April 3, 2013
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This simple hard-boiled eggs recipe is the secret to perfect, easy-to-peel boiled eggs every single time. It’s a no-fail method that will have you boiling eggs with gorgeous bright yellow yolks and no green lines.
Hard-boiled eggs are a meal prep staple in my kitchen. I use them to make a variety of lunches like avocado egg salad and my kid’s personal favorites, deviled eggs.
In this post, have the solution for cooking hard-boiled eggs at home, plus simple tips to make sure those shells glide right off, let’s get to it!
Easy Peel Boiled Eggs
Making easy-peel hard-boiled eggs happens when you cook and rest them properly. Yes, eggs need a break too :)
Here are the most important tips to making perfect, hard-boiled eggs:
Use Week Old Eggs
The best eggs for boiling are at least a week to ten days old. If an egg is fresh, the pH of the white is super low, which causes it to stick to the shell membrane. I recommend purchasing an extra carton of eggs each week, use one for omelets and scrambled eggs, and reserve the extra carton for hard-boiled eggs the next week.
Turn Off the Heat
Perfectly cooked eggs have bright and yellow yolks. I’ve found the method that works best is to bring the eggs and water to a boil, turn off the heat, and let them sit for 13 minutes. This prevents them from overcooking and the yolk getting that not-so-appetizing gray/green ring, a sure sign of an overcooked egg.
Ice Bath
There are several ways to peel hard-boiled eggs, but make sure you give them an ice bath first. The ice-water will “shock” the membrane in between the egg white and the eggshell, loosening the shell and allowing you to peel it off in nearly one piece.
How to Boil Eggs Step-by-Step
Perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs aren’t difficult — and, when you do it right, not only do you have an exquisitely yellow, tender center but you also have a hard-boiled egg that is easy to peel.
- Cover with water
Set the eggs in the bottom of a large pot or saucepan and cover with cold water by 2 inches. - Bring to a Boil
Set the eggs over medium-high heat and bring to a rolling boil. - Immediately Remove from Heat
Remove the eggs from heat and cover the saucepan with a fitted lid. - Time for 13 minutes
Set a timer for 13 minutes and walk away. The eggs will cook slowly and perfectly in the hot water. - Rest in an Ice Bath
In a large bowl, make an ice water bath. Strain the eggs from the hot water and place them in the cold water for 5 minutes. - Crack and Peel
Carefully crack the eggshells, and gently begin removing the shells, dipping the eggs back in the water, when necessary.
Boiled Eggs – Video Instructions
Need a visual for the recipe above? Check out the video on how to make hard-boiled eggs on the stove-top:
Hard-Boiled Eggs Cooking Time for Easy Peeling
Whether you’re boiling eggs for deviled eggs, lunches or another recipe, timing is everything! For large eggs, you will cook for 13 in hot water. For small or medium size eggs, you can scale down to just 11 minutes.
Once the eggs and water are at a boil, remove the pot from heat, cover with the lid, and set a timer for the entirety of the cooktime, do not boil the whole time. Once you come back the egg whites will be completely set and the yolks cooked just right.
It’s simple and easy recipe tips like this one that help parents pull off mealtimes without a glitch. You’ll find them inside the MOMables Classic Meal Plan. Download a sample meal plan here.
Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
There are a few ways to peel hard-boiled eggs without taking off the shell and in the video below you’ll see me try the most popular methods.
It’s important to keep in mind that making easy-peel eggs starts with using week-old eggs and making sure to soak them in an ice bath, prior to peeling. Once you’ve gotten that out of the way, it’s time to move on to the next step:
Tips for Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Aside from cooking right and using week-old eggs, there are a few more tips to keep in mind so you make perfect hard-boiled eggs, every time.
- Don’t Refrigerate- refrigerated hard-boiled eggs will not peel well. Peel your eggs once they’ve been iced and are at room temperature.
- Baking soda- add 1 teaspoon baking soda to the water, it prevents any sticking.
- Peel under running water- the water helps to separate the egg from the shell.
