# Is there a foolproof way to make hard-boiled eggs?



## Jennifer Murphy (May 28, 2021)

We like to have a few hard-boiled eggs in the frig for light snacks or just to add a little protein to a mostly-carb meal.

All my life I'd had a hard time getting them to peel easily. A couple of years ago, I purchased this egg steamer:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076SZPR76/

It works pretty well, but it is difficult to control the doneness. We like our eggs with the whites fully solid and the yolks just barely solid or a little runny.

A few months ago, I checked a few cooking websites about hard-boiled eggs. One site claimed that the perfect method was to get the water boiling and then add the eggs. It provided times for various levels of doneness. I have found that between 8 and 9 minutes is just right for us.

And if I put them in ice water right out of the boiling water, they peel easily most of the time. The only problem is that one or two eggs usually crack when I drop them in the boiling water. I've tried taking them out of the frig an hour or so ahead of time and soaking them in warm water for a few minutes, but some still crack and a few crack badly. The cracked eggs will sometimes leak into the water leaving a lopsided egg when peeled.

The steamer recommended poking a tiny hole on the fat end. That worked well in the steamer, but seem to make matters worse in the boiling water.

I was about to try the alternate method of putting the eggs in cold water, bringing it to a boil, and then removing it from the heat for a period of time.

So, is there a foolproof way to make eggs that peel easily and where I can control the doneness?

Thanks


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## dragnlaw (May 28, 2021)

Ahhh, little grasshopper, you have asked the impossible question to answer. 

You will get as many answers as responders.


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## dragnlaw (May 28, 2021)

I have done many many methods.  At the moment my favourite is Chef John's. 

how chef john hard boils eggs

But I also puncture a hole in the FAT end (the air pocket end).  

Plus another trick that usually works for me but not 100% is from (brain bubble - can't remember her name, British Chef) take your egg carton and turn it on its side the night before you intend to boil.  
This really (usually) works - yolks are centred!  WOW!  

try it


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## Andy M. (May 28, 2021)

There are many people who ill offer their fool-proof method. Some will work, some won't.

I will post the method I have been using for several years because when I tried it, it was perfect. it has produced perfect, easy to peel hard boiled eggs *every time I make them*. 

_Bring three quarts of water to a boil. Carefully lower the eggs into the pot and continue to boil for 30 seconds. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low (water should maintain a bare simmer), and continue cooking for 11 minutes.

Serve immediately if serving hot. 

If serving cold, immediately place eggs in bowl of ice water and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before peeling.

To peel, first gently tap hard-boiled eggs all over to thoroughly crack the shell, then remove shell under a thin stream of running water. (The water helps get under the shell and lift it off the egg.)
_


After reading the contributions here you may choose to try one or more of the recipes. I think you should. Make sure you try this one. Because you boil a lot of eggs, it will change your life.


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## dragnlaw (May 28, 2021)

*PS.... * and most important

do NOT and I repeat  do NOT   try to hard boil farm _fresh eggs._ 

I've raised chickens and sold eggs, as have others here, and I'm sure all of them will agree 

Your eggs need to be minimum 2 weeks old and preferably older, which they generally are when you get them from the grocers.  

otherwise you will not be able to peel them cleanly. 

walk lightly on the rice paper, grasshopper


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## taxlady (May 28, 2021)

To keep eggs from cracking when boiling them, I lower them gently and salt the water, a lot. I'm not sure how that works, but it seems to repair the cracks.

I have used various methods in the past that worked fairly well, but my current favourite method is steaming. Here's a short video from Serious Eats, explaining why it works. Here's a link to an article with more info, if the the video piques your interest. How to Make Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs | The Food Lab

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFgKM2_Hasg


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## larry_stewart (May 28, 2021)

dragnlaw said:


> *PS.... * and most important
> 
> do NOT and I repeat  do NOT   try to hard boil farm _fresh eggs._
> 
> ...



I also know this 1st hand.
Have had chickens the past 10 + years, and fresh eggs almost always are an issue to peel cleanly .  
I remember when we first got chickens, had loads of eggs, and my wife volunteered to make and bring deviled eggs to a pot luck.  Boy was she sorry.  After having to make 2X the eggs we needed, peeling the, stuffing .... The only one who ate them at the party was her and my mom.   She never made them again.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (May 29, 2021)

I have been using the Emeril LaGasbag method since I first heard him talk about it on his TV show:

Put eggs in pot and cover with water by 2 inches. 
Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 2 minutes. 
Remove from heat, cover, and allow to sit for 10 minutes. 
Shock in cold water to stop the cooking process.


