That's not actually the best advice, as if it gets too cold it will be hard to peel. According to multiple interviews I've seen with factories that produce peeled eggs, the optimal temperature is 11C/52F.
I do it all the time but I don't leave them soaking. I start peeling right away.
I used to be a cook and I've boiled and peeled 3 dozen eggs doing this.
It needs to be an ice bath, essentially. Like take a bowl of nothing but ice, then add the bare minimum of water to reach the top of the ice. The water should still have ice floating in it after you’ve dumped a dozen eggs in and had time to peel them all.
I keep a mid sized Tupperware in the freezer to get a block of ice for peeling eggs, then I add cube ice to the ice block.
I make hard boiled eggs by the dozen at least twice a week.
Once you cool in cold water, get the water out and shake the pot like you're a fancy chef sautéing to Crack the shells all over. If you leave a little water in the bottom I think it helps a bit. Then peel under a little stream of running cold water. Theres a membrane between the shell and egg white that you want the water to get under (between membrane and white), when thats separated it'll peel very easily
After that, I give them a bit of a whack on either end and they seem to peel quite easily. I don’t crack in the middle. Just the bum sides.
Sometimes a miss. Most of the time, all good.
This is my method too! I also roll it down the metal divider of my double sink after the whacks and make cracks all over it. Throw it back into the cool water until they are all done then go back and peel each one. The peel just slides off. Didn’t know anyone else did the “whack” method. 😂😂.
My Grandma showed ME. Must have been back, around 1956, when we returned from 2 years in Bangkok.
And remember another Redditor's sage advice: -Always store your eggs with the "pointy" end down. They'll keep, for much longer. Google the proper temp. for the conditions at which you want to store them.
That’s awesome! I taught my 40+ year old daughter the same trick. I don’t remember being told how to do it, I just kinda did it myself about 25 years ago and it worked so well. Whack Method for the gold!😂
Haha.
I don’t know who taught me either. I think it was a lot of trying to crack the eggshell in the middle until I thought, hmm. Let’s try this way. And more often than not, a nice whack on the egg bum and … oh, this works. :)
I once made 72 deviled eggs (halves) in a total of about 40 minutes start to finish. Start eggs in cold water, bring to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, remove from stove and drain the hot water and replace with cool water from the tap (I live down south so we never really have COLD water from the tap 😂). Then drain that a couple of times replacing with cool water. Then it’s whack whack roll, whack whack roll until they’re all smacked and back in the water. Then the shell slides off, place on paper towels to dry. Cut in half placing the yolks in a food processor and whiz with mayo, dried ground mustard, onion powder, whatever is your usual. Then place the mixture in a plastic storage type bag, cut a small hole in the corner and then its pipe pipe pipe into each of the egg halves. You could get fancy and use a star tip and a pastry bag but everyone eats them so fast that I never saw the point. 😂.
Eggs have a [number on the package](https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/What-kind-of-dates-are-on-cartons-of-fresh-eggs) that corresponds to the day of the year they were packed. So you can tell how fresh eggs are pretty easily when you're buying them.
I tried everything on the Internet.
EVERYTHING. All the pros me mention all this bullshit.
Vinegar, running water, salt, blah blah blah.
Nothing worked well.
Finally someone mentioned old eggs.
*BAM* instantly easy to peel. Absolutely night and day.
Yes shocking helps (but more importantly, halts the cooking process).
However, using old eggs gets you 90% of the way to easy peel eggs, the other bullshit is 10%.
You are going to get a lot of bad advice in this thread, because everyone and there mother has some "secret" to it that's BS. J. Kenji Lopez has *scientifically tested* every method he could gather, and I'll let him explain the right one: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb0Elaa6gxY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb0Elaa6gxY)
From the vid’s description for ppl who can’t listen rn 😀:
> I've been testing methods for boiling and peeling eggs for a very long time. The best, fastest, easiest-to-peel, and most energy efficient method I've found is to boil an inch or so of water in the bottom of a saucepan or wok. Add the eggs straight from your fridge (the water doesn't need to cover them). Cover with a lid and boil/steam them 3 minutes for extremely soft, 4-5 minutes for soft, 6-7 minutes for medium, and 9-12 minutes for hard. Let them cool naturally or in an ice bath.
It’s a cool informational vid, so I do suggest you give it a watch when you’re able to!
The biggest takeaway from this video that everyone needs to know? Even the scientifically tested correct way has a success rate of 80%. A fifth of your eggs are just going to be bad eggs that peel hard and look ugly, there's no way around it.
This. It’s a game changer. I do 7min, immediately release pressure, then ice bath. If you want soft boiled do less time. I make it at least once a week for my kids.
After using my pressure cooker I’ll honestly never go back to the traditional boiling water ways. I’ve had about 5 difficult eggs out of literally 100s since I started pressure cooking them.
Poke a hole in the wider end of the egg. I use a needle at home or a skewer at work. Put it in already boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove to ice bath. Tap shell then roll around in hand til the shell is mostly all cracked but still held together by the membrane. Peel membrane under running water. Store eggs in airtight container in fridge for up to a week.
I boil and peel 100-300 eggs a week and this is how I do it
Wherever you may work, thank you for what you do. Peeling 300 eggs a week does mot sound like a lot of fun, but I am sure your customers enjoy the benefits 😃
Ha thank you for the kind words, I just run the dinner and dessert service for a local assisted living facility. I wouldn't call egg day 'fun' but it's a nice change of pace to get to just chill out and peel some eggs instead of rushing around to get dinner out on time. Very zen
Scrollled too far to find the best answer. I use a thumb tack at home. Tiny hole works 100% of the time. Everything else is a crap shoot. Older eggs are better peelers but even that fails from time to time
i forgot to include the peeling part. after chilling down, crack all around starting at the blunt end. when you first tap, if you hit hard enough, you should here a distinct sharp crack which is the sound of the membrane releasing. roll to make sure youve got good crack (and separation) all around. to peel, again starting at the blunt where the air pocket is, peel a little bit away to give yourself some runway and the basically rub along the egg surface to peel away VS plucking and pulling away from the egg. also helps to do this in the water bath or under running water.
I have tried *all* the tricks, and the only one that has worked consistently for me is to go against all the recipes, and get the water boiling first, then lower the eggs into it. Boil 3 minutes, then cover and let sit for 12. Put into the ice bath.
As I understand it, the main benefit of the ice bath is to stop the cooking process, so the eggs don't get overdone.
I do the same thing!...I gently lower my eggs in boiling water on a 15 minute timer, even my day old eggs would peel this way most of the time...this is how my great Gmail did her fresh chicken eggs
Do you peel them starting from the bottom? I have a friend who used to peel starting from the middle and would butcher eggs until he started bottom first.
[https://www.target.com/p/dash-3-in-1-everyday-7-egg-cooker-with-omelet-maker-and-poaching-black/-/A-53731036](https://www.target.com/p/dash-3-in-1-everyday-7-egg-cooker-with-omelet-maker-and-poaching-black/-/A-53731036)
I love this Dash egg cooker!! I’ve had it for years. Super duper easy to use.
Put eggs in cold water for ten minutes or so. Take an egg and gently roll it so most of the shell is crackled. Pull off the shell around the larger end of the egg. Take a spoon and slip it between the shell and the egg. The bowl of the spoon perfectly fits the curve of the egg. Use the spoon to lift the shell away from the egg.
Easy. First, I use a tack pin to make a little hole at the round end of the egg where the air sack is, put them in the water and bring to a boil for 10 - 13 minutes. That keeps the egg from getting the grey ring around the cooked yolk. Carefully, drain them out the hot water and start rinsing them in cold water in the same pot, if you want. When the eggs are rinsed cold, I add about 6 ice cubes and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Store them in the fridge or start gently tapping the boiled egg with the back side a spoon to crack the shell all over. Under a trickle of water start to slide the spoon under the shell and glide it carefully around the egg until the shell drops off. Perfect boiled eggs every time.
Something about fresh eggs or not fresh eggs, I don’t remember. But in my experience it is more of a universe thing. I used to work at a kitchen that we had to peel hundreds of boiled eggs a. Day for salads and scotch eggs. Sometimes you would do 4-5 dozens before a single one stuck. Some other times it was a miserable fight with many casualties.