How Long to Store Hard Boiled Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs will stay good for up to 5 days refrigerated in an airtight container. They are definitely one meal prep ingredient I keep on hand to make eggs salad for lunches or a high-protein snack that’s easy to grab before a run or after school sports.
Bonus tip: If you’re wanting to save eggs for longer periods of time, see how to freeze eggs here.
No Fail Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- Large Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- Water
Instructions
- Place your raw eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with at least 2 inches of cold water.
- Add 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Place the pan over high heat until it reaches a boil.
- Turn off heat, cover and let it sit for 13 minutes.
- After exactly 13 minutes, remove the eggs from the pan and place them in an ice-water bath and let them cool for five minutes.
- Carefully crack the eggs shells (making sure the majority of the shell is cracked).
- Gently begin removing the shells. The ice-water bath will “shock” the membrane in between the egg-white and the egg shell, loosening the shell and allowing you to peel it off in nearly one piece.
- As needed, you can dip the egg (as you are peeling it) in and out of the water to remove any slivers of shell.
- Serve immediately, use in a recipe or store in your refrigerator for three days.
Notes
Test one egg first, if for some reason it’s a bit undercooked, put eggs back and bring to boil, turn off heat.
You need to fully cover eggs with at least 2 inches of water for this to work. less water means that it will cool down quicker and your eggs won’t cook throughly.
Dustin Hassard
WOW! These turned out perfect. I’ve always disliked peeling the egg shells, very frustrating, even worse, eating bits of egg shell or the membrane. I’m eating some eggs as I write this and the yolks taste amazing and it only took seconds to peel, I even enjoyed it haha. I’m not a mom, but as a trainer who relies on egg protein almost daily, you have just changed my life :) Thank you! Thank you!
MOMables
I’m glad this helped Dustin! Everyone needs a little help in the kitchen from time to time. This used to be one of my most frustrating things.. until now. Perfect eggs every time.
Lynda
Thanks, that works well!
Andrea
I just used this recipe and it was WONDERFUL! It worked 100% perfectly! All my eggs were old, but one floated to the top (indicating it was fresher than the others). Lo and behold, one egg did not peel correctly. All the others peeled beautifully! So the old egg thing is spot on! Thank you so much for posting this!
MOMables
I am so glad this worked for you Andrea! congrats on perfect eggs!
Emmanuelle
It floated because it was older, not fresher. As eggs age, the air bubble in the blunt end increases.
karen
what is the best way to “keep” the cooked hard boiled eggs to eat over a few days? i.e. store them in the fridge peeled or unpeeled?
MOMables
I store them in the fridge for about 5 days. Peeled or unpeeled is up to you, whatever you find most convenient. I’ve found that they are easiest to peel right after cooling.
Ava Funderburk
I followed these instructions and didn’t skip any steps and oh my goodness these were the most perfect hard boiled eggs I have ever made in my life! They peeled effortlessly, the yolks were the prettiest yellow ever! I gave all my friends, mother, and MIL this recipe and I can’t believe how something so simple as a boiled egg could make me so happy. But after years of frustration, I am just so happy. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Perfection!
MOMables
I’m thrilled they tuned out for you!! I completely understand the frustration with breakign eggs while peeling them and ugly yellows (or green!). hurray for delicious pretty eggs!
Cindy Hampton
I did it perfectly to the T exactly as you wrote them when the timer went off I had read the whiny comments about uncooked centers I left an additional 3 minutes in covered pan then ice bath omgee the best best boiled eggs and the prettiest ever yellow center I want to post the pictures in case there are doubters but it won’t let me
MOMables
sorry it won’t let attach a picture. this is a kid friendly website so we try to protect what else is added. glad you have perfect eggs!
Michael
how long can you wait to eat the eggs once they boiled?
MOMables
as long as they take to cool… or, if you like them warm… you can eat as soon as they are cool enough to peel.
