Foolproof boiled eggs (no, really)

Ok, here I am…ready to tell you my foolproof method for boiling the perfect egg EVERY time. No matter what kitchen you’re in. No matter what pot you’re using. No matter your heat source. Gas? Cool. Electric? No problem. Strap in, because your mind is about to be blown. (Just kidding…I don’t want to hype this up too much. But it’s, like, moderately exciting. Also, scroll all the way to the bottom of the page for a fun surprise.)

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A pot with a lid, filled with water

• A bowl of ice water

• Eggs (see notes*)

Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Take out however many eggs you want from the fridge, and set them on your counter to start coming up to room temperature

2. Fill your pot with water, put on the lid, and let it come to a boil (see notes**)

3. After your water is boiling, gently add your eggs to the pot (see notes***)

4. Boil the eggs for the following times, depending on how firm you want your yolk. Set a timer and be precise! Even just 1 additional minute will change the consistency of your yolk.

   5 min — soft boiled egg…gives a jammy, yet runny yolk

   7 min — 60% firm yolk

   8 min — 70% firm yolk (that’s the pic in the header, for reference)

   10 min — 90% firm yolk (this is my general go-to)

   11 min — 100% firm yolk

5. Remove your eggs from the boiling water, and promptly place in the ice bath for a couple of minutes to stop the cooking. You can leave them here longer, I just like to eat my eggs while they’re still a little warm.

6. Remove from the ice bath, and tap, tap, tap, tap on a hard surface to crack and peel the egg. (see notes****)

7. Enjoy!

A few important notes!

*Older eggs are MUCH easier to peel. Try using eggs that have been in your fridge for at least a week, even better if it’s two! Trust me on this.

**The biggest difference I’ve found with this method, and why I think it works the best, is that when you add eggs to boiling water, you’re starting from the exact same point, regardless of the variables of your kitchen. When you start with cold water, as most methods advise, it can take varying times to come to a boil depending upon many factors, such as your pot, your heat source, the ambient temperature of your kitchen, etc. So it can be a bit of a crapshoot when figuring out exactly how long to keep your eggs on the stove. But, when you start from boiling, it’ll ALWAYS be at 212° F to start, so that means you’ll know exactly how long to boil to achieve your desired doneness. Get it? I think it’s genius, personally.

***Since you’re adding eggs to boiling water, be careful since the drastic difference in temperature between the cold(ish) eggs and the hot water can cause them to crack if you’re not careful. This is why I tell you to take eggs out as your very first step to let them come up to room temp a bit, so it’s not as big of a shock when you add them to the hot water.

****If you’re not ready to eat these right away, don’t peel them. Just store them unpeeled in the fridge in an airtight container until you’re ready to eat them. They stay fresh longer this way. Unpeeled, boiled eggs will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Ok that’s it. That’s my secret. Happy egg eating!

Now, for your listening pleasure, while cooking your eggs…here’s a fun tune :)