Perfect Boiled Eggs

I've been using this steam method for years. Two remarks: 1. A "vigorous" boil is a waste of energy. The steam will not get hotter than 100 deg C. It is sufficient to ensure that all the steam which condensates at the cool egg is replaced by the boiling water. Just add enough energy so that a little bit of steam always escapes from the lid. 2. Following advise #1, much less water than one inch is sufficient. Just make sure there is enough water to prevent the pot from getting dry at the end.

Been doing this for years. My best results are at 6 and a half minutes for soft-boiled. I do put the cooked egg in tap water to cool shell briefly and have had no trouble peeling. I slice in half lengthwise and place on toast. Delicious.

If you get confused as to whether an egg has been cooked or not, a very simple test will give you the answer. A hard boiled egg will spin like a top but an uncooked egg will fall over immediately. Voila!

For those of us who don't read the instructions all the way through before beginning, lower the eggs into the pot AFTER the water is boiling (maybe you could edit/add to Step 1 above). Step 2 should also say that pot is covered during cooking. Best recipe I've found to ensure (almost) perfect boiled eggs - I use a steamer basket over the water for what it's worth.

About the "vigorous" boil. Yes, the temperature is the same BUT, the heat transfer coefficient is higher as the speed of the steam-water mix over the surface of the egg is higher. If you are only "steaming" the vigorous boil will make your water boil faster so the steam will move faster over the egg, increasing again the heat transfer AND making a more homogeneous temperature profile. I am a Mechanical Engineer that worked on similar problems for the Oil Industry.

I boil eggs weekly, here's how: Start with cold tap water, fully cover eggs, BOIL for 90 seconds. Turn off the heat, cover pan, let sit 13 minutes. Drain, dry, put in fridge in container of your choice. Mine peel easy, here's how: Crack shell into tiny pieces, use a knuckle or shake them in a jar. Place egg in cup of hot tap water 1-2 minutes. Water gets in between egg and membrane. They peel easily; I often peel entire shell as one long string. No special equipment needed. Do try it.

There's a note above from a Klaus Steinweg alleging that a vigorous boil is no different from a light boil because the steam gets no hotter than 100 deg C. He is absolutely wrong because even if the temperature is no hotter, the concentration of steam (water molecules) in the pot can vary and therefore also the exposure and transfer of heat.

Huh (gulp). No ice bath. OK, tried it. Cooked mine 12 minutes for a hard yolk. Worked! BTW, the dot is uneccesary. If in question, just spin the egg; hard boiled eggs spin easily without drama, raw eggs spin all wobbly, if at all.

There is no mention of the size of the eggs. Large, XL, Jumbo. This would seem to make a difference with cooking time at least. Does it? And though I wouldn’t expect size to make difference in peelability, any thoughts about that?

I still like the method of boiling enough water to cover the eggs, putting the eggs in the pan, covering the pan, removing from the heat and waiting 12 minutes with the lid on. My eggs always come out perfect.

Lots of people in these comments (even the "helpful" ones) either haven't read the associated article or don't seem to believe in the scientific method. - No, the pushpin doesn't make the eggs easier to peel. - Yes, this technique has been published before elsewhere (by the same author). - No, it is not helpful to shock the eggs in cold water. - No, fresh eggs do not peel any more or less cleanly than store bought.

This recipe overlooks the fact that (in my observation) the best hard boiled eggs are made in an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker according to the electronic recipe for eggs: The eggs are placed on a steamer tray above one cup of water. Pressure is set to medium and time to 5 minutes. Peeling is easy and perfect, the cooking is uniform, and the flavor is better than I ever got by boiling.

If you raise chickens (as I do) or purchase FARM FRESH eggs, you know how difficult fresh eggs are to peel after boiling. I have found that the only way to ensure easy peeling is to follow the above directions and shock them in iced water till cool. Fresh eggs have to be handled differently from store bought eggs.

I already follow this recipe, and they are still difficult to peel. I remember as a kid, I never had trouble peeling eggs. Once you find the membrane, it should be easy. Not now. The membrane usually sticks to the egg itself. Very frustrating.

After my own experiments, I have used this method for a year now, and I was so excited about it, I shared it with everybody. I still pop the eggs immediately into ice water, as I thought that was the step that caused the eggs to slip right out of their shells. Now I'll skip that step, too. Thank you! And more thanks for innovative and tasty ways to use them!