How to Boil an Egg -- by Giselle

Hard-cooked eggs are a staple in my fridge. And they are so easy to prepare in a jiffy.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Raw eggs
• Saucepan
• Water
• Salt
• Timer

1. 
    
   Saucepan Full of Eggs and Water

   In a saucepan, gently place the raw eggs without crowding. I use a large saucepan that easily holds 12-14 eggs.
   
   Add COLD water to cover eggs plus at least an inch above them.
   
   Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of SALT.

2. Cover saucepan. Place saucepan on MEDIUM-HIGH heat. On my electric range, this is 8 instead of 10. On a gas range, turn the flame up to its highest, then back down a notch.
   
   Watch the pan closely. You want to catch it just as steam starts to pour from around the lid.
   
   For my very heavy old Club Aluminum 3-qt. pan, it takes 8 to 9 minutes for the water just to start boiling. A lighter, smaller pan will take less time.

3. 
    
   Digital Timer (my favorite)

   IMMEDIATELY, as steam starts escaping and the water is just starting to boil (Lift the lid to peek but REPLACE LID.), REMOVE the pan from the heat.
   
   If you're cooking on an electric range, this means removing the pan from the burner, NOT just turning off the heat under it.
   
   Set TIMER for 9 minutes. Or watch the clock while you clean a counter top.

4. When time's up, take saucepan to sink. Use lid to hold eggs in, and pour all the water out. Set saucepan under faucet and fill it with COLD water. Give it about 5 seconds, then pour that water out. Fill again with cold water. Add several handfuls of ice cubes too. This is to stop the eggs from cooking further.

5. To peel an egg, tap narrower end against sink or a bowl. Turn the egg and tap other end too so shell is cracked on both ends.
   
   Either hold the egg under running water, or in a bowl of clean water, as you peel. I usually have better luck starting on the narrower end. Shell should come off easily.

6. Cut the egg in two. Note the consistency of the yellow.
   
   If it's not hard-cooked enough for you, then lengthen the SITTING time (after removed from heat) a minute next time.
   
   If you'd prefer a softer-cooked egg, reduce the sitting time incrementally until you achieve your perfect egg.

Tips & Warnings

• It's best to use eggs that are NOT brand-new fresh for hard-cooking. They need to have had time for a little air pocket to form inside the shell for easy peeling.
• If you overdo the boiling, your eggs may end up with that grayish-green color around the yolk. Don't worry. They're still perfectly edible, just not as pretty.
• Keep a dozen or so hard-cooked eggs on hand in your refrigerator. Then you can always grab a nourishing high-protein breakfast or snack quickly.
• And you always have the basics for several other dishes: egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, crab salad, deviled eggs
• If you place your hard-cooked eggs back in an egg carton for storing in the fridge, be sure to mark that carton "COOKED." You'll thank me for this.

[smzolt2004]

on 12/2/2008 I found that fresh eggs tend to be more difficult to peel than older eggs. To solve this dilema I started adding salt to my water and fresh eggs and older eggs peel great for me. The salt has a chemical reaction with the shell.

[taskeinc]

on 11/6/2008 You know sometimes the egg peels easily and other times it doesn't, why is that?

[CrystalZoom]

on 11/6/2008 I couldn't remember how to boil eggs and this is helpful. I've been buying them boiled.