Every year around this time millions of eggs are hard-boiled, artistically decorated and then thrown into the garbage. Frankly, that’s probably just as well. Because most hard-boiled eggs are pretty terrible. The whites are rubbery, the yolks are pale and mealy and, even worse, surrounded by that sulfur-green ring of shame.
Cooking hard-boiled eggs is easy; cooking them right is not. Unless you know what you’re doing. Then it’s as close to a foolproof no-brainer as you can get in the kitchen.
Here’s what you do: Arrange the eggs in a single layer in a wide pan. Cover them generously with water. Bring them to a boil without covering the pan. Turn off the heat and let them stand for about 15 minutes. That’s it. The white is firm but still slightly creamy, the yolk is deep orange and rich.
I learned this method almost 20 years ago the old-fashioned way — from somebody’s mom. I’d spent a week or so digging around in cookbooks and talking to cooks to come up with almost a dozen different techniques for hard-cooking eggs. But I wasn’t totally happy with any of them.
Then a co-worker laughed and said her mom’s way was the best. How often have you heard that? Out of desperation I thought I’d give it a try. And it worked perfectly.
Today, the broad outline of that technique seems pretty well accepted. Google “perfect hard-boiled egg” and the first dozen or so hits will be some variation on it. But it still seems that every writer requires some specific little twist. All of them are unnecessary.
Just stick with the original. When something is so simple and works so well, there’s no need to complicate it.
russ.parsons@latimes.com
FAQs
How long to boil an egg
- 3 minutes for really soft boiled yolk and set white.
- 4 minutes for slightly set yolk and set white.
- 5 minutes for a medium cooked firmer yolk and white.
- 6 minutes for hard boiled with lightly soft yolk.
- 8 minutes for firmly hard boiled.
You might have heard that you should drop your eggs into room temperature or cold water and then bring the water to a boil. This is a myth. In our tests, bringing the water to a boil first and then lowering the eggs into the bath made for easy peeling and more accurate timing.
How to boil eggs so they peel easily? ›
#2: Making easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs requires shocking them in cold water. After 13 minutes at a low simmer (not a boil—see full method below & read the tips to prevent cracking), immediately put the eggs in ice water to make them easy to peel. Shocking them in ice-cold water stops the cooking process.
What is the trick to hard boiling fresh eggs? ›
Step 1: Find a pot that has a removable basket so you can fully submerge your eggs. Step 2: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Step 3: Place eggs in the boiling water (all eggs must be submerged) and adjust heat so that eggs simmer at a low boil for 20 minutes.
How do chefs hard boil eggs? ›
Directions
- Place eggs in a saucepan and pour in cold water to cover; place over high heat. When water starts to simmer and eggs start to dance around a little, turn off heat, cover the pan quickly with a lid, and let stand for 17 minutes. ...
- Pour out hot water and pour cold water over eggs. ...
- Peel eggs under running water.
Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Then, let them sit in the hot water. As soon as the water begins to boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Leave the eggs in the hot water for anywhere from 10-12 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs.
How does Martha Stewart boil eggs? ›
Carefully place the eggs in a large saucepan; add cold water to cover by one inch, and bring to a rolling boil. Cover pan; remove from heat. Let stand 12 minutes, then drain and rinse under cool water. To store, keep eggs unpeeled in the refrigerator, up to 4 days.
How long do you leave eggs in boiling water? ›
How long to boil an egg
- 5 minutes: set white and runny yolk – just right for dipping into.
- 6 minutes: liquid yolk – a little less oozy.
- 7 minutes: almost set – deliciously sticky.
- 8 minutes: softly set – this is what you want to make Scotch eggs.
- 10 minutes: the classic hard-boiled egg – mashable but not dry and chalky.
While boiling, due to denaturation of proteins, coagulation of egg takes place and the water present in it is absorbed in coagulated protein through hydrogen bonding.
Should hard-boiled eggs float or sink in water? ›
Bottom Line
After trying several methods to determine if an egg is cooked or not, there were a few that came out on top. Contrary to what you might have heard, hard-boiled eggs do not float—but they do act differently when you spin them or shine a flashlight through them.
Put the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot with the lid. Allow the eggs to sit in the hot water for the following times according to the desired doneness: 3 minutes for SOFT boiled; 6 minutes for MEDIUM boiled; 12 minutes for HARD boiled.
What to add to water when boiling eggs? ›
It's not necessary to add anything to the water. Some people also swear that adding a bit of salt, vinegar or even baking soda to the boiling water makes eggs easier to peel and/or makes them taste better. We, however, prefer the simplicity of plain ol' water.
Is it better to peel a hard boiled egg when it's hot or cold? ›
Cool Eggs Quickly In An Ice Bath
Shocking your recently boiled eggs by submerging them into a bowl of ice water is key. The quick cooling of the hard-boiled eggs causes the egg whites to contract, freeing them from the membrane. If you let them cool for about 15 minutes, the peeling is much easier.
How to make hard-boiled eggs easy to peel baking soda? ›
Baking Soda
According to our friends at Delish, adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your boiling pot of water will help the shell peel off seamlessly. Why? The alkaline in the baking soda will help your egg whites loosen up from the shell, making it easier to peel.
How many eggs should you hard boil at a time? ›
Set 12 eggs or as many as you desire (in a single layer) into a large saucepan. Fill pot with water to completely cover the eggs at least 1 inch above eggs and turn heat to high. Bring water to a boil, takes approximately 15 minutes. As soon as eggs start to boil, let boil for 10-12 minutes (I do 11 minutes).
