As I said on the other thread, one problem is that the egg continues to cook after you take it out of the water. A three minute egg is probably about three minutes 20 depending on how close you are to the table. My mum used to dowse the thing in cold water to stop the cooking (I have no idea if it worked)! It was something she had learned from the family cook when she was a gel.   The important thing I think is to time the perfect egg (what is to you the perfect egg) and then that is your 3 minutes, however long it takes.

yours,

Peter T.