Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how to soft boil eggs. Yes. Really.

40 replies

Pusheenicorn · 04/09/2018 19:00

DP always has and always will cook eggs. He has some magical perfect egg cooking talent that has passed me by.

I don't know why, despite following instructions online, No matter what types of egg I try to make... fried, scrambled, boiled, poached... it goes horribly wrong.

DP has selfishly gone away for work and I want nice dippy eggs and buttery toast for my tea.

Please tell me how to get them perfect please!!!!

Weirdly ... I'm excellent at cooking more complicated meals.

OP posts:
MissusGeneHunt · 04/09/2018 19:03

Boiling water, slide two in the pan (medium) and clock watch for 3 1/2 mins. Swiftly out and in their cups. Yummy!!

livingthegoodlife · 04/09/2018 19:03

My method - eggs in pan, cover with water, watch until the water boils and then set timer for 3 minutes. Remove straightaway and get the top off as soon as possible to stop it cooking in the egg cup!

My husband does 5 minutes and his are always hard boiled....

Muggins123 · 04/09/2018 19:03

Dippy eggs
Boil the kettle
When boiled out egg in pan with boiling water
Set timer for 5 mins

Voila

BikeRunSki · 04/09/2018 19:03

Room temperature egg
Put into cold water and bring to boil
Boil for 2 mins

I hate boiled eggs, but this is how DM taught me to do them, and how I do them for the dc.

MissusGeneHunt · 04/09/2018 19:03

Sorry... Medium sized eggs, not medium pan!!!

BeeFarseer · 04/09/2018 19:05

It won't help you tonight, but you need one of those timers that's shaped like an egg. It goes in the pan and 'cooks' with the eggs, so you can see exactly what stage they're at.

chipsandgin · 04/09/2018 19:05

Bubbling water in pan, lower eggs in with spoon, time 5 mins if from fridge (or 3 mins from room temp), lift out, tops off immediately...soldiers at the ready!

brokenshoes · 04/09/2018 19:06

norecipes.com/perfect-boiled-eggs

BlueSuffragette · 04/09/2018 19:07

This works for me...eggs in smallest pan, cover with cold water at depth so 2/3 rd eggs covered, gas on highest heat and bring to boil, when water starts to boil in big bubbles then turn heat down so get small bubbles, boil for another 3 and 1/2 mins. Take out of water, open egg immediately- soft boiled...

CherryPavlova · 04/09/2018 19:08

It depends on size of the egg and whether they are at room temperature.
For medium eggs at roughly room temperature, cover in a pan with cold water. Bring to a boil watching until it reaches rolling point. Time for 3 minutes. Remove quickly.
Large eggs 4 minutes. Cold eggs take out of fridge half hour before.
Mine gives soft yolks but firm white.

CarolDanvers · 04/09/2018 19:09

Into boiling water - 6 minutes. That's a firm white and runny yolk.

brokenshoes · 04/09/2018 19:09

^ this recipe uses a slightly different technique. Use cold water, eggs straight from fridge, bring to boil with pan covered. As soon as water boils, take off heat. The residual heat will cook the eggs, but you've got a wider window to get them just right.

For dippy eggs I use this technique and time for 4.5 minutes (large eggs).

Original poster
Pusheenicorn · 04/09/2018 19:09

Right.

I can do this. Pray for dippy eggs.

Thanks everyone... think I will go for the into cold, boil and then down way. I've always put them in boiling water...

OP posts:
necromumda · 04/09/2018 19:11

So some people seem to boil with eggs in from cold and some add when the water is boiling...which is best?

expatinspain · 04/09/2018 19:11

Eggs straight from the fridge, kettle boil the water and then seven mins. This gives you firm whites and runny yolk.

Kilash · 04/09/2018 19:16

I go from cold water, then 3 1/2 mins from boiling. Immediately refresh in cold water to stop the egg cooking any further.

BuffyBee · 04/09/2018 19:18

As most of the above!
Cold water in small pan, (this is important because if you use a big pan and use enough water to cover, the eggs will be cooking for longer)
eggs in,
bring to boil, time for three minutes.
Take tops off immediately or they'll carry on cooking.
Also, depends on your hob, if it's gas, that's fine as heats there already but if it's an electric hob, you'll have to get the heat right up first.
If after trying the above method, eggs are too hard, adjust timing next time in increments of 10 seconds until you achieve "Egg Perfection"!
It's a fine art OP, it's a fine art!Wink

MongerTruffle · 04/09/2018 19:19
This is by far the best way to cook eggs - the yolk always comes out just the way you want it.
GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal · 04/09/2018 19:26

I do exactly the same as BikeSkiRun. Boiling them for any longer than 2 minutes would not give me a dippy yolk - and that's with large eggs.

Ekphrasis · 04/09/2018 19:35

Ime you have to experiment a bit with the size (brand even!) and time and method, plus if directly from the fridge or not and if you eat right away or let sit for a bit.

Large, into simmering water, from fridge is 5 mins here.

KarrisWhiteOak · 04/09/2018 19:41

Who keeps eggs in the fridge??

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 04/09/2018 19:44

Get one of those egg timer things you put in the pan works perfectly when you add eggs to cold water

Disfordarkchocolate · 04/09/2018 19:45

I always start from cold water, turn off the heat as soon as it's boiked and leave for three minutes then eat. May have for lunch tomorrow now.

Disfordarkchocolate · 04/09/2018 19:46

Boiked = boiled. It's been a long day Smile