Tina M
Ok this didn’t work for me verbatim BUT I tried some variations that did work so I’ll share it. I always have boiled mine for only 10 minutes so here’s what I did. I put them in cold water with salt and waited until the water started rapidly boiling. I set my timer for 10 minutes. Immediately I put them in a very small bowl (only big enough to hold the eggs snugly) and added 3 ice cubes and water to the tip of bowl and left them like that for 4-5 minutes and presto!!!
Mayooper
Same as any other method. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t work. Personally I think it’s a combination of where the eggs come from geographically, the weather, the age of the eggs, how many eggs the chicken is spitting out, what the chicken is eating, when the egg is collected….. The list goes on
Haus
I want to try this… maybe I will get the same great results. My question is… I have an electric stove. So when I bring my eggs to a boil, should I slide the pot off of that burner for the 13 min? Or leave it on the hot burner for the 13 min?
Thanks in advance
Haus
MOMables
you leave it in that burner turned off, covered.
Cindy Hampton
leave on burner with lid on pot I just did this but for 16 minutes after reading whiny comments PERFECT
MOMables
Cindy, I am glad you read the whiny comments. 13 minutes works great for me but if you have xl eggs 16 might be good too. ;)
Lynda
I have an electric too and just tried this.
Yes, I slid the pan off the burner and it worked well. : )
I_Dun_Did
Bless my lucky stars… Them was great!
Leslie
I have made these twice now and each time they came out amazing! I will only use this method from now on. So easy and fast. Perfect every time. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Donna
FiNaLLy!!!! After SIXTY years!!!! I have finally mastered the elusive art of “The Perfectly Peeled Boiled Egg”!!! Look out world! (I followed your instructions, exactly!) Thank you for sharing!
Tammy
I followed the directions exactly and the eggs were still difficult to peel. Oh well, they may look ugly but they’re gonna make great deviled eggs! ;)
Judy
I am SO glad I googled this!! It made my job of preparing about 70 deviled eggs much easier. Thanks.
Denis
Thanks this worked really well. I used and egg poacher cooked for 15 min. no salt, removed put them in ice water bath, easy to peel an the yolks were perfect. Thanks for telling us about the green ring.
richard
Followed the procedure exactly, and it worked perfectly! The eggs literally peeled in one piece, and the yolks fall out without sticking. Perfect consistency. These eggs were only a few days old and it still worked great.
Karen
I realize these post are over a year old but can you tell me if the salt is absorbed into the egg . I’m on a no salt diet. Thanks
MOMables
the salt should not absorb through the shell.
Christine Staines
I’d like give some input on the salt, since I happen to be looking for the answer as well since I’m in the same boat as karen. While the salt does not permeate the shell, a certain amount of the salt does indeed slip through the microscopic cracks of the shell. It might not be a large portion of salt but if you eat eggs frequently then it could potentially slightly effect your health. Other than that, I like this recipe, I used to over boil my eggs because I was too afraid of possible bacteria.
KristieV
It only solidifies the proteins in the. Is not absorbed into the egg its self.
Julie
First let me start off by saying “I really am a good cook. Really!” That said I have always boiled my eggs for 15 to 20 minutes! Aaaaagh! Hilarious! Thats how my mom cooked them. Green Rings are a tradition. HaHa. This method worked perfect for me and my eggs were beautiful and delicious. Thanks so much for the tip. New Tradition – Gorgeous Deviled Eggs – Keeper!
Kim
Ur so funny I thought the same thing I always cooked 20 min. LOL
Kat
Just tried it… even with altered instructions – 10 minutes for the egg boiling with water in baking soda cuz I read somewhere it needs soda bicarbonate to help peel ( although I’m not even sure if baking soda = bicarbonate… ). Put it in an ice cold bath and while the shell didnt come off in 3 peels, it did come off quite easily.
fdf
Nothing different. Still the same outcome. A hard to peel egg. Very disappointed.
Dwayne
A co-worker of mine, says the way to get easy peel eggs is to leave eggs in his locker for 7 days (un-refrigerated), and then boil them for 16 minutes, do you consider that safe? I personally just run cold water over mine and tap them with a spoon and the shell comes right off. What do you think?
