There are several ways to boil eggs. This is our favorite. It requires bringing the water to a boil before placing the eggs in the water.
You can also boil eggs by placing them in cold water and then bringing the water with eggs to a simmer. Reduce the simmer time from the times listed below.
Regardless of which method you use, the eggs will continue to cook once you take them from the water. You can stop the cooking by rinsing the eggs in cold water.
- Place the eggs in warm water for five minutes. Warmed eggs are less likely to crack when placed in boiling water.
- Bring a pan of water to boiling.
- Place the warmed eggs in the boiling water. The eggs will lower the water temperature.
- Bring the eggs to a gentle simmer, not boiling, and cook for the allotted time: 3 to 4 minutes for soft cooked, 5 to 7 minutes for medium, and 12 to 14 for hard cooked.
- Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.
For easier peeling, peel while the eggs are still warm.
Cooking times will vary depending on the pan, the number of eggs, and other factors. To take the guess work out, we like our color-changing egg timer. It will tell you if the egg is soft, medium, or hard.