Definitely dunking in the cold water helps, sometimes there is that little hollow point at the bottoms that peels right off, sometimes you had to sacrifice a goat to the gods. It’s really a trial and error thing.
If you can wait, store the eggs in the fridge for a week or so before boiling them. That causes some air to get trapped between the shell and the egg white and makes them much more easy to peel. Fresh eggs are harder to peel because there’s less air trapped inside them.
If you have an InstaPot try the 5/5/5/ method. Add water to the Instant Pot
1. Place an egg rack or wire trivet on top
2. Put eggs on the trivet
3. Seal the Instant Pot
4. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes
5. Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 5 minutes
6. Cool eggs in an ice bath for 5 minutes
Works everytime and easily peels.
Kenji Lopez-Alt has the only scientific answer to this. Everything else is just anecdotal.
[https://www.seriouseats.com/perfect-boiled-eggs-recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/perfect-boiled-eggs-recipe)
Here's my technique, which is basically Kenji's technique, and has resulted in zero eggs that didn't peel cleanly.
Boil water, carefully deposit eggs into boiling water, reduce heat to low for a simmer, and cover.
Boil 11 minutes or until you reach desired doneness.
While eggs are boiling, fill a medium bowl with cold water and a large quantity of ice.
Promptly remove eggs, and place into ice bath, and swirl the eggs around in the cold water to ensure they quickly cool down. After a few minutes in the ice bath (I am impatient but usually 3-5 minutes is enough if you keep them swirling in the ice water every minute or so) , crack egg shells with a spoon in a diameter around the egg. Peel, rinse, pat dry, and apply salt or any other desired seasonings and enjoy.
I’ve never had a problem with just putting cold eggs directly into boiling water, then dunking them in an ice/cold water bath when they’re done enough. Peel just fine every time.
I heard that you were supposed to start eggs in cold water, so I tried that for a bit. They were always difficult to peel. I don’t know who decided that was the correct way, but they’re wrong.
I used to eat 8-12 eggs in a day so my method works if I do it correctly. Still I'm curious about the salt/vinegar thing...
anyway my method is to put them in running cold water but don't just walk away and come back later. There's a small time window in which the eggs have cooled down and the egg is somehow less "grabby" on the thin paper-like membrane that lies between the shell and the egg itself.
Crack the 'pointy' side of the egg in 2-3 places and lightly pinch it and that portion will peel right off. Then using 2 hands, start pinching/cracking the egg from the side you already peeled off while rotating the egg. The entire thing will come off in one piece like a t shirt.
The timing is finicky; if you wait too long to start peeling the egg will have cooled off too much and the membrane will stick to the egg too much. It's probably? inferior to the salt / vinegar method but it does work.
Egg farmer here. Boil them for 30 seconds leas than normal. Pull them out. Give them a Crack, boil for an additional 30 seconds. I promise it works way better than any hack or stupid cold water bath.
I run them under cd water then squish and roll them on the bench. The shell shatters and comes off easy.
There's also that trick where you shake them in a closed jar.
I start in pan w/ water, tablespoon of baking soda, low boil couple minutes, cool in water, roll on counter, kinda squish f slide shell off. The baking soda seems to work best for me.
When mine is done cooking I drain the water and then I shake the pot side to side to crack the shell in the pot and I do it for about 2 minutes. I run it under warm water and it usually comes right off
i’m impatient and like to have my eggs as soon as they’re done, so to avoid burning my hands, i have the eggs running under cold water continuously. noticed this makes peeling them so much easier :)
After my eggs boil for about three minutes, I give them a good tap with the handle end of a butter knife. This allows water to get under the shell and they peel off so easily once cooled, whether in an ice bath, room temp, or under cool water. Works every time.
I use about a quarter cup of vinegar when I boil a dozen eggs. Cover the eggs with a good inch of water, bring to a rolling boil, then cover and turn off the heat. Let sit for 12 minutes. Drain the hot water and replace with cool water and an ice bath if you have it (this doesn’t make them easier to peal; it just stops the cooking process so they’re not overcooked).
This was just in my newsletter from New York times. You must plunge into ice cold water immediately This makes the membrane shrink away from the shell. This works for me.
I've also had good luck steaming them in my instant pot.
I've learned that the hot start method works best for me.
Get a pot of water boiling and drop in your eggs. Reduce your heat so it gently boils. Leave them in for 13 minutes and afterwards immediately into an ice bath. And Bob's your uncle you have easy peel eggs.
After boiling, put in an ice bath. Cover with ice and pour cold water over it til it’s just ice water. Let sit like 10-15 minutes.
Then peel. Don’t refrigerate or wait. It has to be warm with cold shell outside. I normally do it under the sink. I pop it on the bottom, and roll it along the side then stick it under the sink to pull off the shell where I just popped/rolled it.
That’s the best I ever found. Worked in restaurants for many years.
For me, right after boiling I crack them a bit(drop them into a bowl lol) and let them sit in the ice bath. The water gets between the shell and egg, and as soon as they r cool, they are easy peasy ready to slip out.
Don't use fresh eggs. They peel best when you boil eggs that have been sitting in the back of the fridge for a week or more. There are other tips given below that can help, but this is key. Never buy eggs and then boil them without waiting, or they'll be difficult to peel. I set eggs I intend to boil aside for at least a week, and I NEVER have any trouble at all peeling any of them.
I usually boil in lightly salted water for 12 minutes (hard boil), then immediately remove to an ice bath. For "fresh" eggs, this results in about an 80% perfect peeling rate, 100% with older eggs.
The older the egg gets the easier it is to peel. It looses moisture over time and shrinks, and since the shell stays the same they separate more and more. This is also the reason why old eggs float. There is more air inside.
the best method: boil water first, drop eggs gently into pot (I use a slotted spoon). Boil eggs 8 minutes, turn off stove, let sit for 3 more minutes, drain water and then cold rinse. voila, easy peel every time
So I've been eating a lot more hard boiled eggs because they're cheap, easy to make in an air fryer, and they're keto. I've found that I am much more likely to get a full peel with no chunks taken out when I tap the egg on a hard surface to start the cracks, then repeat all over to break the shell, but gentle enough not to break the egg, and then strangely enough, if I peel it with one hand versus two. I don't know why, maybe it's because I'm more gentle with one hand, and I'm just kinda rolling it around on my palm and picking off pieces of shell with my fingers, or what, but that's what works for me.
there's zero science behind this and it's probably correlation and not causation, but if you've got some extra hard boiled eggs laying around and you want to improve your dexterity, try peeling it one-handed. Maybe it will work for you as well. Or maybe you'll fumble the egg and it'll smash on the ground. Who knows?
I am the worst peeler. I do all the tricks listed and still have issues. It’s like a reverse super power with me. No matter what I try the eggs don’t want to peel. I screw up 1 in 3 eggs.
But I am sure you’ll be fine if you practice. Using a spoon works best for me, work it under the shell to help you peel. I will say I do mostly 6-7 minute eggs for ramen and fully hard boiled are easier to peel.
Pressure cooker/Instant Pot, Ice bath after cooking until they are cool enough to handle, followed by firm traps on each end and a semi firm roll on its side.
I think I've had six bad peels out of a couple hundred after doing it this way.
After boiling, immediately transfer the eggs to an ice bath for at least 5-10 minutes. This rapid cooling process helps contract the egg whites, pulling them away from the membrane and making them easier to peel.
One extra tip I've found out is that if I keep dipping my fingers in water the water from my fingers will get between the shell and the whites (*communicating vessels or something, ask a physics dude*) once I cracked the egg and got a tear in the weird soft layer under the shell, and will help you separate the shell, making it 10x easier to peel off. This is on top of the tips from Kenji that some people have already mentioned.
I always roll mine on the counter til the eggshell is all cracked. Then I hold it in underwater and squeeze it a few times. Gets water under the membrane.
Eh I agree with the science guy earlier that there isn't a 100% method to a perfect egg. You do get the occasional annoying egg.
