Includes step by step directions that show how to make hard boiled eggs. If you have ever wondered exactly how to boil eggs, this post is for you!
How to Boil Eggs…the easy way!
Have you ever boiled a pan of eggs and had a terrible time peeling them? There you are, getting ready to make that batch of deviled eggs, only to have most of your egg come off with the shell. It’s one of the most frustrating things ever! The method I’m sharing today gives step-by-step directions and will take the mystery out of how to make hard boiled eggs.
I don’t remember when I started using this method or where I found the directions. Like most of you, I’ve boiled lots of eggs over the years. When my daughter was young, she loved tuna fish sandwiches. Since it was one thing I knew she would always eat, I made it fairly often. I always put hard boiled eggs in it so I was boiling eggs quite a bit. When my son was in high school, he used to eat just the egg whites of 2 or 3 boiled eggs for part of his breakfast. I felt like I was boiling eggs all the time, so I had plenty of opportunities to fine-tune my procedure!
How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
| Prep Time | 2 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings | 6-8 eggs |
- 6-8 fresh eggs
Ingredients
| |
- Gently lay your eggs in a sauce pan that has a lid.
- Try to fill the pan with enough eggs so there is minimal movement while boiling.
- Cover with cold water.
- Put the lid on and heat on high.
- Watch closely and when it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low/medium and crack the lid.
- Boil for exactly 10 minutes. The water should be boiling constantly but not hard enough to overflow.
- Remove from heat and empty as much boiling water as you can into your sink.
- Set the pot down and stream very cold water so the pan overflows.
- Let the water stream for about a minute. Turn the water off.
- Immediately add ice cubes to the pan of cold water and eggs.
- Use as many ice cubes as you can fit.
- Let sit for another minute.
- Gently push each egg into the bottom of the pan to crack the shell. This will let a little water in and aids the peeling process.
- Start removing the eggs one at a time and peel them immediately.
- THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. DO NOT WAIT TO PEEL YOUR EGGS!
- Eggs can be stored in an air-tight container in refrigerator for 3 - 5 days.
I realize that most of you reading this don’t need a tutorial on how to boil eggs. I wanted to share it because you may learn a trick or two that you didn’t know. Plus, there’s a whole generation of would-be cooks out there who don’t know how to boil eggs and might find it useful. My two kids would be part of that generation! Now it’s here for them if they ever need it.
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Thanks , Ann. I have trouble with peeling the eggs so I will try this technique. The chicken salad plate looks wonderful. Definetly will be making soo. Thanks for all your recipes and gardening tips!
Anne, What a great idea! Never heard about the ice, but I can see how it would work.
I’m always looking for something to mix up our summer menu. The fruit plate is a great idea for these 90° plus days! I follow your steps for boiling eggs but wait to peel the eggs when using. Curious to see if this makes a difference. Thanks Ann!
I am definitely going to try this method of making hard-boiled eggs. Been a wife for 40 years and have tried them all, and I hit or miss on occasion. I heard it has a lot to do with the age of the eggs as well, but I’m going to try your method. I have never peeled them right away, so this is different for me as well. Thank you so much for the tutorial! I’m going to go give it a try!!
I think this is great information.
Used your perfected egg cooking instructions when asked last minute to bring deviled eggs to a party. It was the fastest I’ve ever made them. Love this method and thanks for sharing.
Ann,
I tried the egg boiling technique that you have perfected. Worked like a charm. My husband and I wanted egg salad for lunch, I told him I read On Sutton Place blog about boiling eggs. He said give it a try. I followed exactly, even emptied the ice maker that was frozen up, still made ice but wouldn’t eject them. Now it works again. Easy peasy eggs. Love your blog.
Barbara Burns.
Yay Barbara! Oh my gosh egg salad sounds so good. I’ll be making it this week!
I live at high altitude and Never have perfected a hard boiled egg. Your instructions worked perfectly and I am so grateful! ! !
Love your tips….just not sure if this would work with farm fresh eggs. I’ll have to try it sometime. Thanks!
just add a bit of baking soda to the water and they peal very easily….works every time!
Thank you for this tip! Do you happen to know if this works on farm fresh eggs? From what I understand they don’t peel well at all.
i’m not sure about farm fresh, but it works perfectly on the eggs I buy from the store and its easy!
You need to add lots of salt to water when boiling. This seems to help.
Ann
Thanks so much for this. My husband and I were making deviled eggs for Christmas and, while I thought I remembered how to boil them, they came out as you described – potholes and missing pieces. Still made the deviled eggs and they were gobbled up -just blamed the dog for getting into them – ha! Thanks for this information for a not-so-young cook who can now pass down the right technique! (PS: Live in NE Ohio – definitely blessed to have a cozy home and furnace that works! Praying for all those whose home is the street – that they find shelter and warmth to get them through the next few days!
I’m so glad you were warm and cozy! It’s 19 degrees right now and feels almost like a heat wave!
Are you boiling store bought eggs? I ask this question because I have hens and the eggs are so fresh, they will not peel. I have read that some of the eggs we buy from stores are 45 days old when they reach the store. They peel pretty good using the ice water, but that does not make mine peel. Help please. I have even waited three weeks, but they just do not peel well.
I had a comment earlier that also said that farm fresh eggs don’t peel well. One reader commented that a little baking soda added to the boiling water works well. You could try that. I don’t have access to farm fresh eggs so I buy mine in the grocery. If you try the baking soda let me know if it works and I’ll add it to my post. Thanks!
Ann, love your tips. I just started using the ice trick to cool and peel the eggs recently. It has worked for me every time it’s so much easier. Though my fingers did get pretty cold, but so worth it. :)
Seems if I’m making tuna or egg salad, the eggs peel beautifully. If I’m making deviled eggs, not so much! Thanks for the tip. Stay warm. Bitterly cold in TN too, but no snow.
I use a similar method, but instead I empty the boiling water from the pot and then whack the eggs around (yes, I did say “whack”) in the pot so the shells crack, fill the pot with the eggs until overflowing with cold water for a minute or two and let them sit. The water gets under the cracked egg shell and then the shell just slips right off. Works every time! Added bonus: I get my frustrations out at the same time! ;)
This makes perfect sense. Thank you for sharing!
I’ve tried many different methods and it seems I never get one that works every time. Of course it may be me deviating a bit from the exact directions or something! I’ll have to try this one!
Thanks for the info…..sometimes I can peel my boiled eggs….sometimes I have no whites left when I peel the eggs…will definitely give this helpful information a try. Thanks, and stay warm. It’s cold here in Mississippi, but nothing to compare with what you have going on.
Very helpful ….thanks :)
You know, I’ve been boiling eggs for years and I love this post as I never really knew the right way to do it! Sometimes they would peel easy and turn out great and other times, I ended up throwing half of them away! Thanks, Ann!!!
I’ve never used ice cubes, just the streaming cold water. I bet there are lots of people out there who will find this helpful! I’m pinning it for them :)
Ann a farm fresh egg never peels well, but I have never had difficulty with store bough eggs. I do similar to you, I use ice cold water. Beautiful photos :) Stay warm!