Learn the best method for how to boil eggs to produce the perfect hard boiled egg every single time without any fuss.
Step 1: Place eggs in the bottom of a saucepan. Be sure not to crowd the eggs in the pan. They should fit comfortably.
Step 2: Fill the pan with cold water, 1 inch above the eggs.
Step 3: Bring the water to a rapid boil on the stovetop over high heat.
Step 4: Once the water comes to a boil, cover the pan with a lid and remove the pan from the heat. Do not lift the lid. Set a timer for the type of boiled egg you want, from 4 minutes to 12 minutes.
Step 5: Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
Step 6: When the eggs reach the desired cooking time, use tongs to remove the eggs from the hot water and immerse gently into the prepared ice water to cool, about 10 minutes.
Step 7: Gently tap the eggs against a hard surface and peel away the shell. Rinse the egg under cold water to remove any bits of shell and pat dry.
How many minutes should I cook my egg?
Soft Boiled (runny or very soft yolk) – 4 to 6 minutes
Hard Boiled (solid cooked yolk) – 8 to 12 minutes
TROUBLESHOOTING
Why does my yolk have a green circle around it?
Unfortunately, a green yolk means you’ve overcooked your eggs.
One of my eggs cracked while boiling. Can I still eat it?
Every once in a while an egg cracks while boiling and may leak some of the interior white and even yolk. The egg is technically still edible as it has been cooked, albeit a slightly different method. Usually I simply discard these eggs.
Why doesn’t my egg peel smoothly?
Sometimes when you peel the egg you may notice that bits and pieces of the egg come off with the shell. This is completely normal and will not affect the taste of the egg, only the appearance. There are many reasons why eggs do not peel smoothly. Fresh eggs are difficult to peel, while older eggs peel easier. There are many tips, tricks, and old wives tales as to how to peel an egg smoothly. Add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water, or a teaspoon of vinegar. Poke the bottom of the egg with a needle before cooking. Crack the eggs all over before putting them in the ice bath. These are just a few of the many tips and tricks out there.
The instructions were clear and simple. Thank you for making this a fun cooking experience
All these tricks work perfectly except that 2 factors were left out. Bring your eggs to room temperature before cooking, and IF you have your own chickens, do not try to hard boil perfectly fresh eggs. Refrigerate them at least a week, or they will still contain too much water and be impossible to peel.
Nonsense, there’s no need to bring them up to room temperature
It makes difference as to how long you boil the eggs for, fridge cold eggs take longer than room temperature eggs.
My trick with boiling farm-fresh eggs is to puncture the air sac end of the egg with a needle. This gives the cooking egg more room within the shell and makes it easier to peel the eggs.
For farm fresh eggs, I found steaming WAY better than boiling in terms of shell removal. I could take them from the nest straight to the pot to steam, and the shell would come right off. I assumed it has to do with the pressure build up and all the tiny holes in holes in the shell, but I don’t actually know why it works. Have you tried steaming?
Yes, there is a trick to peeling eggs. Roll them as soon as they are touchable. Careful! They are hot! Then peel them under warm running water. Then cool them the rest of the way. Saw this trick in a video for making egg salad at a factory.
This is what I’ve done for 40 years. Think I discovered it by accident, but it really does work. Tap it lightly all over and then roll until the peel comes loose and it will come off in one or two big floppy pieces.
Thought I knew how to boil an egg. Sometimes they are perfect, other times , not so nice. Thanks for your page. I will add the baking soda (even tho my eggs arent fresh) this time and pull them off the heat for 11 minutes. Hoping my deviled eggs will look fantastic for Easter this year!
Nice!
Simple and perfect eggs every time.
Great, simple instructions. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing
Very useful information for those who do this for the very first time.Thanks for sharing
I did it! I made 5 hard boiled eggs!! Your steps, pictures, and troubleshooting helped very much!!! Thank you!