MOMables
i don’t know about leaving eggs in a locker for 7 days… I just know that this method works.
Will O
Followed the directions all the way and seriously, best hard-boiled egg I’ve ever made and eaten! The shell peeled perfectly and the yolk was a perfect yellow. Thanks for sharing your tips!!
Meg
I just found this website to search… how to make hardboiled egss…. and I just
followed the instructions and made 24 hardboiled eggs….and everyone of them
turned out beautifull….My kids and grandkids are going to love the deviled eggs
I’ll be able serve for Easter dinner. Last year I threw out a dozen eggs because
they didn’t turn out….. I’m so happy to have found out how to do them correctly!!
Thanks for sharing.
Des
Ditto to me too. I am in charge of deviled eggs tomorrow and was throwing a fit because I went through a whole dozen with only one peeling right. Luckily, I bought a second dozen and tried your method and every one came out beautiful. I was starting to think they are called “deviled” eggs because they are such a pain in the rear to peel. My husband is super excited though because the messed up first dozen got made into egg salad for sandwiches :)
Kim
WONDERFUL! I have never made hard boiled eggs more yummy, beautiful and yellow and not over cooked. So glad I found your method. Only problem was the peeling but that was my fault. Had to use eggs I bought today as Easter is Sunday and we need to color them tomorrow. That being said, even super fresh eggs peeled
better with this technique versus the others I’ve tried. Looking forward to trying ot with not so fresh eggs. Thank you!
neil
This method works great. I maybe get 15%ugly ones from the peeling. The yokes come out a beautiful yellow color. It’s really relatively idiot proof. I never time it exactly and it always comes out right. My only problem is that you can only make about 15 at a time with the regular size pot. I tried the oven once, and eggs have ugly brown spots on them. I may try that again.
Smoore
I’m trying again! :-) Maybe I misread, but turning them off when they reach a boil and letting them sit for 13 min didn’t cook them all the way. Gooey eggs :-/
Terra
GREAT METHOD! Another good tip: To make sure your yolks are always perfectly centered, which makes them easier to fill and prettier- turn egg carton upside down in fridge a few hours before boiling :)
Susie
Adding my rating to my previous comment!!!
Thanks again!!
Karen
I just followed the directions exactly ….perfect hard boiled eggs! I bought my eggs a week ago, I don’t know how long they were in the store. I also took the eggs out of the fridge and put them into salted water. After the cold bath for 5 mins I cracked both ends peeled…blew into the smaller opening and you can hear the shell move when you do this…and peels easily. These eggs are for me not a party. Thanks
Susie
Thanks ~ I made perfect hard boiled eggs! Followed your directions exactly!
Question: How about soft boiled eggs & keeping them warm? What about deviled eggs & egg salad recipes?
MOMables
Susie, this recipe is just for hard boiled eggs. I’m working on other times. Egg salad recipes will use these hard boiled eggs. cool them off first then make the recipe. soft boiled eggs take me about 6-7 minutes.
Ethan
I am ten and this works GREAT
MOMables
So GREAT you are in the kitchen Ethan! great job on making eggs!
Dtown
Worked great thanks for the recipe!!!
MOMables
Awesome!
Gnostradamus
I didn’t follow this exactly, because I’m forgetful and also didn’t realize how high the water has to be to fully submerge the eggs. Still, the shells were quite easy to peel off, which was my main issue with boiling eggs. I’m going to eat more of them now that I can peel them so easily! Thanks.
Lisa
This did not work at all for me and I followed the directions. I was making deviled eggs for a church potluck. I had all yolks and hardly any whites! Will keep looking for another method. :(
MOMables
sorry this didn’t work for your eggs Lisa. :( works for me every time.
James
I just did it…………..and a piece of cake! Just like the recipe said, way to go Momables! Perfect white, bright yellow yolks with not even a remote sign of the unsightly green tone. Yeah, ya gotta gently break up the shell adn then before you know it you are taking off the entire shell in simple and large 1 or 2 large pieces and DONE!