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (May 29, 2021)

Maybe not foolproof, but this is how I do it:
Place Eggs into a pot
Fill with just enough water to cover the Eggs
Cover and bring to a bare boil
Remove from the stove and leave the lid on for 13 minutes
Plunge the Eggs into an Ice Bath

Now, the easy peel part does not allows work out for me,
but as others have mentioned, the Eggs need to be 
on the old side for the beautiful reveal. 

Well dang it! 
Now I want Deviled Eggs .... aahhhhh, Monday is Memorial Day,
the official opening day of Grilling Season!!!!


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## dragnlaw (May 29, 2021)

LOL...  well if you read over the posts and calculate all the timing (and no, personally did not add or subtract)  

Everyone seems to be doing it the same way.  Plus or minus a minute or two.

I think every one will agree - pay attention to which ever timing you choose - and don't leave the kitchen ....=


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (May 29, 2021)

dragnlaw said:


> LOL...  well if you read over the posts and calculate all the timing (and no, personally did not add or subtract)
> 
> Everyone seems to be doing it the same way.  Plus or minus a minute or two.
> 
> I think every one will agree - pay attention to which ever timing you choose - and don't leave the kitchen ....=



+1

In the past, I put the pot on the stovetop, forgot about it until I heard the water boiling violently ... grabbed it off the fire and just left it there to cool on it's own.

WRONG!

I had the ugliest looking innards.  That horrible green ring around the yolks and it was just a dry as the Sahara Desert!  Not appealing at all.


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## Cooking Goddess (May 29, 2021)

Jennifer Murphy said:


> ...It works pretty well, but it is difficult to control the doneness. We like our eggs with the whites fully solid and the yolks just barely solid or a little runny.
> 
> A few months ago, I checked a few cooking websites about hard-boiled eggs. One site claimed that the perfect method was to get the water boiling and then add the eggs. It provided times for various levels of doneness. I have found that between 8 and 9 minutes is just right for us.
> 
> ...


Hi *Jennifer*! Welcome to DC. I have to say I love your profile pic. Snoopy rules!

As dragnlaw said, there are as many answers as there will be posts. Or almost as many. If you have lots of time to waste, I believe this was the most recent discussion of hard cooked eggs before your query. The first post has links to a few previous discussions. So much reading! However, the method I found successful, and verified that it wasn't a fluke by *Andy* also having good luck with it, is the article I linked to the Serious Eats article detailing the "cold eggs into boiling water" method. I've found that I lessen the chance for an egg cracking when hitting the hot water by 1) examining the shell carefully for small weak spots or surface "cracks" and 2) using a kitchen spider/bamboo strainer to lower the eggs gently into the pan. If one slips past inspection and cracks, it does as soon as it hits the water. I'll remove that egg quickly, pop it shell and all into Tupperware, and make sure I use it within a day for something that needs liquid egg - baking something or making scrambled eggs. I make sure I have extra raw eggs on deck to replace any cracked egg.

In the event a shell is being difficult and refuses to come off easily, *dragnlaw* once made a suggestion that I find works. Get a tiny bit of shell off the egg, then slip the bowl of a small spoon between the shell and the egg. Gently glide the spoon bowl along the egg, lifting the shell. I usually do this while holding the egg underwater in the cooling bowl. Fingers get pretty chilly, but the egg looks nice. Priorities!


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## taxlady (May 29, 2021)

Am I the only person who prefers to steam the eggs? No fancy machine, just a leaf style steamer in a pot with a bit of water, on the stove top.


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## pepperhead212 (May 29, 2021)

I still steam them, in the Instant Pot, but before I discovered that method (my favorite, creating very easily peeled eggs), steaming was my favorite way, and I used to do it in my bamboo steamers - the best way I found for steaming, especially a large number of eggs.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (May 30, 2021)

For extra large eggs from the supermarket, at upper Peninsula MI. elevation, this method produces the eggs you describe every time for me.  And they are east to peel.  

Remove eggs from the fridge and gently place in sauce pot.  Completely cover with water.  Turn stove to medium-high setting.  Bring to a light boil.  Just when the water stats boiling, set timer for 4 minutes.  For perfect soft boiled eggs, with no runny egg whites, I time for 2 minutes, thirty seven seconds.  I really time it that closely.When your timer goes off, pour water from the pan, and shake to crack egg shells.  Fill pan with cold water and let sit for 5 minutes.  The shells normally peel easily.  
For perfect, crack-free eggs every time (as for Easter eggs), fill pot with eggs.  Cover in cold water.  Heat over medium-high heat until the water begins to boil.  Reduce heat until the water no longer boils.  Cook for 8 minutes.

Boiling water can jostle the eggs around, cracking the occasional shell,.  Water doesn't boil until 212' F.  The egg whites begin setting at 166' or so.  The yoks set soon after.

Give this method a try.  It works every time for me.

