Kitchen Hack: How To Hard-Boil Eggs To Perfection

Most people know how to boil water, but for some would-be home cooks, throwing an egg into the equation complicates things. Don’t worry—there’s a foolproof method to mastering a perfect hard-boiled egg, every time.

This super portable finger food is an easy breezy, protein-rich breakfast perfect for a morning commute. They’re versatile, too. Try them in a cobb salad, sliced on a sandwich, even deviled. Whatever your taste, boiled eggs are a game changer for many dishes.

No matter how firm you like your yolk, you’ll start the same way. Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover them with cool water by about an inch.

Next, bring the water to a boil over medium heat. You’ll want a simmer, rather than a rolling boil, to avoid overcooking the eggs.

For soft-boiled eggs, with firm whites and runny yolks, cook for 2 minutes.

For medium-boiled eggs, with firm whites and dense, but not fully cooked, yolks, cook 4 to 5 minutes.

For hard-boiled eggs that are well cooked all the way through, cook for 8 minutes.

Once the eggs are done, drain the hot water from the pan and run cool water over them. This will stop the cooking process and keep them from getting that green ring around the yolks. Gently peel the shell off of hard boiled and medium boiled eggs to serve. For soft-boiled eggs, which are a little too delicate to peel, place in eggcups and slice the top of the shell off to dip into that delicious runny yolk.

Bonus tip: If you have a hard time peeling your eggs, run cold water over the shell. This will help loosen the white from the shell. Older eggs will also peel more easily than very fresh eggs.

Bonus bonus tip: If an egg floats to the top of the pot, throw it out. Its buoyancy means it’s rotten.

Photo credit: Tom Tomczyk via Stocksy