How to Boil Eggs

Jammy and hard boiled eggs on a plate ready to enjoy

Simple tricks for spot-on eggs almost every time whatever your preference. Whether you're looking for soft, medium, or hard, I've got you covered. Cooking eggs just got a lot easier.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine International

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Cook Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings

Calories 63kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

6 whole eggs
4 cups water (approximately)

Instructions

Soft Boiled Eggs

Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover the eggs by an inch, and bring it to a boil.
Add the eggs in a single layer, making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
Boil them for 6 minutes, and then transfer them to an ice bath with a slotted spoon.

Medium or Hard-Boiled Eggs

Place the eggs in an empty medium-sized pot without overcrowding the pot. The eggs should fit comfortably and not be on top of each other.
Fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the eggs by at least an inch.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Avoid lifting the lid once covered until it is time to remove the eggs, so the heat doesn't escape. Start your timer now.
Soft-boiled: 4-6 minutes
Medium-boiled: 7-8 minutes
Hard-boiled eggs: 10-12 minutes (boil for 1 minute before covering and removing from heat)
After your timer goes off, remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer them to an ice water bath. That stops the cooking process and cools eggs so they're easier to peel.

Notes

Make sure the eggs stay covered by at least an inch of water while boiling for even cooking.
Older eggs (not the ones you bought today, but not rotten, either) make better boiled eggs.
Cool them fast in ice water once cooked to your doneness preference.
Crack them by tapping them lightly on a hard surface all over, then peel them under running water for easier peeling.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition