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 with a spoon, 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
Move the eggs into cold water with ice. 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 and peel from the broad end under a trickle of water. 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 matches the texture described above.
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
- FDA — egg safety, undercooked eggs and storage
Illustrations by Egg Atlas. They show the method; they are not photographs of a tested result.