Onsen HopperOnsen tamago (onsen egg) timer
Boil 1 litre, heat off, add 200 ml of water, eggs in, lid on.
Onsen tamago in 12 minutes: white and yolk both soft
Soak over. Into iced water now.
12:00
Egg is bathing
How we checked the times
The minutes are macaroni's: they timed 8, 12 and 16 minutes in a thick pot. In a thin pot, add about 2 minutes to each.
Sources: macaroni: onsen tamago by the minute, macaroni: onsen tamago with fridge eggs
Where the spring cooks it for you
Sources: nippon.com: Nozawa Onsen, Jigoku-mushi Kobo Kannawa, Owakudani, Kumano Hongu tourist association: Yunomine
Questions
How many minutes does an onsen tamago take?
8 to 16 minutes after the heat goes off and the water is added. At 12 minutes the white and yolk are both soft. In a thin pot, add about 2 minutes. (macaroni: onsen tamago by the minute)
Can I use eggs straight from the fridge?
Yes. macaroni's fridge egg recipe uses the same 8 to 16 minutes; the room and the pot move the time. (macaroni: onsen tamago with fridge eggs)
Can I make one in the microwave?
Never heat an egg in its shell, or a boiled egg, in a microwave: the pressure inside bursts it, and people have been burned. (Tokyo Metropolitan Government consumer office, National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan)
Sources checked 30 October 2026 by Max.