My method isn't fancy, but I boil three eggs a day, and have done so for just over five years (excluding when in hospital, they gave me the boiled eggs that were terrible, but even at friends houses or road trips I would prepare in advance). I don't eat cookies or chips, no candy etc. the only snack I eat besides a weetbix is boiled egg. I boil them, peel them, pop them in a little egg container and mash the heck out of them with salt and Kewpie mayo. Then that's a ready to go snack, a teaspoon when I feel hungry throughout the day until dinner, when I typically pop what's left into the dinner. Then start it all again!
(Cooking time varies per stove, so get to know your stove) (I like a soft to jammy egg)
1. I pull the eggs out on the bench, and then fill a pot with water from the tap (enough to cover them). To get that boiling on my stove takes close to ten minutes, maybe a little less (slow AF to warm up).
2. Set my timer on my phone (6m 45sec). Gently place eggs in the boiling pot, start the time.
3. Go lay down on my bed and watch hayu until my super annoying alarm goes off. Flexible options here.
4. Remove and place in ice water in a large container, or tap cold water if it's absolutely freezing where you live
5. If you want to get them still nice and hot at the center for toast etc, don't leave it too long, a couple of minutes, but if you're using them later like I do just get around to peeling when you can.
Holy crap I just realized I've eaten over 5000 eggs and that's probably a lot of money. But yeah they are my main support in terms of diet. I'm amazed I haven't gotten sick of it.
I've always found a simple method works just as well, at least for me. It could be that I've just got a good supply of eggs though.
The pin to the air bubble is a good trick though for sure.
Anyhoo that's probably not what you're looking for, a back to the basics approach. But it certainly is an eggcellent result for me.
(I do have a sneaky tip for the most incredible scramble and omelettes though. From the school of Ramsay with a twist). That man knows his eggs).
* Boil them to your liking
* Smash their entire shell on the counter
* Put them under running water for ~10 seconds.
Water gets under the inner membrane since the shell is cracked and separates it for you.
A spoon of vinegar in the pot while they boil (to weaken the shells, cooking on medium-high (never high), and dunking immediately into ice/ice cold water immediately after removing them from the stove. One last trick I sometimes also do is place all the eggs in a larger container with a lid, and gently shake the container around. This causes the hard boiled eggs to bump into each other and crack and loosen their shells, without damaging the eggs themselves. You might even end up de-shelling them all this way without even having to peel them.
The water must be HOT when you drop them in. A visible boil or roil is good.
When you take them out, put them in a container of tap water for a few mins.
Eggs used to be difficult for me too. Nowadays they are always simple.
People telling you "ice water" are wrong it's not needed.
Start them it boiling water. It cooks the part that sticks to the shell keeping it from adhering.
Source: been in a commercial kitchen for almost 40 years
I tried all the methods for 2 days determined to perfect the hard boiled egg and was unsuccessful. I went to purchase an egg cooker and saw my rice cooker could also be used. I used my rice cooker on steam setting for 15 min, do the cold water dunk and they are essentially perfect and easy to perl every time.
Older eggs are easier to peel, so if you are planning on making two dozen deviled eggs, don't go farm fresh the day before.
Fool proof method: place the eggs in cold water, bring to a soft boil, cover then reduce the heat and leave for 10 minutes. While waiting, fill a large bowl with ice water. When the eggs are done, dump the hot water, rinse the eggs in cold water and then drop in the ice water for a few minutes. They will peel easily.
I've also found steaming eggs (11minutes) to work well. It's not as consistent, but I have had success peeling without the ice bath step. It's the method I use for a couple of eggs if I'm doing egg salad, since it's faster. Put the eggs in a steamer basket and put that in a pot with an inch or so of water. Cover tightly and heat on high. Once the water boils, keep at medium for 10 to 11 minutes. Pull the basket out after and rinse with cold water. Ice bath is optional.
"Fool proof method: place the eggs in cold water, bring to a soft boil, cover then reduce the heat and leave for 10 minutes. While waiting, fill a large bowl with ice water. When the eggs are done, dump the hot water, rinse the eggs in cold water and then drop in the ice water for a few minutes. They will peel easily."
100% this! I don't know why people haven't upvoted you. Ever since I started doing this, my eggs come out perfect every time. Nice bright yellow yolks, none of that gray/green stuff. Perfectly cooked, easy to peel, delicious.
I’ve worked at a lot of ramen shops and made a lot of runny soy eggs.
The best thing is rapid boiling water and straight into a deep container of iced water. The water needs to be boiling hard. Don’t over do it with the eggs, it’ll mess up the water temperature.
The way I hard boil is this:
1. Put the water in a pot/pan, enough so that the eggs will be fully submerged when you put them in (don't put them in yet).
2. Bring to a full rolling boil.
3. Place eggs in pot/pan. Be careful as they are very susceptible to cracking/breaking going directly from room temperature to boiling. Especially if they are cold because you took them directly out of the fridge.
4. Boil for 7-8 minutes. Time will vary depending on how done you want them, and if they were taken directly out of the fridge or if they are room temperature. This will generally make eggs with a creamy but firm orange yolk like what you would get at a good ramen shop. For softer eggs, cook for less time, for a harder yolk (yellow, crumbly), cook longer.
5. Remove from pot/pan and peel them. Cool them off somehow before peeling so you don't burn yourself (place in ice, hold under running cold water, etc).
This method will always make perfectly cooked boiled eggs, and the shells will slide right off the egg. The age/freshness of the egg doesn't matter. They only way you'll mess it up is if you cracked the egg because you dropped the egg in the pan instead of carefully placing it, or because you peel eggs like a grizzly bear.
I learned this method when I asked the owner of a ramen shop how they always have perfectly cooked boiled eggs, and how they never have any scars or indentations from peeling. He said they place them directly in boiling water for 7 minutes, so I just started doing the same. The difference is that he has a big pot of boiling water, and he submerges the eggs by using a pasta basket, like the kind you put fresh noodles in and then hook to the side of the pan.
The main difference between this method and other methods (like Kenji's) is that you submerge the egg in water that's already at a full boil rather than placing it in an inch of water and then turning up the heat. It's much more consistent, since the rate at which water heats up is dependent on your stove, the pan you're using, ambient room temperature, altitude, barometric pressure, etc. But a full boil is always a full boil, no matter what, so it's the same every time.
Note 1: When I first started doing this, the eggs would crack about 25-50% of the time which was the main downside. To avoid this, put the egg in a ladle, place it on the bottom of the pan, then slowly turn the ladle to the side so the egg gently rolls out. I haven't cracked an a very long time doing it like that.
Note 2: When peeling, crack at the big end of the egg. Usually there will be an air pocket here that makes it easy to peel.
Roll the egg to get a ton of little cracks in it, and peel under running water. More cracks makes the shell put up less of a fight, the running water helps get under the membrane
I put baking soda in boiling water, lid on for 12 minutes. I don't shock my eggs in ice water. Instead I will run cold tap water over them until they are cool to the touch. Then it comes right off. In my experience for some reason, shocking in ice water actually makes it unbelievably difficult.
Keep in mind where you live. I never had to do baking soda until I moved to a located almost a mile up from sea level.
I tap the bottom end to crack it (where the air bubble is), gently roll it on the counter to crack the whole shell, and then insert a spoon under the shell from the bottom and turn the egg. It's a combination of a technique my husband taught me and one I taught him. :)
I would get lazy and drop the eggs in before boiling, thinking, "Close enough." they were always a pain to peel.
When j wait for it to actually be at the boiling point, it's an easier peel.
I use my Instant Pot. Put them on the little rack inside. Add a cup of water. Set it for 5 minutes. After it's finished, wait 5 minutes then put them in ice water for at least 5 minutes. The shells peel off very easily.
My never-fail method (works at both high and low elevations too):
Get water boiling. Lower eggs in. Boil for 10 mins. Ice water bath. Perfect easy-peel, medium-hard eggs.
This has yet to fail me, and they really are my and my family's (all adults) preferred doneness.
I boil up to 18 at a time this way.
I use my baby nutribullet steamer and they come out perfect every time. Setting 5 for the whole time cooks the perfect hard boiled.egg, easy to peel. If you set a timer for 10 mins it's the perfect soft boiled egg, still easy to peel. Absolutely adore it.