MOMables
Thanks for letting me know it worked great for you James!
Thad Mitchell
Worked like a CHARM! I have never made eggs this easy. Only one of 9 eggs didn’t peel perfectly and I’m pretty sure that is my own fault for being to harsh. Thank you!
Dawn
We pressure boil our eggs and they usually come out perfect. Put some sort of basket / insert in so the eggs aren’t sitting directly on the bottom. Half cover the eggs with water, seal the pressure cooker and put on med high – high heat until up to pressure and set the timer for 7 min. Once at pressure start timer and back off the heat a tad bit. Once time is up cool immediately under cold water. Once pressure is released then open and cool eggs w cold water (I like to add ice but DH just used cold water). This even works w fresh eggs (with 2 teenage boys I’m lucky if eggs last 3 days before they’re gone, fortunately I collect an average 6 a day from our chickens)
Alan
there are SO MANY VARIABLES.. how cold was the egg when you started.. my fridge is VERY cold, about 32.003 degrees.. that makes the time it takes to cook to the center longer.. how old the eggs REALLY are.. the chickens diet. etc… I started to let the eggs sit out to room temp before doing anything, or putting them in water for an hour our two before cooking to take some of the cold out.. I use both boughten eggs that are fresh, boughten eggs that have been in the fridge for a couple weeks or a month, and also used our home grown eggs layed by our chickens that eat bugs, seeds and whatever they can find. I have used vinegar in the water, baking soda, or salt.. there seems to be no rhyme or reason to making the perfect egg except luck, although the ice bath IS one of the major things that make them peel easier because of the ‘steam’ or condensation that builds up between the cold shell and the egg, and pushes the membrane away from the cooked egg. I also use Pekin duck eggs, which we raise and REALLY make it easy to peel, and make a perfect egg… just say’n ..
Faye
I tried this the other day with eggs bought a week ago, except I boiled for two minutes and took of burner to sit for another 12 minutes in hot water. They came out perfect once peeled. Thanks a lot for the tidbit. :)
Kelly
Based on other reviewers that said they were a bit underdone in the center, I let them sit for 14 minutes instead of 13. They are perfect! I have never been able to make hard boiled eggs that are not overdone.
Also, the shells came off very easily…my eggs were bought 5 days ago. However, I do have the organic, cage free eggs. Maybe the previous poster had a point about what our chickens are being fed.
MOMables
Kelly, thanks so much for coming back and providing feedback! yes… maybe it’s the food? who knows. glad yours came out great!
Jamie
This totally works! Thanks, you’re awesome :)
Ray
Did not work. Destroyed the egg while attempting to peel and runny in the center. By far the worst method I’ve tried.
MOMables
sorry it didn’t work for you Ray.
JayJay
Exactly–I am on a diet and boiled eggs without the yolk are part of my everyday sustenance.
I’ve tried every method–that membrane is stuck and will NOT come off regardless of the method used.
Even when I know my eggs are 10 days old.
Not working and I lose half my egg because of the membrane sticking to the shell.
Oh, I’ve been boiling eggs for 45 years–it has to be what the chickens are being fed–this is a problem that started in the last 10 years.
MOMables
Great GREAT thought. what animals are fed is just as important as what we eat ourselves.
Jo Alexander
Use a soup spoon, whack the egg in half. Dig out the white and yolk together perfectly. No fuss about hard to peel eggs……..
Irene
How does it work for soft boiled 3-minute eggs?
MOMables
for soft boiled eggs it will be 3-5 minutes depending on your altitude.
Kim
This worked well for me. I used baking soda instead of salt and the egg was wonderfully easy to peel even though they were very fresh. I will perhaps allow it to sit in the hot water a minute more because the center of the yolk was a shade darker than the rest, but the consistency was really good and “fluffy”. Thanks
Viceroy
You neglected to mention that the pan should be REMOVED from the burner for the 13 minutes.
MOMables
you turn off the heat and leave the pan on the burner. I don’t remove it. works for me.
