Hard-boiled
A firm yolk for salads, fillings, and eating out of hand.
Everyday technique · Firm · Easy · Researched
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Serves
- 2
Saucepan · Slotted spoon · Bowl of cold water
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, 60–65 g in shell, straight from the fridge
- Enough water to cover the eggs by 2 cm
- Cold water and a handful of ice
Method
Boil the water
Fill a saucepan deep enough to cover the eggs by 2 cm. Bring the water to a boil.
Look for: Bubbles break across the surface.
Lower and time
Lower the eggs in one at a time on a spoon, so they do not crack against the base. Reduce to a steady gentle boil and start a 12-minute timer. Do not crowd the pan.
Look for: The shells stay submerged and do not knock hard against the pan.
Cool the eggs
Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon into a bowl of iced water. Leave for at least 5 minutes to stop the cooking.
Look for: The shell cools enough to handle.
Open and check
Tap the shell all over on the counter, then roll the egg gently under your palm to crack it into small pieces. Start peeling at the broad end, where the air pocket is, under a trickle of cold water so it runs beneath the membrane. Check the first egg; adjust the next batch by 30–60 seconds for your eggs and altitude.
Safety: Refrigerate hard-cooked eggs within 2 hours and use within 1 week.
Look for: The white is set; the yolk is firm and pale yellow all the way through.
Equipment & heat
Equipment & heat
Induction, gas and electric all work. Bring the water to the stated state, then reduce the heat to maintain it. Start timing when the eggs go in; a larger pan, higher altitude or extra-cold eggs may need adjustment. A rolling boil is not a shortcut.
Nonstick: Any sound saucepan works. A nonstick coating adds no advantage.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Cracks can come from rough lowering or a violent boil. Use a spoon and reduce the boil. A green-grey yolk rim points to prolonged cooking or slow cooling.
About this version
About this version
This guide uses a hot-water start. Egg size, starting temperature, water volume and altitude affect the result. The source also describes a covered, off-heat method; its timings are not interchangeable.
Unless stated otherwise, use large chicken eggs, approximately 60 g in the shell, refrigerated. Timings are starting points: use the visual checkpoints and any stated temperature check.
Sources
This guide was written from the references below. Egg Atlas has not kitchen-tested it.
- American Egg Board — hard-cooked eggs
- J. Kenji López-Alt — steamed shell eggs
- BLV (Swiss FSVO) — food hygiene at home
Illustrations by Egg Atlas. They show the method; they are not photographs of a tested result.