How to Hard / Soft Boil Eggs Every Time

Feb 22, 2023 Michał Pelc

Eggs! You use them every day, but do you know how to make them perfect? Hard-boiled or soft-boiled, without cracked shells? How long should you keep them in water and at what temperature? Today I will dispel all doubts! See for yourself how cooking eggs can affect their taste and quality!

Which fresh eggs should you choose?

I recently had a field trip at the university. We weren't on a chicken farm, but a turkey farm, but I still don't want to talk about what I saw there. That's why I recommend that you choose only organic, zero-grade eggs. It's also important to use fresh eggs, because they require a shorter cooking time, which affects the final effect of the dishes you prepare.

I have two slides from the university for you.

How many eggs does an industrial hen lay per year?
The rate of mass gain of industrial chickens

Eggshells – does color matter?

First, a little interesting fact about egg color:

Some say that white or gray eggs are better. However, the color of the shell only tells us about the breed of the hen. So there is no better or worse color, and every egg has the same:

nutritional values
taste
quality

The same applies to the so-called green-legged hens – they are no better than others.

Washing eggs

When it comes to cleanliness, it is definitely worth washing eggs, but only before use.

Don't wash eggs right after buying them, before putting them in the fridge. This will strip them of their protective barrier and they will spoil faster.

Peeling eggs

Don't like peeling eggs? Well, unfortunately I don't have any good news for you. Unless you live in a city, then you have reason to be happy.

Why?

Because then you have access to older eggs, which are easier to peel. It is also worth putting eggs in boiling water, not cold water. This way they curdle immediately and are also easier to peel. However, it will not make a big difference.

Once cooked, run cold water over the eggs to stop the cooking process and make peeling easier.

How to Boil Eggs? We Conduct an Experiment on the Cooking Process

I have prepared six eggs, which we will cook successively – six, eight, ten, twelve, and fourteen minutes, to carefully analyze the cooking process.

First, we will label each egg, boil it, and then place it in ice water. Finally, we will cut it open and check what it looks like inside. This will allow you to choose the perfect egg that you want.

We cook eggs

What to do to reduce the chances of eggs cracking?

Step 1 – Fill the pot with water, but not too much so that the eggs do not float from the top to the bottom.
Step 2 – Make sure the eggs are evenly distributed in the pot so they cook evenly. Reduce the heat so the water is gently boiling.
Step 3 – Add a pinch of salt.

The egg is slightly salty inside, so the water should also be slightly salted to a similar level. This increases the chance that the shells will not crack.

We put in as many eggs as possible at once, set a timer and go. Make sure that the eggs are not straight from the fridge, because too much temperature difference also contributes to cracking the shell. After boiling the eggs, pour cold water to stop the cooking process and make peeling easier.

TIP FOR PEELING EGGS

If I'm peeling more than one egg at a time, I put them in a lunchbox and shake them hard. Then the eggs crack and practically peel themselves.

How to Boil Eggs? Check the Experiment Results!

We have boiled and peeled eggs. We arrange them in order from 6 to 14 minutes, cut them and check what we got:

6 minutes – practically all the yolk is runny. For me it's a bit too thin, but if you like it that way, six minutes will be enough. It's great for sandwich spreads, where a bit of liquid consistency is essential.
8 minutes – this is the perfect egg for me, i.e. soft, slightly set.
10 minutes – this boiled egg is very hard on the outside and slightly softer on the inside.
12 minutes – classic hard-boiled egg.
14 minutes – concrete wall for people who like fully cooked eggs.