To boil eggs for deviled eggs, the optimal cooking time is generally between 10 and 12 minutes. Here is a reliable method:

• Place eggs in a pot and cover them with cold water.
• Bring the water to a rolling boil.
• Once boiling, reduce the heat slightly and cook the eggs for 10-12 minutes.
• After cooking, immediately transfer the eggs to an ice water bath to cool completely, which helps with easy peeling

An alternative method is to bring the water to a boil first, then gently lower fridge-cold eggs into the boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes, followed by cooling in ice water

. This timing yields fully hard-boiled eggs with firm whites and creamy yolks, ideal for making deviled eggs. Cooling the eggs in ice water stops the cooking process and makes peeling easier

. In summary, boiling eggs for 10-12 minutes followed by an ice bath is the standard approach to prepare eggs perfectly for deviled eggs.