Cara
Do you have a gas or electric stove. Electric elements stay hot for a while after the heat is off and gas when the fire goes off so does the heat.
Shannon
I’ve used variation on this method with success. I add a bit of white vinegar to the water (along with salt) and that helps so that if any eggs have hairline cracks, they don’t “leak” out into the water. Also, generally I have boiled for three minutes THEN turned off for 10 to sit. The colder the icebath the better; once cool put immediately into the fridge. I don’t peel them until I use them (they last longer than three days for me anyway, when I use this method).
dan
As a single person, I like to make as much as possible a head of time. Eggs are one of them. I hard boil 4 at time and use 1 now and store the rest for use over a 2+ week interval.
What is the best way to peel refrigerated eggs?
joan
Worked great used jumbo eggs and did 15 minutes worked like a charm
Nikki
This method works! Thank you for the tip! Long gone are the days where I peel the shell and half the egg goes with it.
Adrian
Followed the instructions to the letter – 2 week old eggs – and still half the white came away with the shell!
Back to the drawing board for me
:oD
Judy
Try a tsp of baking soda in the water during cooking time.
Erin
First time using this recipe and made 4 exactly as the recipe is written. Absolutely perfect! This will be my “go to” recipe for hard boiled eggs! THANK YOU!
Cheryl Howell
Correction. I just submitted a post and I think that I said that boiled the eggs for 13 minutes. I didn’t. I brought them to a boil and let them sit covered for 13 minutes! Great recipe!
Cheryl Howell
I tried this recipe today and it really works. I even used eggs from Costco. I have never had good luck with Costco eggs in the past yet every one of the dozen eggs peeled easily. I followed the directions and made sure I had more than two inches of water over the eggs, boiled for 13 minutes, and shocked them in a ice bath. I need the eggs because I am making deviled eggs for a party. These eggs are going to look perfect. :o)
bonnie
Will have to try this…My Costco eggs NEVER peel—other kinds OK but never Costco and that is usually what I have in the house
Shannon
That makes perfect sense. Costco eggs enjoy a high turnover rate, and are generally very fresh. Great for sunny-side up, but not so much for hard boiled eggs.
Andrea manor
Just boiled eight eggs using these directions, they each came out perfectly!!!
MOMables
thank you for letting me know these came out well Andrea!
Joshua
I didn’t follow this recipe exactly but I incorporated some of your tips and it did the trick.
I actually don’t hard “boil” my eggs anymore, I steam them! In terms of consistency of cooking nothing has worked better than steam for me. (It actually works equally great for soft “boiled” eggs too.) As such, salt isn’t really an option at that stage since it’s not coming up with the steam.
What I did do was add the salt to the ice bath instead. That seems to have made a HUGE difference in terms of ease of peeling. Steam for 11 minutes and then ice bath for… doesn’t matter. Perfect results. I just did 19 eggs and had only one small spot of white peel off. That’s a record.
MOMables
Fantastic Joshua! I will try the steam method for sure!
Lisa
Did you use an actual steamer? Like a rice steamer?
matt
this recipe did not work the inside of the egg was slimy and the yolk was hard i followed the recipe exactly 0 stars
MOMables
Matt, I’m sorry it did not work for you. it has for many. The eggs might of been too “fresh”
Celeste Sowden
This recipe did not work for me. The eggs were not cooked inside and the whites were not completely hard either. They did peel ok but not perfectly. Does it matter that I am using an induction stove? I also wondered if I did it correctly. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat and let them sit covered for 13 minutes or so minutes..not boiling for 13 minutes?
MOMables
the stove should not make a difference.
ashley
i’ve wondered about the stove as well. MOMables, do you have an electric or gas stove? electric holds the heat forever vs gas ranges (and probably induction?)
MOMables
I have a gas stove Ashley. I made a dozen of these yesterday without any issues.
Dyan Heard
I just destroyed 18 eggs using this method. I have been cooking for over 40 years and thought I’d try this method. The eggs (like the writer above) look like a hacksaw got them and they weren’t cook completely. I believe I’ll go back to my old method. Next time I’ll read through the comments.
