How to tell when a boiled egg is done?

Answer 1

The easiest way is just to put an egg in water just over its head and quickly bring to boil. Cover the pot and turn OFF the heat. Let the egg(s) sit inside the pot undisturbed for 12-17 min. (depending on size probably), then remove them.

Run egg under cold water a few seconds till you can hold it long enough to either peel and eat, or refrigerate, or take with you for later lunch, etc.

(I like this method, because I don't have to babysit the process much. I know the water will boil fairly quickly, and I can hear it boiling if I'm in the kitchen. Then plop the top on and set timer... leave till hear timer going off.)

Diane B.

(Am interested to know if soft-boiled eggs wobble or if they spin as the two people above said... I aslo like soft-boiled eggs so will definitely check next time I make one.)

Answer 2

Inertia to differentiate raw & boiled eggs:

One method is to spin the egg. This works due to Newton’s First Law, the Law of Inertia, can help to tell if an egg is hard-boiled.

A raw egg is likely to wobble. The inside of the raw egg is not strongly connected to the outer shell, and inertia makes the inside resist spinning. A cooked egg is solid, so the whole egg spins at the same speed as the shell.

Another test is to spin the egg on a table then quickly (but carefully) stop the spinning with your fingers. A cooked egg will stay stopped. A raw egg may start to spin again because the inside is still turning.

Answer 3

I'm assuming you mean hard-boiled eggs. The way I have always done it is to put the eggs in a small pot with hot water, and put the burner on to a reasonable amount, not too little or too much. Wait for the water to really start boiling, like with big bubbles and stuff, and set a timer for 5 minutes. Once the five minutes is up, turn the water off and take the eggs over to the sink. It works really well if you run cold water on them to cool them off. Then, peel off the shells and your eggs are done. Works for me every time.

Answer 4

There's no way to tell except to break it open. All spinning will do is tell you it's not raw. Soft boiled eggs will spin too. For hard boiled eggs i start the eggs in just warm water - cold eggs into hot water = cracked shell and leakage. Then bring the water to a rapid boil, reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. The yolk will be cooked through and bright yellow without the greenish grey outer layer overcooked yolks have. If your doing a bunch of eggs and want to make sure they're done, take one out of the pan and submerge it in icewater to cool rapidly, peel and cut in half. if under done just let the others sit for a few more minutes.

Answer 5

An egg will be solidly hard-boiled after boiling for 10 minutes.
It will be your universal, typical hard boiled egg.

Polly

Answer 6

This may sound funny, but it works! Spin the egg on the counter- if it spins easily then it's hard boiled. If it wobbles, the yolk and whites are runny and it's raw or undercooked.

Answer 7

If you can spin the egg on it's end it is hard boiled. Not sure why this is so, but it has always worked for me.

Answer 8

Boil it for 5 minutes...and it is done! If that makes you uncomfortable..cook it for 10...it won't harm it. But all it takes is 5 minutes.

Answer 9

Carefully pull it out of the water and spin it on the counter/table... If it spins fast its done, If it wobbles its on done.

Answer 10

if you like it really hard boiled like i do, put them in the water and boil them for 45 minutes, that is how i know they are done.