My secret for the perfect hard-boiled egg...

[Misunderestimator]

Put them in COLD water, then put them on the stove on High. Exactly 23 minutes later, take them off and run cold water over them. Perfect!

What's your secret?

[DS1]

1. Watch you do it.

:shrug:

[Misunderestimator]

2. LOL.... do you cook?

[DS1]

5. Simple things. Chili, pasta and chicken concoctions

I have no training and even less recipes.

[the Kelly Gang]

3. what constitutes a 'perfect boiled egg' ?.arent they all the same ?

[Misunderestimator]

8. I think that the secret is in the peeling of the shell...

If it comes off easily, without wasting any of the white, and the yolk is completely done... then it is perfect.

[the Kelly Gang]

12. oh yeh I always have a problem with the shell

[Canuckistanian]

19. Are you kidding?

I've had only a few turn out perfect. They're either uncooked in the middle, won't peel right or self-destruct in the pot.
I can cook basics, but a perfect hard-boiled egg escapes me almost every time.

[Misunderestimator]

25. Try it then... and let me know how it turns out...

I really am curious if this is a universal answer to the perfectly cooked egg (barring any elevation concerns, in which case, I am no expert). :)

[trotsky]

4. Hmmm... 23 minutes, eh?

I do the same thing, only I put them on the stove, wait for the water to boil, and then set the timer for 10 minutes. Then cool them off as you describe. I probably end up being right around 23 minutes too!

[SharonAnn]

6. Use an Oster egg cooker. Pierce shells. Put in water. Push button.

Perfect hard boiled eggs. Every time!

[tandot]

7. put them in cold water, bring water to a boil, cover the pot with

a lid (tight fitting), turn the stove OFF, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Take lid off and rinse with cold water.

My boyfriend taught me that. And they turn out perfect every time and it saves energy.

[GOPisEvil]

9. Underpants has some "Eggstractors" he's willing to part with.

:D

[Misunderestimator]

14. Not sure I want to try underpants eggstractors... :)

...sounds kinda dirty.

[GOPisEvil]

15. Come on! They're fun! As seen on TV!

[Misunderestimator]

16. Hey!!! No sex threads!

[underpants]

17. Your post says no

but (oh many ways to go with this one) but your mind says YES!

Do not taunt the eggstractor.

[Misunderestimator]

20. Oh boy... where do I start....

Na na naa naa naaaa naaaa.... taunting the eggstractor!

Can't help myself.

[underpants]

18. Did you get one as a housewarming gift?

or did your house come with one?

[LisaM]

10. I, too, bring them to a boil, cover, and turn off the water

This works quite well, although if you have more than 2 eggs, which I usually do, you need to wait longer than 10 minutes before they're done. Also, I do this on an electric range. If it were a gas stove, I don't think this would work because the heat would just vanish. In that case, I would boil them for 15 minutes, cover, let cool somewhat, then run cold water on them (20 minutes if I am doing 8 or more eggs.)

[Misunderestimator]

13. You're right there... my solution is based on an electric stove...

But weirdly, it doesn't matter how many eggs. 2 - 8, I've never tried more than that.

[LisaM]

21. Well, I'm in Seattle and sometimes things take a bit longer to cook

I don't know why, but they do.

[Misunderestimator]

22. What's the elevation there?

[geniph]

40. Sea level. ;-)

although parts of town can be up to about 400 ft. It's a hilly town, but it's at sea level.

I've never found that things cook more slowly here, but I've never cooked anywhere else. And I use the boil-cover-turn-heat-off-10-minutes method with a gas stove with 100% success.

[flamingyouth]

33. That's what I do too

They're perfect for deviled eggs because the yolks don't turn gray at all.

[Syrinx]

11. salting the water will make them easier to peel

[Kali]

27. My mom told me

the salt was in case they cracked - it helped coagulate the leakage. Who knows???? I do know old eggs peel when fresh never do.

[Canuckistanian]

23. Thanks! I'll try your solution.

I've tried everything. Vinegar in the water, piercing the egg at the bottom, salt, nothing works.