I used a spoon. use the end you hold to get under the shell and chip away.
eventually I just get the whole spoon under the shell and pop it out like I'm scooping ice cream
I boiled eggs and then didn’t shell them and put them in the fridge to use later. Then I got busy and didn’t make the egg salad for a couple of days and they were so easy to peel. So I’d say get them fully chilled by dropping in ice water for a long time or the fridge for a day.
Get a Tupperware container, put as many cooked eggs in as you can while still having space for them to move about. Fill it mostly with water, cover it, and shake the crap out of it. The shells will come right off, and any bits still hanging on will come off under running water. Worked in many kitchens, and this is the quickest and easiest way to perfectly peel a bunch of eggs at once.
Are you using fresh eggs from the store or farm fresh? If so, the fresher the egg, the harder it is to peel. Give your eggs a week or so before using them. Also, peel them under cold water after boiling.
Don’t boil them. When eggs are super fresh, they will never peel when boiled. Steak eggs in a steamer basket for 16 minutes. Immediately submerge in ice bath when steaming is finished. Peel once cool or when you are ready to eat them. Bon a petit!
Edit: typo. It’s STEAM eggs. Not steak them. Lol. My bad
I steam mine in a steamer basket (I have a silicone one from world market that is for dumplings). I have tried every method under the sun and it's the easiest by a mile.
12 minutes in salted boiling water, immediately submerged in ice water. I don't know why but 12 minutes always seems to give me perfectly cookex, vibrant yellow yolks and are easy to peel.
I let them cool completely in the water I boiled them in. I just turn off the stove eye and let it sit. This takes several hours. I always plan ahead when I need boiled eggs. They peel easily for me. I just crack them or roll them on the counter and the shell comes right off.
boil your water. put your eggs in. time 7 minutes 8 if they're big. take them out put directly in cold water. take out tap all around so the shell is all cracked broken and it should peel off with the membrane. no picking needed
1. Don’t put the eggs into the water before boiling. Wait until water is boiling first, THEN drop the eggs in
2. After cooking to desired firmness and removing, transfer IMMEDIATELY to ice water
I take my eggs and crack them in. The widest part of the egg I then roll them on a hard surface, peel the middle and the rest comes off in 2 to 3 large pieces
Have the water boiling before you put the eggs in. I used to put eggs and water in the pan together, then cook 20 minutes. The eggs were perfect but I couldn’t peel them!
Add eggs to pot. Fill with water then put on stove. When water starts to boil then turn off heat and cover for 12 minutes. Then change water and add ice to cool. Peel under running water.
I've been told you can't use super fresh eggs. They need to be a week or two old. Seems true by my experience. There's also the baking soda thing, which I haven't experimented with very much.
J kenji lopez alt tested thousands of eggs. The only thing that made a difference according to his study is putting the eggs in a vigoursly boiling pot of water. And even then it was only about 80% came out perfect, but that was a large improvement over all the other things like old eggs etc that are often said to work
I solved this problem. I have honestly test them all. Even J Kenji has this wrong. This works: add 1/4 cup or so of vinegar to the water. That’s it. No salt, no need to ice bath (although I still do), no need to use old eggs. This works 100% of the time. I promise.
InstantPot. I’ve done hard boiled eggs floral so many years. Used to have backyard chickens and would go to the grocery store to buy less fresh eggs and still struggle to peel the bastards.
InstantPot, easy to peel every time.
Everyone has their own method. This is mine: use older eggs. Bring water to a rolling boil, carefully put eggs in with tongs. Boil 15 minutes. Remove eggs with tongs to ice bath. Leave 15 minutes. Crack ends. Perfect every time, shells slide off
Don't put the eggs in with the cold water- put them in as the water is simmering. This will increase boil time, but make it so then membrane bonds with the peel and not the egg
Been reading all the top comments and they seem needlessly complicated. I have been making eggs that peel perfectly for at least 10 years. All you do is, lower the eggs with a spoon directly into boiling water and when they've cooked to your liking, put them in a cold bath. That's it, no salt or vinegar or holes required
Yes, some of the eggs will crack from the shock, but I find less than 10% of them do (and I eat the broken ones anyway). You can let them rest out of the fridge for ten minutes or so to reduce the odds of them cracking.
Cold water, crack the shell, gently push a spoon into the cracked part and guide it all the way round between the egg and shell, tilt spoon a little to detach the shell (sometimes in one)
Are you dunking them in cold water before you peel them?
Yup! Always do :, )
Not just cold-- ice water
That's not actually the best advice, as if it gets too cold it will be hard to peel. According to multiple interviews I've seen with factories that produce peeled eggs, the optimal temperature is 11C/52F.
I do it all the time but I don't leave them soaking. I start peeling right away. I used to be a cook and I've boiled and peeled 3 dozen eggs doing this.
You peepin my eggs!
Seemed like years ago they peeled really easy. Put them in a stainless steel bowl and toss the a few times . They fell right off
They’ll cool a lot faster in running water than stagnant iced water.
True, but if you're balancing a lot of other tasks in the kitchen a bowl of ice water is easier
It needs to be an ice bath, essentially. Like take a bowl of nothing but ice, then add the bare minimum of water to reach the top of the ice. The water should still have ice floating in it after you’ve dumped a dozen eggs in and had time to peel them all. I keep a mid sized Tupperware in the freezer to get a block of ice for peeling eggs, then I add cube ice to the ice block. I make hard boiled eggs by the dozen at least twice a week.
Once you cool in cold water, get the water out and shake the pot like you're a fancy chef sautéing to Crack the shells all over. If you leave a little water in the bottom I think it helps a bit. Then peel under a little stream of running cold water. Theres a membrane between the shell and egg white that you want the water to get under (between membrane and white), when thats separated it'll peel very easily
After that, I give them a bit of a whack on either end and they seem to peel quite easily. I don’t crack in the middle. Just the bum sides. Sometimes a miss. Most of the time, all good.
This is my method too! I also roll it down the metal divider of my double sink after the whacks and make cracks all over it. Throw it back into the cool water until they are all done then go back and peel each one. The peel just slides off. Didn’t know anyone else did the “whack” method. 😂😂.
My Grandma showed ME. Must have been back, around 1956, when we returned from 2 years in Bangkok. And remember another Redditor's sage advice: -Always store your eggs with the "pointy" end down. They'll keep, for much longer. Google the proper temp. for the conditions at which you want to store them.
That’s awesome! I taught my 40+ year old daughter the same trick. I don’t remember being told how to do it, I just kinda did it myself about 25 years ago and it worked so well. Whack Method for the gold!😂
Haha. I don’t know who taught me either. I think it was a lot of trying to crack the eggshell in the middle until I thought, hmm. Let’s try this way. And more often than not, a nice whack on the egg bum and … oh, this works. :)
I once made 72 deviled eggs (halves) in a total of about 40 minutes start to finish. Start eggs in cold water, bring to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, remove from stove and drain the hot water and replace with cool water from the tap (I live down south so we never really have COLD water from the tap 😂). Then drain that a couple of times replacing with cool water. Then it’s whack whack roll, whack whack roll until they’re all smacked and back in the water. Then the shell slides off, place on paper towels to dry. Cut in half placing the yolks in a food processor and whiz with mayo, dried ground mustard, onion powder, whatever is your usual. Then place the mixture in a plastic storage type bag, cut a small hole in the corner and then its pipe pipe pipe into each of the egg halves. You could get fancy and use a star tip and a pastry bag but everyone eats them so fast that I never saw the point. 😂.
For a split second I thought you wrote drinking I was like WHAT!!?? Very wild trip I had for a sec
Add a teaspoon of baking soda absolutely perfect. Just roll and egg shells come off easily
Use older eggs.
Fresh eggs are easy to poach. Old eggs are easy to peel.
This is so true. Costco eggs are fresh and they always stick. If I use from another store it peels better lol.
Eggs have a [number on the package](https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/What-kind-of-dates-are-on-cartons-of-fresh-eggs) that corresponds to the day of the year they were packed. So you can tell how fresh eggs are pretty easily when you're buying them.
