Boiled Eggs

By Matthew Fairman

Published on October 15, 2019

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Makes 8 eggs

Ingredients

8 large eggs

Before You Begin

Start timing after adding the last egg to the boiling water. This recipe works equally well with as few as two eggs; however, the timing changes when more than eight eggs are cooked at once.

Instructions

Bring 12 cups water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Fill large bowl halfway with ice and water.

Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, gently lower eggs into boiling water and cook for 7 minutes for soft-cooked eggs or 13 minutes for hard-cooked eggs. Transfer eggs to ice bath and let cool for 5 minutes.

To peel, gently tap 1 egg on counter to crack shell all over. Begin peeling off shell at wider end of egg, making sure to break membrane between shell and egg white. Under gently running water, carefully peel membrane and shell off egg. Repeat with remaining 7 eggs. Serve.

Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Boiled Eggs

Name: Boiled Eggs
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 8 large eggs

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Makes 8 eggs

Ingredients

8 large eggs

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

8 large eggs

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

8 large eggs

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For perfectly boiled eggs every time, we boiled our eggs in exactly 12 cups of water. Adding the eggs to boiling water set the egg white quickly, causing it to pull away from the membrane, which made for easy peeling. We found that boiling the eggs for 7 minutes yielded perfectly soft-cooked eggs, while 13 minutes was perfect for hard-cooked eggs. Shocking the eggs in ice water halted their cooking, ensuring that they didn't overcook. Working under gently running water further facilitated peeling.

Before You Begin

Start timing after adding the last egg to the boiling water. This recipe works equally well with as few as two eggs; however, the timing changes when more than eight eggs are cooked at once.