How To Boil Eggs For Dummies

Sous vide, Baw. It's how we do everything around here.

This works for up to a dozen eggs in the pot.

Cover eggs one inch over tops with cool water in a suitable sized pot. Add a couple of teaspoons of salt to the water and heat to a rolling boil. Turn heat off and put a lid on the boiler. Leave the pot alone for 13 minutes, then empty water, shake the pot to crack the shells and fill pot with cool water to cool off the eggs. empty and fill again to make certain eggs are cooling, then shell eggs after a few minutes of cooling.

If you are doing several dozen eggs. I would boil for a couple of minutes at a rolling boil and then put lid on pot and leave them alone for maybe 15-18 minutes. It takes longer for a large mass of eggs than for just a few.

If you are boiling 200 eggs, I would seek out the advice of a retired Army Mess Sargent, who would have much more experience than I do.

My grandmas told me that too. Every year about two weeks before Easter she would go buy her eggs for the kids to dye. Those eggs always peeled well. Meh.

Perfect Boiled Eggs always trust Serious Eats & consult Kenji López-Alt.

I converted from the start cold, boil, shock method to the boil water, add eggs straight from the fridge method. I use a modified version of the one in the link.

1)Rolling boil, pinch of salt, dash of vinegar.

2)Eggs straight from the refrigerator return liquid to boil

3)Cover and let stand with heat off 20 minutes

4)Rinse with cold water from tap just until cool enough to handle (shaking the pan to crack eggs)

This method is so effective, some of the eggs will fall completed out of their shells. Pearly white eggs with a perfectly set yolk.

Bring water to rolling boil, gently lower eggs in, bring back to a boil for 5 mins, take off heat and cover for 10 mins, put eggs in ice bath, peel. Shells fall off, whites not rubbery, yolks w/o green and perfectly set

Yeah putting them in when the water is boiling causes the shells to crack sometimes.

I just put them in a pot with faucet water, turn the heat to high, then come back 10-30 minutes later and turn the heat off. It’s a pretty simple process really

A splash of white vinegar in the water before adding the eggs makes them easy to peel. The shells come off in big pieces.

I follow Kenji’s advice and steam them. Into a steamer basket cold for whatever time Kenji says (I usually soft boil for 6 minutes) and then remove with a spoon and into an ice bath. Proper hard (or soft) boiled consistency every time and easy to peel.

Lately, I've been experimenting with boiling and peeling eggs. (Basically, my goal is to cook and painlessly peel the eggs as fast as I can.)

In another thread I recommended starting the eggs in cold water. I was wrong. I mean you can definitely boil eggs that way, but peeling them is a bitch. Screw leaning over the sink and peeling eggs until my back starts to hurt.


BOILING THE EGGS
SO FAR, the best way I found to boil eggs that are easy to peel is by starting them in boiling water. A rolling boil to be precise. After I place the eggs in, I let the water come back to a boil and then I turn the temperature down to a med-high heat (a low boil). (Note: I don't turn the heat off and let the eggs sit.) For hard boiled, cook the eggs for 11 to 12 minutes, then pour out hot water and cool under running water.

The second thing I started doing is adding white vinegar to the boiling water. After several boils with and without it vinegar, IT DOES MAKE A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE when peeling. The amount to add is about 1 Tablespoon per 2 1/2 cups of water.

I do add salt, but I really don't think it makes a difference as far as making them easier to peel.

So, 1) starting the eggs in boiling water makes them easier to peel and 2)adding vinegar to the water makes them more easy to peel.

PEELING THE EGGS
Now, if you do the above, then peeling the eggs will be painless.

If you do the following, then peeling the eggs will be a joy and a pleasure.

After boiling I pour out the hot water and run the eggs under cold water. I do this two to three times until the eggs cool off. I have been adding ice to the water, but I'm not sure how necessary the ice is, as far as making the eggs easier to peel, but a rapid cool down is desirable. I've been letting the eggs sit in the water for 5 minutes before I start to peel them. If you want warm eggs, then I suggest you start peeling after 2 to 3 minutes.

OK, now we're down to the nitty gritty. I pour off enough water to leave the eggs just covered. Place the lid on the pot and shake the pot up and down vigorously, like you're using a cocktail shaker. For like five seconds.

Take the lid off and you will see that some of the eggs will be totally out of their shells. Most you will be able to pinch the shell and it will come off in one piece. Some you will have to do a little more work to get them out of the shell, but it will be easy work.

As far as shells cracking when putting the eggs in boiling water, I did notice some cracking with Extra Large eggs and with eggs with hairline cracks already in them. The last boil I did I used regular Large eggs and none cracked. (FYI, I've been cooking a dozen eggs at a time)

I do want to experiment with steaming the eggs. I imagine that would cut back on the time waiting for the water to boil.

I may provide a precise recipe later. This is all still a work in progress.

Hot water an inch over eggs, shake some salt in, boil for 10 minutes, place eggs in bowl under cool running faucet water. When they're cool to the touch (couple minutes), peel under running water. The key is to get the running water under the thin membrane. It will almost separate the entire shell from the egg.