If you have the opportunity, try hard, or runny yolk eggs cooked in an egg poaching pan - https://www.amazon.com/Egg-Poacher-Pan-Stainless-Induction/dp/B07ZPGX65H.  I spread salted butter on the inside of the poaching cups, and season the tops with S & P.  The eggs sit in melted butter and steam to perfection.  They are also prime for making into Eggs Benedict, or deviled eggs.  

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## GotGarlic (May 30, 2021)

The best method I've found is using the Instant Pot. Set on pressure cook for four minutes, let them rest for four more minutes, then remove to a bowl of ice water until cool. Pour the water out and shake the bowl to crack the eggs. The shells practically fall off.


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## Just Cooking (May 30, 2021)

*GG*. I agree.  My IP works better than any method I'd tried, over the years.

Ross


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## Cooking Goddess (May 30, 2021)

But when you don't have (and don't intend to buy) an Instant Pot, this method works pretty darned good.


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## Roll_Bones (Jul 6, 2021)

I made deviled eggs last night.  Put cold eggs into cold water and then turned the heat to high.  Once water was at a full boil I shut off the burner covered and waited 15 minutes.  Then directly into cold water until I could easily handle them.
One of the worst boiled egg attempts ever.  I was making deviled eggs so I wanted perfection.  My boiled eggs were far from perfection.
They came out good in the end as the whites were not to visible with the fillings and parsley sprinkled on top.
To be honest.  I never expect perfect as it evades me every single time.
Don't get me wrong.  I get lucky sometimes and have an easy time peeling all I boiled. And I have found my wife is much more patient than I am when it comes to peeling them.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Jul 6, 2021)

You want easy to peel eggs? Check the Best Buy date on the end of the carton. The closer they are to that date, the easier they are to peel. And remember, the USDA says that eggs are still usable 9 weeks, yes weeks, after their best by date.


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## skilletlicker (Jul 6, 2021)

This is foolproof enough that I haven't found a way to screw it up. 

Poke a hole in the big end of each shell with a pushpin.
Gently lower all the eggs into a pot of boiling water with a slotted spoon.
Set a timer for 11 minutes and continue the steady, but not violent, boil.
When the alarm goes off move the pot to the sink under a steady stream of cold tap water.
After a couple of minutes, the eggs will be cool and the shells will easily peel starting with the big end. To amuse myself, I see how many shells I can remove in one piece, held together by the membrane betwixt the egg and shell. That's how easy they are to peel.


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## dragnlaw (Jul 7, 2021)

skilletlicker said:


> After a couple of minutes, the eggs will be cool and the shells will easily peel starting with the big end. To amuse myself, I see how many shells I can remove in one piece, held together by the membrane betwixt the egg and shell. That's how easy they are to peel.



I use a spoon to slide between egg and membrane.  

Roll the egg around to crack the shell 
Start at larger air hole end
slide spoon under shell and membrane
try to remove as large a piece as possible! 

Makes a tedious job fun!


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## Jennifer Murphy (Sep 3, 2021)

pepperhead212 said:


> I still steam them, in the Instant Pot, but before I discovered that method (my favorite, creating very easily peeled eggs), steaming was my favorite way, and I used to do it in my bamboo steamers - the best way I found for steaming, especially a large number of eggs.



That's an interesting suggestion. My mom used to have a stove-top pressure cooker about 100 years ago. I didn't know they could steam. How does that work? These new ones look like something I need to have.

I see they come in various sizes. How many eggs can I steam in the 3 qt version vs the 6 qt?

Are these gizmos really as good as the ads claim? I watched a couple of YouTube videos.

Thanks

My mom always put her stove top pressure cooker with the stove on high. Then she would turn it down when it got going. One time, she must have left the room and forgot it. We heard a loud bang and found that the lid had completely blown off and hit the ceiling. I think I was about 10.


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## Jennifer Murphy (Sep 3, 2021)

GotGarlic said:


> The best method I've found is using the Instant Pot. Set on pressure cook for four minutes, let them rest for four more minutes, then remove to a bowl of ice water until cool. Pour the water out and shake the bowl to crack the eggs. The shells practically fall off.
> View attachment 47100



How much control do you have with the IP time? 

I used to use an egg steamer, but it had no timer. It came with a little cup to measure the water. The gradations were nearly impossible to read and the lines for runny and hard were less than 1/16" apart.

I have since graduated to my very old Oster steamer. It has a timer, which is much better, but the time is only set in minutes, no seconds. 12  minutes is a little too hard and 11 minutes is a little too soft. I have been fiddling with warming the eggs first, which seems to work, but I'd really like to be able to set it to 11.5 minutes.


