For most home kitchens, the best way to boil eggs is the “hot start + ice bath” method, because it gives consistent doneness and makes peeling easier.
Simple step‑by‑step
- Put eggs in a pot in a single layer and cover with cold water by about 2–3 cm (around 1 inch).
- Bring the pot to a full rolling boil over medium‑high heat, uncovered.
- As soon as it boils, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the eggs sit in the hot water:
- 6 minutes: very soft, runny yolk (soft‑boiled).
* 8–9 minutes: jammy/soft‑center yolk.
* 10–12 minutes: fully hard‑boiled yolk.
- When the time is up, transfer eggs immediately to a large bowl of ice water and chill at least 10–15 minutes to stop cooking and help peeling.
- Crack the shell all over and peel under running water or in the bowl of water to slip the shell off more easily.
Extra tips
- Use eggs that are at least a few days old; very fresh eggs are usually harder to peel.
- If you only have an electric kettle or similar, you can still cover the eggs with water, boil, then let sit 5–10 minutes depending on how firm you like them, then ice‑bath as above.
- Avoid boiling hard for the entire time, which can cause rubbery whites and green‑rimmed yolks; the sit‑in‑hot‑water method prevents overcooking.