MOMables
Dyan, this method has worked for many and it’s what I do. of course, the eggs must not be fresh.
JayJay
Exactly—the egg is the difference, not the method.
It matters what the chicken was fed, not our method.
James
Don’t attack the Writer. Her recipe is a poven instruction, as over 90% of the Readers have found great success! So perhaps you are not following the recipe to the tee…………..? :)
James
Best egg results ever!! Awesome!!! Makes me wanna cook them again.
Gerald
I always disliked wondering if my boiled eggs would be intact after peeling them. Sometimes, it wasn’t a pretty sight. I just tried this method for the 1st time. I used 10 eggs. The result was a batch of PERFECTLY cooked and PERFECTLY peeled eggs! I was amazed that it worked so well the very first time I tried………Thank you for teaching me this easy method!!!
MOMables
thank you Gerald for leaving the feedback!
mamaUK
If you try this I promise you it will work!
Get a clean small thin sewing needle and sterilise it by pouring some boiling water over it.
Prick a hole at the base of the egg very gently before popping it in the water to boil.
When it has boiled for ten minutes put them in very cold water from the tap to cool down.
They will peel extremely easily.
This is how the blogger Soule mama does it.
It really works!
MOMables
thank you for the tip! awesome!
Ron Ray
I place the (large/jumbo) eggs in a large pan of cold (tap) water with 2 or 3 tsp of Arm & Hammer baking soda, turn the heat on high and as soon as the water and eggs come to a *COMPLETE rolling boil, turn the heat off and COVER the pot. (I leave the pot on the burner.) After twenty (20) minutes, I place them in the sink and run cold tap water over them until they are cool enough to handle. They will peel easily and never have that dark green circle around the outside of the yoke.
As mentioned elsewhere, it is best to use eggs that are at least a few days (weeks?) old. Fresh eggs will stick to their shells.
MOMables
Thank you Ron! You are correct, fresh eggs will stick badly!
Al
I’ve done the ice-shock thing for years, with mixed success. Sometimes it works great, other times (like this week) not at all. Wish there was a fool-proof way for peeling eggs, but so far this one isn’t it. Any other ideas out there?
Marge
I remember watching Julia Child address this issue and, bottom line? She said that fresh or not, ice bath or not, it’s hit or miss and she never did find out why some eggs were easy to peel and some were not. I’ve been boiling eggs for about 45 years and I concur.
Also, remember this: WHEN you bought your eggs cannot determine how fresh they are. Eggs have an amazing shelf life; just ask someone who raises chickens. Your eggs didn’t just get into the supermarket that day…or week…or even weeks…after they were laid.
Ben
Didn’t work. Shells still stuck and yolks were not fully cooked. Probably needs a few more minutes in water
Tom
Have tried this method three times now – DOES NOT WORK. Completely hate the ice batch method….
David
Rachel,
Would you alter anything in your process if you were hard boiling a large quantiy (3-5 dozen) at one time? I only ask because I used your intrucstions perfectly several times and had perfect results when I only boiled 2 dozen at a time but the last two times when I hard boiled 3+ dozen I had horrible results. I was so frustrated because it took over 2 hours to shell all those eggs both times! Obviously, one solution would be to only boil them in groups of 2 dozen or less but for the sake of time it would be nice if I could find a solution where I could do them all at once.
Also, a friend of mine suggested I try poking a pin hole in the shell prior to boiling them with a bulletin board push-pin. Have you heard of this? What are your thoughts?
Thanks,
David
MOMables
Hi David! I’ll wait until Rachel chimes in with boiling many at a time. I can tell you that when I want to make a lot of hard boiled eggs (say 5 dozen?) this is what I do. I skip the boiling process completely. I bake them in the oven. Put a baking sheet on the bottom of the oven then place all the eggs you need cooked directly on the rack, the baking sheet will catch any broken ones for easy cleanup. I’ve never had one break yet but this is just in case.