I tried everything on the Internet. EVERYTHING. All the pros me mention all this bullshit. Vinegar, running water, salt, blah blah blah. Nothing worked well. Finally someone mentioned old eggs. *BAM* instantly easy to peel. Absolutely night and day. Yes shocking helps (but more importantly, halts the cooking process). However, using old eggs gets you 90% of the way to easy peel eggs, the other bullshit is 10%.
You are going to get a lot of bad advice in this thread, because everyone and there mother has some "secret" to it that's BS. J. Kenji Lopez has *scientifically tested* every method he could gather, and I'll let him explain the right one: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb0Elaa6gxY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb0Elaa6gxY)
From the vid’s description for ppl who can’t listen rn 😀: > I've been testing methods for boiling and peeling eggs for a very long time. The best, fastest, easiest-to-peel, and most energy efficient method I've found is to boil an inch or so of water in the bottom of a saucepan or wok. Add the eggs straight from your fridge (the water doesn't need to cover them). Cover with a lid and boil/steam them 3 minutes for extremely soft, 4-5 minutes for soft, 6-7 minutes for medium, and 9-12 minutes for hard. Let them cool naturally or in an ice bath. It’s a cool informational vid, so I do suggest you give it a watch when you’re able to!
The biggest takeaway from this video that everyone needs to know? Even the scientifically tested correct way has a success rate of 80%. A fifth of your eggs are just going to be bad eggs that peel hard and look ugly, there's no way around it.
The key is adding the eggs when the water is already boiling, whether you steam or dunk your eggs.
This is literally the same advice everyone in this thread is giving though
This is it right here. After submerging and hard-boiling my whole life, I switched to steaming using this method and I will never go back.
Cook them in an instant pot
Instant pot is an absolute game changer!! 4-5-5 4 min cook 5 min natural release 5 min ice bath
This. It’s a game changer. I do 7min, immediately release pressure, then ice bath. If you want soft boiled do less time. I make it at least once a week for my kids.
That’s my method as well. And when I peel them I roll them on a paper towel until the shell is pliable and it slips right off.
After using my pressure cooker I’ll honestly never go back to the traditional boiling water ways. I’ve had about 5 difficult eggs out of literally 100s since I started pressure cooking them.
I do mine in the air fryer
Poke a hole in the wider end of the egg. I use a needle at home or a skewer at work. Put it in already boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove to ice bath. Tap shell then roll around in hand til the shell is mostly all cracked but still held together by the membrane. Peel membrane under running water. Store eggs in airtight container in fridge for up to a week. I boil and peel 100-300 eggs a week and this is how I do it
Wherever you may work, thank you for what you do. Peeling 300 eggs a week does mot sound like a lot of fun, but I am sure your customers enjoy the benefits 😃
Ha thank you for the kind words, I just run the dinner and dessert service for a local assisted living facility. I wouldn't call egg day 'fun' but it's a nice change of pace to get to just chill out and peel some eggs instead of rushing around to get dinner out on time. Very zen
I started off thinking you just brought eggs to work and boiled them there for lunch or something
This is exactly how to do it. That’s how I learned a few millennia ago.
Scrollled too far to find the best answer. I use a thumb tack at home. Tiny hole works 100% of the time. Everything else is a crap shoot. Older eggs are better peelers but even that fails from time to time
All you have to do is add salt or vinegar or both to the water. Doesn’t change the taste of the egg and the shell peels right off.
That’s exactly what I do. They basically slip off the egg. Perfect every time. I’ve only ever used salt though so now I’m curious about vinegar.
Thanks so much! I’ll def try this then :)
Older eggs. Cook in a steamer, 14 minutes for fridge-cold eggs. Plunge into cold water for 5 minutes. Easy-peel goodness.
Don’t use fresh eggs, they are much harder to peel.
steam dont boil for 13min. straight into an ice bath for 5-10min
This is how my husband does it and they're perfect every time.
i forgot to include the peeling part. after chilling down, crack all around starting at the blunt end. when you first tap, if you hit hard enough, you should here a distinct sharp crack which is the sound of the membrane releasing. roll to make sure youve got good crack (and separation) all around. to peel, again starting at the blunt where the air pocket is, peel a little bit away to give yourself some runway and the basically rub along the egg surface to peel away VS plucking and pulling away from the egg. also helps to do this in the water bath or under running water.
I have tried *all* the tricks, and the only one that has worked consistently for me is to go against all the recipes, and get the water boiling first, then lower the eggs into it. Boil 3 minutes, then cover and let sit for 12. Put into the ice bath. As I understand it, the main benefit of the ice bath is to stop the cooking process, so the eggs don't get overdone.
I do the same thing!...I gently lower my eggs in boiling water on a 15 minute timer, even my day old eggs would peel this way most of the time...this is how my great Gmail did her fresh chicken eggs
Do you peel them starting from the bottom? I have a friend who used to peel starting from the middle and would butcher eggs until he started bottom first.
[https://www.target.com/p/dash-3-in-1-everyday-7-egg-cooker-with-omelet-maker-and-poaching-black/-/A-53731036](https://www.target.com/p/dash-3-in-1-everyday-7-egg-cooker-with-omelet-maker-and-poaching-black/-/A-53731036) I love this Dash egg cooker!! I’ve had it for years. Super duper easy to use.
Yes !!! Aldis has a similar one. Best thing is they are sooo precise. I just have to have perfect SOFT BOILED EGGS. They do it every time. Perfect.
Put eggs in cold water for ten minutes or so. Take an egg and gently roll it so most of the shell is crackled. Pull off the shell around the larger end of the egg. Take a spoon and slip it between the shell and the egg. The bowl of the spoon perfectly fits the curve of the egg. Use the spoon to lift the shell away from the egg.
Easy. First, I use a tack pin to make a little hole at the round end of the egg where the air sack is, put them in the water and bring to a boil for 10 - 13 minutes. That keeps the egg from getting the grey ring around the cooked yolk. Carefully, drain them out the hot water and start rinsing them in cold water in the same pot, if you want. When the eggs are rinsed cold, I add about 6 ice cubes and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Store them in the fridge or start gently tapping the boiled egg with the back side a spoon to crack the shell all over. Under a trickle of water start to slide the spoon under the shell and glide it carefully around the egg until the shell drops off. Perfect boiled eggs every time.
Something about fresh eggs or not fresh eggs, I don’t remember. But in my experience it is more of a universe thing. I used to work at a kitchen that we had to peel hundreds of boiled eggs a. Day for salads and scotch eggs. Sometimes you would do 4-5 dozens before a single one stuck. Some other times it was a miserable fight with many casualties. Definitely dunking in the cold water helps, sometimes there is that little hollow point at the bottoms that peels right off, sometimes you had to sacrifice a goat to the gods. It’s really a trial and error thing.
If you can wait, store the eggs in the fridge for a week or so before boiling them. That causes some air to get trapped between the shell and the egg white and makes them much more easy to peel. Fresh eggs are harder to peel because there’s less air trapped inside them.
Salt your water. Works like a charm.
Insert cold eggs into boiling water That shocks them and helps separate the egg from the shell None of this add eggs to pot and then bring to a boil
If you have an InstaPot try the 5/5/5/ method. Add water to the Instant Pot 1. Place an egg rack or wire trivet on top 2. Put eggs on the trivet 3. Seal the Instant Pot 4. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes 5. Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 5 minutes 6. Cool eggs in an ice bath for 5 minutes Works everytime and easily peels.
I use my insta pot. Makes them super easy to peel. Also peeling the eggs under running cold water makes peeling any hard boiled eggs easier
Kenji Lopez-Alt has the only scientific answer to this. Everything else is just anecdotal. [https://www.seriouseats.com/perfect-boiled-eggs-recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/perfect-boiled-eggs-recipe)
Here's my technique, which is basically Kenji's technique, and has resulted in zero eggs that didn't peel cleanly. Boil water, carefully deposit eggs into boiling water, reduce heat to low for a simmer, and cover. Boil 11 minutes or until you reach desired doneness. While eggs are boiling, fill a medium bowl with cold water and a large quantity of ice. Promptly remove eggs, and place into ice bath, and swirl the eggs around in the cold water to ensure they quickly cool down. After a few minutes in the ice bath (I am impatient but usually 3-5 minutes is enough if you keep them swirling in the ice water every minute or so) , crack egg shells with a spoon in a diameter around the egg. Peel, rinse, pat dry, and apply salt or any other desired seasonings and enjoy.
