Boiled Eggs

Name: Boiled Eggs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 8 large eggs, straight from the fridge; water, enough to cover the eggs by 2 cm; ice cubes, for the ice bath

From runny to firm, with a timing chart and shells that slip off

Makes: 8 eggs
Hands-on: 5 min
Total: 20 min
Level: Easy

Starting eggs in boiling water rather than cold gives exact, repeatable timing and shells that peel cleanly. Pick your minute from the chart and you'll get the same egg every time.

Ingredients

8large eggsstraight from the fridge
waterenough to cover the eggs by 2 cm
ice cubesfor the ice bath

Diet: Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Allergens: egg

Method

Bring a pan of water deep enough to cover the eggs by 2 cm to a rolling boil. Fill a bowl with cold water and ice.
Lower the cold eggs into the boiling water one at a time with a slotted spoon. Turn the heat down to keep a steady simmer, not a violent boil.
Cook for exactly: 6 minutes for a runny yolk and just-set white; 7 minutes for a jammy yolk; 8 minutes for a soft but set yolk; 10 minutes for a fully set, still-tender yolk; 12 minutes for a firm, crumbly yolk. 7 min
Transfer the eggs to the ice bath and leave for at least 3 minutes (5 minutes for hard-boiled eggs). 5 min
To peel, tap the wide end, where there's an air pocket, then roll the egg on the counter to crack the shell all over. Peel under a trickle of running water, starting at the wide end.

Why it works

Plunging eggs into boiling water sets the outermost white quickly, which pulls it away from the shell membrane and makes peeling far easier than a cold start. Because the starting temperature is fixed, the timing is consistent. The ice bath stops the cooking at the exact moment and prevents the green-gray ring that forms on overcooked yolks when iron and sulfur react.

Common mistakes

Overcooking: a greenish ring and a sulfur smell. Use the timer and the ice bath.
A violent boil: eggs crack against each other and the pan. Keep it at a steady simmer.
Very fresh eggs: they are harder to peel. Eggs 5–10 days old peel best.

Variations

Steamed eggs: Steam in a covered pot over 2 cm of boiling water; use the same times plus 30 seconds. Even easier to peel.
Marinated soy eggs: Use 7-minute eggs to make Ajitama (Ramen Eggs).

Make ahead and storage

Hard-boiled eggs keep 1 week in the fridge in their shells, 2–3 days peeled in a covered container.

Notes

Times are for large eggs (about 60 g with shell) from the fridge. Add 30 seconds for extra-large, take off 30 seconds for medium. At high altitude, add 1 minute.