To make hard boiled eggs, the recommended method is:
- Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by about 1 inch.
- Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, turn off the heat and cover the pot.
- Let the eggs sit in the hot water, covered, for 9 to 12 minutes depending on your desired doneness:
- 9-10 minutes for creamy, vibrant yolks
- 12 minutes for fully hard boiled with opaque, chalkier yolks
- After cooking, immediately transfer the eggs to an ice water bath for at least 14 minutes to stop cooking and make peeling easier.
This method yields easy-to-peel eggs with bright yellow yolks
. Alternatively, some sources suggest boiling the eggs directly in boiling water for 8 to 14 minutes depending on yolk firmness:
- 8 minutes for firm but slightly creamy yolks
- 10 minutes for mostly hard boiled with slight softness
- 12 to 14 minutes for fully hard boiled eggs with firm yolks
Using an ice bath after cooking is crucial to stop the cooking process and ease peeling
. In summary, the most reliable approach is to boil eggs until water reaches a rolling boil, then remove from heat and let sit covered for about 10-12 minutes, followed by chilling in ice water
. This method consistently produces perfectly hard boiled eggs.