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## GinnyPNW (Sep 3, 2021)

I'm a sucker for gadgets...especially ones that make things foolproof.  I tend to get distracted easily.  Burning buns that were meant to be only toasted in the oven is not uncommon.  Sigh.  Anyway, years ago, I got a Henrietta Hen Egg Cooker.  Worked like a charm.  I think it would do 6 or 7 eggs as a time.  From soft boiled to hard boiled.  It was a little primitive though.  It cooked until the water evaporated.  You controlled the length of cooking by how much water you added.  You did need to poke a hole in the big end.

When Henrietta bit the dust, I got a Chef's Choice Egg Cooker.  It will steam up to 7 eggs in the shell or poach 3 in a little divided tray.  One just fills the water tray and then sets the time using a slide timer.  Presto, easy peel, perfect eggs every time & no need to poke a hole.  

I think Chef's Choice is no longer around, but there are many egg cooking gadgets that are similar.


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## taxlady (Sep 3, 2021)

Stove top pressure cookers are much safer nowadays. When you look at the way the lid locks onto the pot, you can see why. I heard a story about a friend of mine. He was pressure cooking an entire chicken. He left the pressure cooker on too long. They heard a noise. The safety valve had blown out and the entire chicken had been extruded out of that little hole. It was all over the ceiling. Some bits were embedded in the ceiling. But, the pressure cooker wasn't damaged. He may have had to buy a new safety valve.


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## msmofet (Sep 3, 2021)

My way for hard-boiled eggs is cold eggs in a pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 7 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit in pot for 2 minutes. Drain and run cold water into pot till eggs are cool to touch. Smack the wide side of each egg on the side of the pot and then give it a couple more taps. Allow eggs to sit in a pot of cold water till cold and peel.


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## GotGarlic (Sep 3, 2021)

Jennifer Murphy said:


> How much control do you have with the IP time?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You set the timer in minutes. You can adjust the doneness by how long you leave them in the pot before opening it.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Sep 3, 2021)

GinnyPNW said:


> I'm a sucker for gadgets...especially ones that make things foolproof.


Every time you think you made something foolproof, someone invents a better fool.


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## karadekoolaid (Sep 3, 2021)

No, no and no to everyone.Why? Because that´s how *YOU*like your hardboiled eggs. I boil them for 5 minutes, leave them in hot water for 2 more, then stick them in iced water to peel them. That´s how *I* like them.
The only way Jennifer Murphy is going to get perfect hard-boiled eggs is to put them in cold water, bring to a boil, and then cook for(_XXX_) minutes; or put them in a steamer and steam for (_xxx_) minutes.
 Jennifer: get the timer out. Use your cellphone or oven timer to mark the exact number of minutes needed for YOUR perfect egg.
What I , or other folks consider perfect, maybe very different for you, so make eggs every day of the week until you nail _your _ perfect egg. It will be worth it!


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 4, 2021)

karadekoolaid said:


> No, no and no to everyone.Why? Because that´s how *YOU*like your hardboiled eggs. I boil them for 5 minutes, leave them in hot water for 2 more, then stick them in iced water to peel them. That´s how *I* like them.
> The only way Jennifer Murphy is going to get perfect hard-boiled eggs is to put them in cold water, bring to a boil, and then cook for(_XXX_) minutes; or put them in a steamer and steam for (_xxx_) minutes.
> Jennifer: get the timer out. Use your cellphone or oven timer to mark the exact number of minutes needed for YOUR perfect egg.
> What I , or other folks consider perfect, maybe very different for you, so make eggs every day of the week until you nail _your _ perfect egg. It will be worth it!



+1
For soft boiled, on my stove, with my well water, and the pot I like to use, place water into the pot and cover with water until all of the shell is submerged.  Tur on heat to medium.  When water just starts simmering, cook for 2 minutes, 37 seconds (for extra large eggs)  Remove the pot from the water, drain. and fill with cold water after gently crazing the shell.  Let sit for 1 minute.  The yolk is soft, with firm, but not rubbery white all around.  For hard boiled, increase cooking time by 3 minutes.  This gives me a yolk that is at that in between stage of hard, and soft, with tender egg white.

For your perfect version of boiled eggs, on you stove, in your favorite pot, just do a bit of experimenting, record the results, and duplicate the technique.  You will get perfect eggs every time.

For cooking large numbers of hard boiled eggs, like at Easter, or when making deviled eggs, Place a bunch of eggs gently into a stew pot.  Cover with water.  Heat until water begins to boil  Reduce heat to keep the water just under a boil.  Cook for ten minutes.  Water doesn't boil until 212' F.  Egg starts setting at 170.  By cooking this way, the water is still, and doesn't jostle the eggs, and so eliminates cracked shells.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## karadekoolaid (Sep 4, 2021)

_"For your perfect version of boiled eggs, on you stove, in your favorite pot, just do a bit of experimenting, record the results, and duplicate the technique. You will get perfect eggs every time."_

Absolutely, Chief. Just experiment till you get it right!


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