My boys love hard boiled eggs, and so do I. Since eggs are a healthy, high-protein, real food snack we’re in luck. I’ve been teaching my boys basic cooking skills since they were in kindergarten. I think knowing how to boil eggs, i.e., how to make a hard boiled egg, or a soft boiled egg (same thing, less time), is a basic kitchen skill that is important to have. Although the boys have been preparing scrambled eggs perfectly for over a decade, I had not yet transmitted a superior process to them for making hard boiled eggs.
After much trial and tribulation, with dozens of batches of eggs, over several weeks, I can assure you that this tutorial will teach you how to make the perfect hard boiled egg. And now my boys have this knowledge as well.
How to Boil Eggs
Ingredients
Instructions
- Use a medium sized pot (I use this 4 quart pan )
- Add 3 inches of water to the pot and bring to a boil
- Gently lower eggs into boiling water with a spoon
- Reduce heat to medium, so that water is simmering
- Cook for 15 minutes for hard boiled eggs
- Remove eggs from water with a spoon, allow to cool on a plate for 5-10 minutes
- Crack shells on counter and peel eggs
Equipment
The first method I tried was to place the eggs in the pot, add water, and then together bring the eggs and water to a boil, letting them simmer for the cooking time. Using this method, the cooking times were not very consistent or reliable, and the eggs were extremely difficult to get out of their shells. I also experimented with bringing the eggs to a boil in the water and then turning off the heat to allow the eggs to cook. Again, cooking times had too much variation and the eggs were quite a challenge to peel. There were other experiments too, though I won’t go into each and every one. Suffice it to say that the method I landed on, i.e., bringing the water to a boil, adding the eggs to the pot, then simmering the eggs for 15 minutes, is a sure winner.
One other piece of the “how to boil eggs” puzzle that I studied is how to get the eggs in and out of the water. Many recipes for hard boiled eggs recommend using a slotted spoon for this. Truth be told, I don’t own a slotted spoon. I use a regular ol’ large spoon from my flatware set to get the eggs in and out of the hot water.
The next piece of the puzzle was finding the easiest way to remove the eggs from their shells. So, what is the best way to peel a hard boiled egg? Contrary to my initial thoughts, the winning method did not involve a cold water bath. Simply removing the eggs from the boiling water, and setting them on a plate to cool for five to ten minutes was the most fool proof method. This cooling time is literally to allow the eggs to come to a temperature where you can safely handle them without scorching your hands.
Just in case you have other ideas for ways in which to cook eggs, I have compiled the handy dandy chart below. You can make everything from three minute eggs (serve in a cup, eat with a spoon) to hard boiled eggs, and then some in between.
Finally, make sure to set a timer when you make hard boiled eggs so that you do not overcook them! When that happens, the yolk gets a nasty greenish grey ring around its outside, and the white becomes rubbery. No bueno. The best way to prevent over cooking your hard boiled eggs is to watch the timer, and remove the eggs from the hot water as soon as it goes off.
So now you know how to boil eggs! Hard boiled, soft boiled, there you go! What will you do with your hard boiled eggs? If you’re looking for deviled egg recipes, try my Deviled Eggs, and stay tuned next week for my Guacamole Deviled Eggs! The boys are big fans of both and regularly devour batches after school.
Terri says
Friends and family consider me a darn good cook. Who can’t boil and egg?…..umm, this girl right here. But not anymore! I’ve used your directions twice now and perfection both times! Thanks so much!
Elana says
Terri, thanks for telling us that the result is perfection!
Reen says
we have many chickens and have fresh eggs everyday- when they are that fresh we found steaming the eggs – then dropping into water with some ice cubes works the best- I make 12 eggs this way every 3 days- to peel- roll the egg and shell comes right off
Elana says
Reen, that’s great!
Jack McMillan says
I tried your method exactly as outlined and the results were perfect.
I’m sold.
Thanks for the information.
Elana says
Jack, so glad to hear these were perfect :-)
Tami says
Elana, This is EXACTLY how we make our eggs, and they always peel perfectly- especially if you immediately dunk the boiled eggs in ice cold water (complete with ice cubes). I raise chickens here in Washington- my girls are all organic, raised on pasture and garden scraps, and only fed corn/soy free non-GMO feed, which results in the very best eggs produced. We make sure our eggs don’t go to waste sticking to the shells!
Stacy says
I “warm” up my eggs first in a bowl of warm water while the cooking water comes to a boil. When the water is boiled I add the eggs. By the time they are cooked, I return the eggs to the “warming” water which is now room temperature. I find that eggs rarely crack upon immersion when I do this.
Danielle says
THANK YOU for doing all of the experimentation work on this so that I don’t have to! The method I’ve been using makes the eggs yummy, but so much of the white stays stuck to the shell and the eggs look horrid when peeled. How long do the eggs stay fresh in the fridge once they’re peeled? I usually leave the peel on until I’m ready to eat them, which may be part of my peeling problem.
Kayla says
One week
John says
I have a roommate that can’t boil eggs
So I decided to look it up. I came to your site and gave it a shot….. Totally awesome
Every egg was perfect so I copied this web and sent it to him lol
Now we can enjoy eggs that don’t look like the dogs chewed on them first lol
And our girls were impressed as well since they like when we cook for them
Thanks
Sincerely
John
Elana says
John, thanks for your comment :-)
Melanie says
FInally, a perfect hard boiled egg!!! Love that they don’t have that ugly green ring and so easy to peel! Thanks so much for all your research!
Niki says
I tried this last week and it worked perfectly! Thank you so much for posting this. My husband loves deviled eggs, and I really love cooking, but for some reason every method I tried for boiling eggs made the shells difficult to remove and/or way overcooked. I even YouTubed methods (which felt silly for hardboiled eggs). The struggle is over after trying your last and final method :) haha
Crannaford says
I use an old (Australian) Sunbeam egg cooker, it steams them in a few minutes and they’re perfect every time. It’s at least 30 years old. If you’re lucky, you might pick one up at a shed sale :)
Amy says
I’m sorry if you mentioned this, and I overlooked it. (And I realize this is purely a U.S. problem, and doesn’t concern folks who raise their own chickens…) Do you take your eggs directly out of the refrigerator and place them directly into the boiling water, or do you allow the eggs to come to room temperature first?