How To: Hard Boil an Egg
Hard-boiling eggs is almost as easy as boiling water, if you know the right process: Cooking eggs too long or too vigorously
can result in cracked shells, tough whites, and green-gray, sulfuric-smelling yolks. This gentle method works every time.
What You Need
Eggs, saucepan with lid, cold water, timer, bowl
Follow These Four Easy Steps
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1Place eggs in a pot filled with cold water
Set eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Water should cover eggs by one to two inches.
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2Boil the water
Bring the water to a full, rolling boil, and cover the saucepan. Turn off the stove, remove the pot from the burner, and let it stand, covered, for 12 minutes (set the timer).
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3Submerge the eggs in cold water
Drain the pot, and transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water, to stop the cooking process.
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4Crack and peel the eggs
Tap each egg a few times to crack its shell, then roll it on a work surface to break the shell completely. Start peeling, dunking the egg into the bowl of water as you go to wash away any bits of shell.
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