorter or longer period of time can change the outcome drastically. Thus, we thought it would be a good idea to outline how long you should boil one depending on your preference. For perfect results, you may also want to consider the size of the eggs to be boiled.