Whether you prefer hard-boiled or soft-boiled eggs, we’ll show you how to boil them so they turn out perfectly.
What makes an ideal boiled egg?
The whites are firm but not rubbery, and the yolks are cooked but still creamy. We’ll go over a tried-and-true method for cooking eggs on the stovetop, which involves timing the boil to cook the yolks to your desired doneness. Hold steady while we take you through two more ways to cook eggs in their shells: using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker or baking them in the oven.
Though older eggs are really easier to peel, very fresh eggs are wonderful fried or scrambled. If you have eggs in the fridge for a week or two, they will be the easiest to peel after they are hard-boiled.
A Guide to Boiling Eggs on a Stovetop
There are two inquiries concerning eggs that are frequently asked:
Which came first, the egg or the chicken?
When boiling eggs, do you start with cold water or boiling water first?
We advise using cold water as the first stage of a 4-step process. Why? As a result, the eggs won’t overcook. Never again will you have to put up with overcooked, chalky, dry eggs with strangely greenish yolks. For you, nothing but gorgeous, vivid yellow yolks and incredible texture! They’re so delicious that you’ll want to devour them without even salting them.
The Three Steps to Perfect Hard- or Soft-Boiled Eggs:
1. Put eggs in a kettle or saucepan and pour cold water over them.
Water comes last, then eggs. Why? Because if you add the eggs later, they may break as they settle to the pan’s bottom. Learning this the hard way is not enjoyable.
- Place the pan on high heat and vigorously boil the water. Turn off the heat and cover the pan.
How much time does boiling an egg take? In actuality, you only want the water to reach a rolling boil. Long-term exposure to intense heat causes a chemical reaction in eggs that turns the yolks green. In other words, the answer to the question is pretty much never. Some refer to “hard-cooked” eggs rather than “hard-boiled” eggs because the eggs cook in water that isn’t really boiling.
- Immediately drain the eggs and place them in a basin with ice cubes and water in it.
What makes ice water? It stops the green yolk issue and cools the eggs. (You want cold water with lots of floating ice cubes; chilled water isn’t cold enough.) For optimal ease of peeling, break the eggs slightly before submerging them in the ice water and let them sit for an hour.
How Long Do Eggs Boil?
Boil eggs for varying amounts of time, ranging from two to fifteen minutes.
Depending on how firm or set you want the yolks, let the eggs in the boiling water for 4 to 12 minutes.
What is the purpose of the time range? The yolks of eggs will become more cooked the longer they are left in boiling water; for soft boiled eggs, this means less time, while for hard boiled eggs, more time. When preparing huge eggs, follow these guidelines:
Egg Yolks Boiling Time Egg Whites
2 to 4 minutes for soft and runny eggs
7-8 minutes for soft but firm
ten to fifteen minutes for fully set eggs
Egg Hard Cooking in the Oven: A Guide
This approach is a little unconventional. Since there is no water needed, this procedure is more analogous to hard baking than hard boiling. But remain in this place with us. Eggs that are “hard-boiled” in an oven are simply cooked in a hot, dry oven. When stovetop space is limited or you’re cooking a lot of eggs, it’s a wise choice. Advice: To prevent the eggs from rolling around in the oven, use a muffin tin. This is how the method is used:
How to Use a Pressure Cooker to Cook Hard-Boiled Eggs?
This is the ideal method for hard-boiled fresh eggs. It’s well known that peeling fresh eggs is difficult. But it’s simple with this pressure cooker method. A pressure cooker is the best way to make hard-cooked eggs if you have access to really fresh eggs or own chickens. Although the pressure cooker’s primary selling point is its ability to save time, peeling fresh eggs is actually made easier by it.
How to Keep Hard-Boiled Eggs Stored
Hard-boiled eggs can stay in the refrigerator for up to a week in their shell. The cooked white will be less likely to acquire refrigerator odors thanks to the shell.
Hard-boiled eggs can be kept for up to a week in an airtight container with a damp paper towel if you’ve previously peeled them. Every day, replace the wet towel.
How much time may hard-boiled eggs be kept refrigerated?
Hard-boiled eggs can be refrigerated for up to seven days if stored properly. Store your hard-boiled eggs in their shells until you’re ready to consume them for optimal results.
Learn more about eggs, such as recipes, extra cooking techniques, safety and nutrition advice, and more.