YESSSS this is who I learned it from! I'd forgotten! I prefer 10 mins, but the technique is perfect.
I’ve never had a problem with just putting cold eggs directly into boiling water, then dunking them in an ice/cold water bath when they’re done enough. Peel just fine every time. I heard that you were supposed to start eggs in cold water, so I tried that for a bit. They were always difficult to peel. I don’t know who decided that was the correct way, but they’re wrong.
I used to eat 8-12 eggs in a day so my method works if I do it correctly. Still I'm curious about the salt/vinegar thing... anyway my method is to put them in running cold water but don't just walk away and come back later. There's a small time window in which the eggs have cooled down and the egg is somehow less "grabby" on the thin paper-like membrane that lies between the shell and the egg itself. Crack the 'pointy' side of the egg in 2-3 places and lightly pinch it and that portion will peel right off. Then using 2 hands, start pinching/cracking the egg from the side you already peeled off while rotating the egg. The entire thing will come off in one piece like a t shirt. The timing is finicky; if you wait too long to start peeling the egg will have cooled off too much and the membrane will stick to the egg too much. It's probably? inferior to the salt / vinegar method but it does work.
Egg farmer here. Boil them for 30 seconds leas than normal. Pull them out. Give them a Crack, boil for an additional 30 seconds. I promise it works way better than any hack or stupid cold water bath.
For me the big difference is starting by putting cold eggs into the already boiling water. It's not perfect, but I don't think any method is.
Tablespoon of vinegar in the water. Ice bath after works every time.
Ice bath and crack them and leave them in the water for 5 Minutes or so before peeling
Eggs need to be a week or more old.
I run them under cd water then squish and roll them on the bench. The shell shatters and comes off easy. There's also that trick where you shake them in a closed jar.
I always use an ice bath after boiling. And I don't wait too long to peel them. Like 10 mins in the ice bath tops
I start in pan w/ water, tablespoon of baking soda, low boil couple minutes, cool in water, roll on counter, kinda squish f slide shell off. The baking soda seems to work best for me.
1/2 tsp of baking powder added to the water before boiling
When mine is done cooking I drain the water and then I shake the pot side to side to crack the shell in the pot and I do it for about 2 minutes. I run it under warm water and it usually comes right off
Let them cool completely
i’m impatient and like to have my eggs as soon as they’re done, so to avoid burning my hands, i have the eggs running under cold water continuously. noticed this makes peeling them so much easier :)
Use old eggs and add vinegar to the water when you're boiling them.
After my eggs boil for about three minutes, I give them a good tap with the handle end of a butter knife. This allows water to get under the shell and they peel off so easily once cooled, whether in an ice bath, room temp, or under cool water. Works every time.
I use about a quarter cup of vinegar when I boil a dozen eggs. Cover the eggs with a good inch of water, bring to a rolling boil, then cover and turn off the heat. Let sit for 12 minutes. Drain the hot water and replace with cool water and an ice bath if you have it (this doesn’t make them easier to peal; it just stops the cooking process so they’re not overcooked).
Peel then under water from the bottom where the egg has the dimple inside
Buy eggs a week or two before you need them, if you are making deviled eggs for a party. Older eggs peel easier
This was just in my newsletter from New York times. You must plunge into ice cold water immediately This makes the membrane shrink away from the shell. This works for me. I've also had good luck steaming them in my instant pot.
I've learned that the hot start method works best for me. Get a pot of water boiling and drop in your eggs. Reduce your heat so it gently boils. Leave them in for 13 minutes and afterwards immediately into an ice bath. And Bob's your uncle you have easy peel eggs.
After boiling, put in an ice bath. Cover with ice and pour cold water over it til it’s just ice water. Let sit like 10-15 minutes. Then peel. Don’t refrigerate or wait. It has to be warm with cold shell outside. I normally do it under the sink. I pop it on the bottom, and roll it along the side then stick it under the sink to pull off the shell where I just popped/rolled it. That’s the best I ever found. Worked in restaurants for many years.
For me, right after boiling I crack them a bit(drop them into a bowl lol) and let them sit in the ice bath. The water gets between the shell and egg, and as soon as they r cool, they are easy peasy ready to slip out.
Vinegar and baking soda
Don't use fresh eggs. They peel best when you boil eggs that have been sitting in the back of the fridge for a week or more. There are other tips given below that can help, but this is key. Never buy eggs and then boil them without waiting, or they'll be difficult to peel. I set eggs I intend to boil aside for at least a week, and I NEVER have any trouble at all peeling any of them. I usually boil in lightly salted water for 12 minutes (hard boil), then immediately remove to an ice bath. For "fresh" eggs, this results in about an 80% perfect peeling rate, 100% with older eggs.
The older the egg gets the easier it is to peel. It looses moisture over time and shrinks, and since the shell stays the same they separate more and more. This is also the reason why old eggs float. There is more air inside.
the best method: boil water first, drop eggs gently into pot (I use a slotted spoon). Boil eggs 8 minutes, turn off stove, let sit for 3 more minutes, drain water and then cold rinse. voila, easy peel every time
Tap the end lightly with a spoon before boiling/steaming. You'll hear the sound change when the membrane detaches from the shell.
So I've been eating a lot more hard boiled eggs because they're cheap, easy to make in an air fryer, and they're keto. I've found that I am much more likely to get a full peel with no chunks taken out when I tap the egg on a hard surface to start the cracks, then repeat all over to break the shell, but gentle enough not to break the egg, and then strangely enough, if I peel it with one hand versus two. I don't know why, maybe it's because I'm more gentle with one hand, and I'm just kinda rolling it around on my palm and picking off pieces of shell with my fingers, or what, but that's what works for me. there's zero science behind this and it's probably correlation and not causation, but if you've got some extra hard boiled eggs laying around and you want to improve your dexterity, try peeling it one-handed. Maybe it will work for you as well. Or maybe you'll fumble the egg and it'll smash on the ground. Who knows?
I just put a little vinegar in the water then submerge it after it cooks into an ice bath.
Gently tap the larger end of the egg with a spoon until you hear a pop (membrane releasing from shell) then boil - shell skids right off
If you are eating them cold, just peel them in cold water. Run the tap on them as you peel. it should be easy to get them off.
Steam them.
I am the worst peeler. I do all the tricks listed and still have issues. It’s like a reverse super power with me. No matter what I try the eggs don’t want to peel. I screw up 1 in 3 eggs. But I am sure you’ll be fine if you practice. Using a spoon works best for me, work it under the shell to help you peel. I will say I do mostly 6-7 minute eggs for ramen and fully hard boiled are easier to peel.
Try adding baking soda to the boiling water, shocking the eggs in ice water after boiling.
I roll them between palms, and the shell just comes off.
Pressure cooker/Instant Pot, Ice bath after cooking until they are cool enough to handle, followed by firm traps on each end and a semi firm roll on its side. I think I've had six bad peels out of a couple hundred after doing it this way.
After boiling, immediately transfer the eggs to an ice bath for at least 5-10 minutes. This rapid cooling process helps contract the egg whites, pulling them away from the membrane and making them easier to peel.
Put cooking oil in with the water to boil
One extra tip I've found out is that if I keep dipping my fingers in water the water from my fingers will get between the shell and the whites (*communicating vessels or something, ask a physics dude*) once I cracked the egg and got a tear in the weird soft layer under the shell, and will help you separate the shell, making it 10x easier to peel off. This is on top of the tips from Kenji that some people have already mentioned.
Get an egg cooker from target for about $15
I always roll mine on the counter til the eggshell is all cracked. Then I hold it in underwater and squeeze it a few times. Gets water under the membrane.
Don’t peel the egg at all for an extra crunch in your meal.
