How do I soft boil an egg? I need consensus!

[MinkyBorage]

I need to know how to cook a soft boiled egg, suitable for soldier dipping. I need a nice firmish white and a drippy yolk.

I need a different method for 1) fridge eggs and 2 room temp eggs.

I can actually cook, but for some reason a consistent method for a perfectly cooked egg has so far eluded me!

Thanks!

OK, what I do with fridge eggs, is put them in a pan with lukewarm water...then bring it to the boil and the second it starts boiling, set the timer for exactly 3 mins.

Perfect dippy eggs...

you're not supposed to keep eggs in the fridge

helpful ain't i?

but i can't guarantee a soft boil myself so it's all i have to offer

sorry

I only cook boiled eggs from room temp. Put enough water in the pan to cover your egg. When it is at a rolling boil, add your egg. Boil (still at rolling boil) for 5 minutes. Then run cold water over the egg to stop it cooking. Tada! Dippy egg!

Wait til the water is boiling (add some vinegar to stop the shells cracking) and add eggs for exactly 3 minutes. I have to say though, I always add one more egg than I really need so I can 'check' it after about 2.5 minutes to see it hasn't gone too soft or hard

What size eggs? How many eggs? More eggs = longer as when you put fridge temperature eggs into boiling water it gets cooler.

For 4 medium fridge-cold eggs in a small saucepan (like a 'milk pan'):
*boil water in kettle
*put boiling water into saucepan on hob and heat until it is boiling again
*lower in your 4 eggs
set timer for 5 minutes (yes, 5!)take eggs out quickly when the timer goes off

Other people will tell you to heat up the water with the eggs in, but I find that less consistent.

Oh yes, that's for large eggs.

I do exactly the same as Tante Rose.

I dont store eggs in the fridge, so mine are room temp.

1. Boil the kettle
2. Put eggs in saucepan and put about 1" water in pan and put on heat.
3. When kettle has boiled, the water in the pan must be getting close to boiling, so slowly add boiled water from kettle to cover eggs.
4. Bring pan back to boil and then time for 5 mins.

Usually get soft boiled eggs with this method - I use large eggs.

Dh has an i phone with a brilliant app, for perfect boiled eggs
(only any help, if you have an i phone)

Get one of these www.lakeland.co.uk/egg-perfect/F/product/3158?src=gpute&sq=egg%20timer

I keep mine in the fridge with the eggs and have had perfect results every time. I know it should be simple but I just can't get it right using timings only.

Chewy, was just going to link that - I get irrationally annoyed if my egg is not perfect and I couldn't cope without my timery thing now.

Cold eggs, large, put into cold water and bring to the boil. As soon as you get a rolling boil (literally as soon as it starts) lower the temperature and set timer for 3 mins. Perfect that way, make sure you tip out water and fill with cold water at the end though as they will continue cooking. Gives you time to take the tops off.

How can you get dippy eggs if you put them in a cold water and then boil for 3 minutes??????? Whenever I leave mine for that long they are hard-boiled.

Eggs from the fridge: put into cold water, and from the moment water starts to boil properly, count 90 seconds.

I always do it like that, white is always hard and yolk runny, but thick.

fridge eggs - 5 minutes straight into boiling water, then plunge into cold tap water for 30 seconds.

Room temp eggs - 4 minutes straight into boiling water then plunge into cold tap water for 30 seconds.

these times are for LARGE eggs, not medium.

Just made DS two dippy eggs, from fridge temperature.

They are medium eggs and I put them in rolling boiling water for 6 minutes. I alwys do them for 6 minutes. DH doesn't believe me, he does his for 5 and they turn out rock-hard. But I swear, I do mine for 6 and they are always perfect. The trick is cracking them open as soon as they are out of the water as they continue cooking inside the shell.

I have one of those egg shaped things you chuck in the pan wit the eggs from lakeland and it works every time. It can tell the temp of the water too and has a gauge for softy, medium and hard. Key is when you take out the egs out them in a seive and run them under the cold tap otherwise they keep on cooking.

I am useless without it. It's such a dissapointment when yuo want runny yoke and it's too hard.

We call the tops of our eggs the jockey.

I've found that less that 3 minutes give you an egg that is watery and horrid, 3 mintues is always perfect. You have to watch carefully for the moment it starts to boil and then turn the heat down. You do need to be quick though and definitely into cold water after.

I've got one of those eggtimers too that change colour in the pan...although mine is from the pound store rather than Lakeland

It works very well!

4 minutes in water that is on a rolling boil.

It's definitely

either 90 seconds from the moment water starts to boil if you put the eggs into cold water

or 3 minutes if you put them into already boiling water

2 large eggs in pan of really boiling water 4minutes30seconds open asap dip soldier

from fridge, large eggs into cold water, bring to boil and turn down to just bubbling. put down toast and set timer for 3.5 minutes. Take out, butter and soldier toast, behead eggs, perfect.

I think it largely depends on what eggs you use, how fresh they are, how cold your fridge is, how much water you use in the pan, and exactly how dippy you ike your eggs.

Jareth- how?! How is it possible to put an egg into cold water and then from the moment it's boiling, wait another 3.5 minutes? If I leave my eggs for two minutes, they are already hard! And I always but big ones, too.

Large size eggs from the fridge-

Into boiling water, reduce heat but still a bit bubbly for 5 minutes then out and in your egg cup.

DP on the other hand puts egs in cold water, brings them to the boil then boils them for 3 minutes 40 seconds.

They both come out with firm whites and drippy yolks.