How do you boil an egg?

Question

What are your top tips and quirky advice for boiling an egg to perfection?

Answer 1

This is Julia Child's way of cooking eggs. Place your eggs and water in sauce pot. Bring to a boil and cover and turn off the heat. Set timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes drain and run cold water over and peel.

Answer 2

Goodness, that seems like an easy question, doesn't it? But there are as many 'recipes' as there are people. Here's what I've learned:

First, it depends on whether you want to end up with a soft-boiled (yolk still runny) or hard-boiled (like you'd use in egg salad)

Put eggs in a pan roomy enough to avoid crowding. Cover with COLD water, enough to cover the tops of the eggs by at least an inch.

Put on stove, medium flame. When the water just comes to a full boil, turn off the heat, cover the pan and move the pan to another burner.

If you want SOFT-BOILED eggs, leave the eggs sit for 2-3 minutes. Pour off the water, rinse and serve.

If you want HARD-BOILED eggs, leave the eggs sit for 15 minutes.

Pour off the water, run cold water over the eggs until the temps have cooled down. I usually dry them off and put them in the fridge for a few hours.

Answer 3

1. Put some cold water on the stove
2. Before adding the heat add the egg (in shell)
3. Turn on the heat
4. Wait till the water starts boiling
5. If you want slightly boiled then boil for 4-5 minutes
6. If you want regular then boil for about 8 minutes
7. If you want hard boiled then boil for 13-14 minutes

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Actually, NOT boiling them is the best way to do it.

Put eggs in cold water, bring just to boil. TURN OFF the heat, cover the pan, then let sit for 10 minutes (15 if more than 6 eggs). There is enough residual heat in the water to fully cook the eggs, it saves energy and lessens the "toughening" of the egg white.

Then, drain the hot water, open the pan, turn on the COLD water and run it over the eggs. This will cause the egg to stop cooking, and help separate the shell from the white. The shock of HOT to COLD will loosen the membrane of the shell and allow the egg to peel more easily. Finally, leave the lid on and WHAP the pan up and down 3 times lightly. This will crack the eggshells for you. Open and peel!

Answer 5

Start with cold water in the pan to completely cover the egg. Bring to a complete boil and take the pan off the heat cover the pan with a good fitting lid and set your timer for 18 minutes. When the timer goes off drain the water and put in cold water and let set for a few minutes to stop the cooking process. Peel the egg by tapping it lightly all over and rolling between your hands and peel. This method will not give you that gross greenish gray color on the outside of the yolk. It will be brightly yellow like it is supposed to be.

Answer 6

Use nice big eggs - good quality ones, preferably free range.
Make sure they are at room temperature, not cold from the refrigerator.
Use a fairly deep pot so that they are completely covered by water without the water boiling over.
You can weigh the eggs to calculate exactly how long they will take to boil but you can probably make a good guess.

Serve with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Answer 7

Nothing quirky, but I just stick my eggs in a pan, add water to cover, bring to a boil, then cook for 7 minutes. I leave them in the pan until the water is cooled and then stick them in the fridge. Simple and no green yolks.

Answer 8

For a hard boiled egg I place egg/eggs in a sauce pan until the water covers the tops and place on stove on med-high to high heat...once it starts to boil i set my timer for 10 mins...once done I drain water and put eggs in a bowl and place under cold water tap letting it run until most of the heat is gone then place in frig until ready to use...

Answer 9

Start in cold water. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Cover. Let sit for ten minutes. Perfection!

Answer 10

I put it in cold water, gently. The I add some salt and a drop of vinegar to the water (supposed to make the shell come off easier). Then depending on how well you like it cooked (i.e. soft or hard) you can boil it (rapid boil) for 3-8 minutes, let cool, peel and enjoy!