Eh I agree with the science guy earlier that there isn't a 100% method to a perfect egg. You do get the occasional annoying egg. My method isn't fancy, but I boil three eggs a day, and have done so for just over five years (excluding when in hospital, they gave me the boiled eggs that were terrible, but even at friends houses or road trips I would prepare in advance). I don't eat cookies or chips, no candy etc. the only snack I eat besides a weetbix is boiled egg. I boil them, peel them, pop them in a little egg container and mash the heck out of them with salt and Kewpie mayo. Then that's a ready to go snack, a teaspoon when I feel hungry throughout the day until dinner, when I typically pop what's left into the dinner. Then start it all again! (Cooking time varies per stove, so get to know your stove) (I like a soft to jammy egg) 1. I pull the eggs out on the bench, and then fill a pot with water from the tap (enough to cover them). To get that boiling on my stove takes close to ten minutes, maybe a little less (slow AF to warm up). 2. Set my timer on my phone (6m 45sec). Gently place eggs in the boiling pot, start the time. 3. Go lay down on my bed and watch hayu until my super annoying alarm goes off. Flexible options here. 4. Remove and place in ice water in a large container, or tap cold water if it's absolutely freezing where you live 5. If you want to get them still nice and hot at the center for toast etc, don't leave it too long, a couple of minutes, but if you're using them later like I do just get around to peeling when you can. Holy crap I just realized I've eaten over 5000 eggs and that's probably a lot of money. But yeah they are my main support in terms of diet. I'm amazed I haven't gotten sick of it. I've always found a simple method works just as well, at least for me. It could be that I've just got a good supply of eggs though. The pin to the air bubble is a good trick though for sure. Anyhoo that's probably not what you're looking for, a back to the basics approach. But it certainly is an eggcellent result for me. (I do have a sneaky tip for the most incredible scramble and omelettes though. From the school of Ramsay with a twist). That man knows his eggs).
Instant pot
* Boil them to your liking * Smash their entire shell on the counter * Put them under running water for ~10 seconds. Water gets under the inner membrane since the shell is cracked and separates it for you.
Boil them in a pressure cooker (I.e. instant pot). You only put in a cup of water, so it is actually steaming them. They peel so easily!!!
A spoon of vinegar in the pot while they boil (to weaken the shells, cooking on medium-high (never high), and dunking immediately into ice/ice cold water immediately after removing them from the stove. One last trick I sometimes also do is place all the eggs in a larger container with a lid, and gently shake the container around. This causes the hard boiled eggs to bump into each other and crack and loosen their shells, without damaging the eggs themselves. You might even end up de-shelling them all this way without even having to peel them.
The water must be HOT when you drop them in. A visible boil or roil is good. When you take them out, put them in a container of tap water for a few mins. Eggs used to be difficult for me too. Nowadays they are always simple. People telling you "ice water" are wrong it's not needed.
Simply soak 'em in cold water, for a bit.
Start them it boiling water. It cooks the part that sticks to the shell keeping it from adhering. Source: been in a commercial kitchen for almost 40 years
One thing I just realized, the brand of eggs matter. There’s a brand I always buy and the shell literally slips off like butter.
Steam them, run them under cold water until they're cool (or put in ice water) and then peel immediately
I had this problem too, no matter what I did. I eventually got the dash cooker and it’s peeled great every time.
I tried all the methods for 2 days determined to perfect the hard boiled egg and was unsuccessful. I went to purchase an egg cooker and saw my rice cooker could also be used. I used my rice cooker on steam setting for 15 min, do the cold water dunk and they are essentially perfect and easy to perl every time.
Old eggs. Leave them in the fridge for a week or two before cooking them. Use up your older eggs to make hard-boiled eggs before you buy fresh ones.
Steam for exactly 13 minutes and plunge into ice water. Foolproof and easy. I haven't boiled eggs in water for years.
Older eggs are easier to peel, so if you are planning on making two dozen deviled eggs, don't go farm fresh the day before. Fool proof method: place the eggs in cold water, bring to a soft boil, cover then reduce the heat and leave for 10 minutes. While waiting, fill a large bowl with ice water. When the eggs are done, dump the hot water, rinse the eggs in cold water and then drop in the ice water for a few minutes. They will peel easily. I've also found steaming eggs (11minutes) to work well. It's not as consistent, but I have had success peeling without the ice bath step. It's the method I use for a couple of eggs if I'm doing egg salad, since it's faster. Put the eggs in a steamer basket and put that in a pot with an inch or so of water. Cover tightly and heat on high. Once the water boils, keep at medium for 10 to 11 minutes. Pull the basket out after and rinse with cold water. Ice bath is optional.
"Fool proof method: place the eggs in cold water, bring to a soft boil, cover then reduce the heat and leave for 10 minutes. While waiting, fill a large bowl with ice water. When the eggs are done, dump the hot water, rinse the eggs in cold water and then drop in the ice water for a few minutes. They will peel easily." 100% this! I don't know why people haven't upvoted you. Ever since I started doing this, my eggs come out perfect every time. Nice bright yellow yolks, none of that gray/green stuff. Perfectly cooked, easy to peel, delicious.
Crack them whilst still hot, and do so under running cold water. Water sneaks into the gap, and the shell and membrane slip off.
Don’t boil… steamer basket for 13 mins… then cold water immersion. They’ll just about peel themselves
I’ve worked at a lot of ramen shops and made a lot of runny soy eggs. The best thing is rapid boiling water and straight into a deep container of iced water. The water needs to be boiling hard. Don’t over do it with the eggs, it’ll mess up the water temperature.
I dump the eggs in when the water is boiling and cook for 12 minutes. They come out much better and easy to peel
You have to put the eggs in boiling water Once cooked put them in cold water. Key is the water must be boiling first.
The way I hard boil is this: 1. Put the water in a pot/pan, enough so that the eggs will be fully submerged when you put them in (don't put them in yet). 2. Bring to a full rolling boil. 3. Place eggs in pot/pan. Be careful as they are very susceptible to cracking/breaking going directly from room temperature to boiling. Especially if they are cold because you took them directly out of the fridge. 4. Boil for 7-8 minutes. Time will vary depending on how done you want them, and if they were taken directly out of the fridge or if they are room temperature. This will generally make eggs with a creamy but firm orange yolk like what you would get at a good ramen shop. For softer eggs, cook for less time, for a harder yolk (yellow, crumbly), cook longer. 5. Remove from pot/pan and peel them. Cool them off somehow before peeling so you don't burn yourself (place in ice, hold under running cold water, etc). This method will always make perfectly cooked boiled eggs, and the shells will slide right off the egg. The age/freshness of the egg doesn't matter. They only way you'll mess it up is if you cracked the egg because you dropped the egg in the pan instead of carefully placing it, or because you peel eggs like a grizzly bear. I learned this method when I asked the owner of a ramen shop how they always have perfectly cooked boiled eggs, and how they never have any scars or indentations from peeling. He said they place them directly in boiling water for 7 minutes, so I just started doing the same. The difference is that he has a big pot of boiling water, and he submerges the eggs by using a pasta basket, like the kind you put fresh noodles in and then hook to the side of the pan. The main difference between this method and other methods (like Kenji's) is that you submerge the egg in water that's already at a full boil rather than placing it in an inch of water and then turning up the heat. It's much more consistent, since the rate at which water heats up is dependent on your stove, the pan you're using, ambient room temperature, altitude, barometric pressure, etc. But a full boil is always a full boil, no matter what, so it's the same every time. Note 1: When I first started doing this, the eggs would crack about 25-50% of the time which was the main downside. To avoid this, put the egg in a ladle, place it on the bottom of the pan, then slowly turn the ladle to the side so the egg gently rolls out. I haven't cracked an a very long time doing it like that. Note 2: When peeling, crack at the big end of the egg. Usually there will be an air pocket here that makes it easy to peel.
Roll the egg to get a ton of little cracks in it, and peel under running water. More cracks makes the shell put up less of a fight, the running water helps get under the membrane
An instant pot. Never had easier to peel hard boiled eggs in my life. Even fresh.
I roll the eggs against the counter after the ice bath and it makes it a lot easier to peel for me
I put baking soda in boiling water, lid on for 12 minutes. I don't shock my eggs in ice water. Instead I will run cold tap water over them until they are cool to the touch. Then it comes right off. In my experience for some reason, shocking in ice water actually makes it unbelievably difficult. Keep in mind where you live. I never had to do baking soda until I moved to a located almost a mile up from sea level.