Just a few more questions. What about the pH of the water? What is the breed of chicken the eggs come from and what is the wattage of the stove element that you use? I'm just trying to eliminate all the variables.

I love boiled eggs. Cold boiled eggs and Ovaltime. Nothing finer.

[Misunderestimator]

26. LOL... sorry but those answers will have to remain a mystery n/t

[Kali]

24. most important

use old eggs - which is rarely a problem if you get your eggs at the local super duper store. Mine come fresh right out the chicken and they have to age for at least two weeks or they will not peel. On the other hand for all other uses they are sooooo superior. MMMM dark yellow, super fluffy cakes. Scrammbled with salsa. Even just fried. Eggs made out of real grain and bugs.

[Fridays Child]

28. Yes. Cold water to start...

Cover the pan, put on high heat until the water is rapidly boiling. Turn off the heat (or turn down to low, if you prefer) and leave the pan covered for 12 to 15 minutes. Run cold water over the eggs until they're cool enough to handle. Peel.

And the secret to peeling without destroying the whites is to use week-old eggs. Works every time.

[Misunderestimator]

29. Never heard of the week-old eggs thing...

though I suppose it doesn't matter since I get my eggs from the grocery.

Also, I don't cover the eggs or turn off the heat, which accounts for our different timings. I guess. :)

[Sequoia]

30. 23 minutes is very long and they stink

and the yolk is brown on the outside. I find 6-7 minutes more suitable.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

31. What about the perfect SOFT boiled egg?

[Misunderestimator]

32. No clue... please enlighten us...

Though I have too much trepidation of salmonella to try a soft-boiled egg.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

35. No I really don't know...I was asking

I like the yoke soft but the whites have to be cooked

[dweller]

36. cooking with gas

start with cold water, put a pinhole in the flatter end of the egg. Cover with cold, bring to boil, turn off, cover and set a timer for 6 minutes.
At the end of 6, dump the hot water, cover with cold, do that again as the water warms. Then take the back of a spoon, heavier spoon the better, and crack the shell all over, holding the egg in your palm. Once it's really cracked up, rub btwn your palms to loosen the shell and it 'should' roll out of the shell.
Yellow should be glossy still, white done. If not, +/- a minute to cooking time to your preference, etc.

You could just get one of those egg cups, and crack off the cap at the end of cooking and dig out the egg...it's still warm then.
dp

[SOteric]

37. Put the eggs in a pot of cold water. Set them on a burner

and bring to a boil. The very minute they come to a boil take the pot off the element and set a timer for 15 minutes. Exactly 15 minutes. Then scoop out the eggs and run them under cold water and set them in a bowl of very cold water to stop the cooking.

Voila, - soft boiled eggs. :hi:

[geniph]

41. I use an egg poacher instead

It's a little insert-thingie that fits on top of a pan of boiling water. Easier to get the eggs just right when you're poaching instead of soft-boiling, since you can see them.

[dweller]

45. there is a microwave version

of an egg poacher, works pretty well.
course you can't see it, but accurate test/timing makes a good poached.

dp

[exJW]

34. I'm not sure hard boiled eggs are acceptable food

They leave your mouth dry in a unique way for which there is no refreshing liquid fix. Other "dry mouth" foods have an offsetting liquid counterpart, but not boiled chicken eggs.

[geniph]

38. No, no, all wrong!

A friend taught me this about 20 years ago, and it has never failed me. Put the eggs in cold water. Put pan, uncovered on stove. Bring water to rolling boil. Turn off heat, and cover pan. In ten minutes, your eggs are perfectly hard-boiled, with never an over or under-cooked egg.

[Wcross]

39. Add a pinch of salt- shells won't crack n/t

[KG]

42. 23 minutes?

they must be hard as rocks! i put em in cold water, put em on high, and give them five minutes after i hear water hitting the burners. let em cool a bit them run cold water over em.

tasty

[DS1]

43. I think the real question at hand is...

What kind of freak wants hard boiled eggs?

[bratcatinok]

44. Devilled Eggs

Egg Salad
Hard Boiled Egg added to salads.

Yummy!