How to Boil Eggs (2024)

FAQs

How to Boil Eggs? ›

Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the eggs cook, covered, for 9 to 12 minutes, depending on your desired done-ness (see photo). Transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water and chill for 2–10 minutes. You can do either but if you start with boiling water they will be MUCH easier to peel.

The Spin. To test this popular trick, I laid both eggs on a smooth, flat surface and gave them a light spin. The boiled egg spun quickly, smoothly, and without any wobble.

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.

This is because the egg white or “albumen” in a fresh egg has a relatively low pH level, making it acidic. When cooked, these fresh egg whites bond strongly to the inner shell's membrane. As an egg ages, the pH level rises and the inner membrane is less likely to bond to the albumen, so the shell peels off much easier.

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.

Place the egg in simmering water and let it boil for 4.5 minutes (for large eggs). Test to see if it's done by removing from the water - if the eggshell steams itself dry then it's done!

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.

Place eggs in a medium pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the eggs cook, covered, for 9 to 12 minutes, depending on your desired done-ness (see photo). Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and chill for 14 minutes.

This phenomenon helps cook and hard boil the egg quicker as the addition of salt has increased the boiling point of water. Also, the added salt to the water prevents an egg from cracking during cooking.

What do you add to water to make eggs peel easier? ›

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.

Keeping Hard-Boiled Eggs Fresh

For maximum freshness, leave them in their shells until you are ready to eat or prepare. The shell will help to protect the egg from bacteria, and can help prevent them from absorbing odors from other foods in your refrigerator.

Therefore, adding one tablespoon or 15 ml of vinegar for every quart of water in the pot is recommended. So, vinegar for hard boiled eggs can save you time and effort when peeling and also help you get more out of your protein-rich snack!