How to Boil an Egg

Of all my recipes, this one is by far the lightest on ingredients. I promise I haven’t gotten lazy! While boiling eggs is a relatively simple task – especially when compared to making omelets – more goes into it than you might think. Boiling eggs is an exercise in timing: both in terms of the heating and cooling processes. You could use your phone’s timer, though an egg timer is a cool, very inexpensive kitchen toy (and one that makes a great stocking stuffer for the other foodies in your family). When you are done peeling the eggs, you can save them for salads, sandwiches, or a quick bite of protein. Pretty eggcellent, if you ask me (sorry, you know I had to).

INGREDIENTS

• Eggs

KITCHEN TOOLS

• Saucepan with lid
• Water
• Timer or clock
• Slotted spoon or tongs
• Bowl or basin
• Ice cubes

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Gather your ingredients and kitchen tools.

• Make sure you have all the necessary ingredients and kitchen tools listed above before starting the process.

Step 2: Place the eggs in the saucepan.

• Take the eggs and gently place them in a single layer at the bottom of the saucepan. Avoid stacking the eggs on top of each other.

Step 3: Add water to the saucepan.

• Pour enough water into the saucepan to cover the eggs completely. The water level should be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the eggs.

Step 4: Place the saucepan on the stove.

• Position the saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Ensure that the saucepan is centered on the burner for even cooking.

Step 5: Bring the water to a boil.

• Allow the water to come to a full rolling boil. You will see bubbles forming and rising to the surface. This usually takes a few minutes.

Step 6: Reduce the heat.

• Once the water reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low. This will prevent the eggs from bouncing around and cracking in the boiling water.

Step 7: Set the timer.

• Set a timer for the desired level of doneness:
  • Soft-boiled eggs: 4 to 6 minutes
  • Medium-boiled eggs: 6 to 8 minutes
  • Hard-boiled eggs: 9 to 12 minutes

Step 8: Cook the eggs.

• Allow the eggs to cook in the simmering water according to the desired doneness. Keep an eye on the timer to ensure accurate cooking time.

Step 9: Prepare an ice bath.

• While the eggs are cooking, fill a large bowl or basin with cold water and add ice cubes. This will be used to cool the eggs quickly and stop the cooking process.

Step 10: Transfer the eggs to the ice bath.

• Once the timer goes off, use a slotted spoon or tongs to carefully transfer the eggs from the saucepan to the ice bath. Place them gently in the water to cool.

Step 11: Let the eggs cool.

• Allow the eggs to sit in the ice bath for at least 5 minutes. This will cool them down and help with easier peeling.

Step 12: Peel and serve.

• After the eggs have cooled, gently tap them on a hard surface to crack the shell. Then, peel off the shell under running water. The peeled boiled eggs are now ready to be eaten or used in your favorite recipes.

If you enjoyed this article or have suggestions on how we can improve it, please leave us a comment below. Also, make sure to check out other cooking lesson articles I’ve created – here.