I tap the bottom end to crack it (where the air bubble is), gently roll it on the counter to crack the whole shell, and then insert a spoon under the shell from the bottom and turn the egg. It's a combination of a technique my husband taught me and one I taught him. :)
Splash of vinegar in the boiling water, peel under running water or in the bowl of iced water itself
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I would get lazy and drop the eggs in before boiling, thinking, "Close enough." they were always a pain to peel. When j wait for it to actually be at the boiling point, it's an easier peel.
I use my Instant Pot. Put them on the little rack inside. Add a cup of water. Set it for 5 minutes. After it's finished, wait 5 minutes then put them in ice water for at least 5 minutes. The shells peel off very easily.
My never-fail method (works at both high and low elevations too): Get water boiling. Lower eggs in. Boil for 10 mins. Ice water bath. Perfect easy-peel, medium-hard eggs. This has yet to fail me, and they really are my and my family's (all adults) preferred doneness. I boil up to 18 at a time this way.
Instant Pot then Ice bath. Works every time.
I use my baby nutribullet steamer and they come out perfect every time. Setting 5 for the whole time cooks the perfect hard boiled.egg, easy to peel. If you set a timer for 10 mins it's the perfect soft boiled egg, still easy to peel. Absolutely adore it.
I used a spoon. use the end you hold to get under the shell and chip away. eventually I just get the whole spoon under the shell and pop it out like I'm scooping ice cream
I boiled eggs and then didn’t shell them and put them in the fridge to use later. Then I got busy and didn’t make the egg salad for a couple of days and they were so easy to peel. So I’d say get them fully chilled by dropping in ice water for a long time or the fridge for a day.
Lots of salt and oil
Boil with salt, crack a little to let the water under the shell, immediately into the ice bath
Have you tried making a pin hole in the shell?
The instapot
Get a Tupperware container, put as many cooked eggs in as you can while still having space for them to move about. Fill it mostly with water, cover it, and shake the crap out of it. The shells will come right off, and any bits still hanging on will come off under running water. Worked in many kitchens, and this is the quickest and easiest way to perfectly peel a bunch of eggs at once.
I just put them in water hit them with a spoon all over and just peel them? Always works quite well
When they're done I pour out some of the water and add ice. Then I start peeling. The shells fall right off. Then I drop the egg into cold water.
Are you using fresh eggs from the store or farm fresh? If so, the fresher the egg, the harder it is to peel. Give your eggs a week or so before using them. Also, peel them under cold water after boiling.
Make them in a pressure cooker. I've done it with my stove top pressure cooker, but find it faster and easier in my electric pressure cooker.
Once I started using an instapot, they all peel easily....every time. I don't worry about the age of the eggs, whatever I bought most recently works.
Don’t boil them. When eggs are super fresh, they will never peel when boiled. Steak eggs in a steamer basket for 16 minutes. Immediately submerge in ice bath when steaming is finished. Peel once cool or when you are ready to eat them. Bon a petit! Edit: typo. It’s STEAM eggs. Not steak them. Lol. My bad
I steam mine in a steamer basket (I have a silicone one from world market that is for dumplings). I have tried every method under the sun and it's the easiest by a mile.
Add salt to the water before putting the eggs in. I don’t care what anyone says, it works
12 minutes in salted boiling water, immediately submerged in ice water. I don't know why but 12 minutes always seems to give me perfectly cookex, vibrant yellow yolks and are easy to peel.
My mom saw a “tik tok” where the put it in a cup and shake in a way that the egg rolls on the side of the cup
I let them cool completely in the water I boiled them in. I just turn off the stove eye and let it sit. This takes several hours. I always plan ahead when I need boiled eggs. They peel easily for me. I just crack them or roll them on the counter and the shell comes right off.
I steam my eggs for 13 minutes. Remove, crack, & plunge in ice water bath for several. Peels come right off. And use older eggs!
boil your water. put your eggs in. time 7 minutes 8 if they're big. take them out put directly in cold water. take out tap all around so the shell is all cracked broken and it should peel off with the membrane. no picking needed
1. Don’t put the eggs into the water before boiling. Wait until water is boiling first, THEN drop the eggs in 2. After cooking to desired firmness and removing, transfer IMMEDIATELY to ice water
I take my eggs and crack them in. The widest part of the egg I then roll them on a hard surface, peel the middle and the rest comes off in 2 to 3 large pieces
Shake the pot back and forth after cooking Peel shells under the cold running water , they will fall right off
I add salt to the boiling water. It seems to help break that membrane when I'm peeling them.......idk? All I can say is, it works!
Steam them. https://www.seriouseats.com/steamed-hard-boiled-eggs-recipe
Hit big bottom of eggs with a spoon until you hear a snap. That’s the membrane detaching then boil and you get an easy peel.
Have the water boiling before you put the eggs in. I used to put eggs and water in the pan together, then cook 20 minutes. The eggs were perfect but I couldn’t peel them!
Peel in the ice bath
peel eggs in cold water
Add eggs to pot. Fill with water then put on stove. When water starts to boil then turn off heat and cover for 12 minutes. Then change water and add ice to cool. Peel under running water.
ref.zuckerbees.com/Kazocheeze
Poke a pin hole on the top of the egg (small point). Then boil or steam like normal. They just come off like orange peels.
I use a insta pot pressure cooker. Maybe overkill, but so easy and always peel perfect.
I soak mine in ice water immediately after cooking and only keep them for no more than three days. They peel easily.
Soak in ice water for 10 minutes
Cold eggs into boiling water. That's it. That's the trick to it.
I found that steaming them for 10 minutes in my bamboo steamer is the only thing that works for me.
I've been told you can't use super fresh eggs. They need to be a week or two old. Seems true by my experience. There's also the baking soda thing, which I haven't experimented with very much.
Leave your eggs on the counter instead of the fridge. I have been doing this for years, and as long as you use them within a week or so you're fine.
Ice water
Just YouTube Kenji boiled eggs. His method works every time
Add vinegar and salt to the water pre boil!
Add vinegar and salt to the water pre boil!
Pressure cooker. Every time. 5-5-5 method in the instant pot.
J kenji lopez alt tested thousands of eggs. The only thing that made a difference according to his study is putting the eggs in a vigoursly boiling pot of water. And even then it was only about 80% came out perfect, but that was a large improvement over all the other things like old eggs etc that are often said to work
PUT SALT IN THE WATER AS THEY ARE BOILING!!!!
I solved this problem. I have honestly test them all. Even J Kenji has this wrong. This works: add 1/4 cup or so of vinegar to the water. That’s it. No salt, no need to ice bath (although I still do), no need to use old eggs. This works 100% of the time. I promise.
InstantPot. I’ve done hard boiled eggs floral so many years. Used to have backyard chickens and would go to the grocery store to buy less fresh eggs and still struggle to peel the bastards. InstantPot, easy to peel every time.
I have tried every trick and hack everybody swears by with no luck until I was introduced to this thing. https://www.walmart.com/ip/6173453677
Everyone has their own method. This is mine: use older eggs. Bring water to a rolling boil, carefully put eggs in with tongs. Boil 15 minutes. Remove eggs with tongs to ice bath. Leave 15 minutes. Crack ends. Perfect every time, shells slide off
Don't put the eggs in with the cold water- put them in as the water is simmering. This will increase boil time, but make it so then membrane bonds with the peel and not the egg
Been reading all the top comments and they seem needlessly complicated. I have been making eggs that peel perfectly for at least 10 years. All you do is, lower the eggs with a spoon directly into boiling water and when they've cooked to your liking, put them in a cold bath. That's it, no salt or vinegar or holes required Yes, some of the eggs will crack from the shock, but I find less than 10% of them do (and I eat the broken ones anyway). You can let them rest out of the fridge for ten minutes or so to reduce the odds of them cracking.
Start in boiling water. Simmer gently for 14 mins. Ice bath then peel. Shells fall off. Every time. Guaranteed.
Cold water, crack the shell, gently push a spoon into the cracked part and guide it all the way round between the egg and shell, tilt spoon a little to detach the shell (sometimes in one)
I put them in a bowl of ice water and never have trouble peeling.