Bake them at 325°F. for half an hour (do not preheat). Meaning. Place eggs in cold cold oven, set temperature, and set timer. At 30min, take them out then put them directly into a big bowl of very cold water (with ice added). This will stop them from cooking and make them easier to peel too. When I make 5 dozen at at time, I fill one side of my kitchen sink with cold water and a lot of ice. I put them in there. For easy shelling, crack them all over. Pull off a tiny bit of the shell AND skin. Insert a small spoon under the skin and shell and push it all around the white. This will get all the shell off easily.
Rinse and repeat. ~ Laura
Alex
I like the idea of removing the heat source and letting it cook with the hot water but doing it this way means the ratio of eggs to water is a factor. Covering with 2 inches of water will be a different quanity of water if you use a wider or narrower pan and will affect the rate of cooking.
kiki
are these whole eggs — still in the shell? You said “no rings” so it sounds like maybe you’re taking the eggs out of the shell and cooking like you would on the range using an egg ring — just curious to know before i try to bake an egg in the shell … :-)
ashley
yes, bake it in the shell
Monica
You know I just came across hard baking my eggs…perfect every time and so many less crack….
Put eggs in muffin tins – no water…bake at 325 for 30 minutes and then take out…no rings, all perfectly cooked…I guess ovens might vary…but I have done it in two different ovens and both mad perfect eggs!
Laura
love baking eggs!
Lauren
Steaming them is WAY easier. Also easier to put them in the ice bath b/c you just remove the basket and plonk it in the ice water. Seriously, try it!
Laura
GREAT idea Lauren! how long do you steam them for?
Jaime
Update –
of the 4 eggs I made, 2 turned out pretty good (only a small piece came off), 1 was about a B-, and the other was a D+. The D+ one then fell on the floor. :/
Maybe it’s because the eggs are a couple weeks old?
They’re in the fridge now.
Rachel Lacy
Oh, no!!!! I use this method EVERY time I make hard boiled eggs and they always turn out beautifully. I’m so sad yours didn’t do the same. :(
kiki
Hi Rachel and all — thanks for this post — some great ideas here !
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Do you find that brown-shelled eggs work better than white — or does that matter?
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Also — what size egg do you usually use? I’ve been using extra large — that may be part of the problem … ?
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I’ve tried several variations — cooking them longer, cracking them while they’re in the ice bath — it still seems hit-or-miss. I didn’t know about the salt, so maybe that will help. I find that using 7 – 10 days old eggs usually works better than fresher eggs.
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oh btw — in my earlier question to Monica — I just realized she may have meant no green rings in the eggs — is that it?
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I’d also like to know how long Lauren steams them — just to try it —
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Rachel @ Following In My Shoes
Hi, Kiki —
The egg shell color shouldn’t matter at all BUT fresher eggs WILL give you a hard time regardless of method.
I use Large eggs.
And the salt does help!!
Yes, I believe monica meant no green/gray rings INSIDE the egg (which is a a result of over cooking a hardboiled egg).
Hope all of that helps! :)
thomas
Rachel dose making a small hole in the broad end of egg help the peeling job as the egg is put into the ice bath & should the hole be put in be for the egg is cooked or after? thanks
Laura
Oh bummer!! I made my eggs like Rachel’s two weeks in a row -just to test- and they came out great-only 1 out of 8 cracked… that’s a great record for me.. since they usually nearly all crack and the yellow are green lol!
Jaime
I tried this earlier, and maybe I didn’t bring it to the full boil, but my eggs looked like they’d been attacked by a hacksaw.
I have 4 more going – they’re in the ice bath right now. We’ll see how those turn out. Although, I don’t know what I’m going to do with 4 more hard cooked eggs!
Jess
What size eggs were you using? I wonder if that might be your problem.
I use a very similar method, but 10 mins for me is for medium eggs, 12 mins for large and about 15 mins for extra large.
If you try again, definitely make sure it comes to a full rolling boil first before you remove from heat.
Hard boiled eggs baffled me for years, but not I feel like a pro! lol Good luck!