To get hard boiled eggs that peel easily, focus on how you cook, cool, and peel them. Using eggs that are at least a week old also helps because the whites detach more easily from the shell.

Cooking method

• Start with a pot of boiling water, then gently lower cold eggs straight from the fridge into the boiling water instead of starting them in cold water. This helps the shell separate from the egg white.

• Simmer (not a violent boil) for about 11–14 minutes depending on egg size and how firm you like the yolks.

• Optionally add a little vinegar to the water (about 1–2 tablespoons per 8 cups of water); this can slightly weaken the shell and still give good peeling.

Cooling and timing

• When the time is up, move the eggs immediately into an ice water bath (bowl of cold water with ice) to stop cooking and help the shell pull away from the membrane.

• Let them sit in the ice bath until they are fully cooled to at least lukewarm, about 10–15 minutes. This makes peeling much easier and prevents green rings around the yolk.

Peeling techniques

• Gently tap the egg on the counter, especially on the wider (“fat”) end where there is an air pocket, then roll it to crack the shell all over before peeling.

• Start peeling from that wider end so you can get under the membrane; once you lift the membrane, large pieces of shell usually slide off.

• If a shell sticks, peel the egg under a thin stream of running water or in a bowl of water to wash away tiny fragments and help lift the membrane.

Extra tips

• Slightly older eggs (about 7–10 days in the fridge) peel more easily than very fresh eggs because the white’s pH rises and it sticks less to the membrane.

• If you need to batch-peel, you can gently crack all the eggs and shake them together in a pot or jar with a bit of water; this loosens shells so they come off faster.