How to boil an egg

By How To (/journals/how-to)

Eggs firm up from the outside in once the water around them is hot. Matching the minutes after the boil to the yolk you want is the whole game.

Gather: a small saucepan, cold tap water, one to six fridge-cold eggs, a slotted spoon, a bowl of ice water, a lid, and a timer.

1: PLACE the eggs in a single layer on the bottom of the saucepan.

They must sit flat with no stacking. Glance down: if you can still see pan bottom between them, the layer passes; if one rests on another, switch to a wider pot.

2: COVER the eggs with cold tap water by about one inch.

Cold start cooks them evenly. Dip a fingertip at the rim—the water should sit roughly one finger-joint above the tops; add or pour off until it does. Pot shape can change the exact look, so trust the finger check.

3: HEAT the pan on medium-high until the water hits a full rolling boil.

Watch for big bubbles that break the surface without pause. The moment that happens, the boil is ready. Keep your face back from the steam and do not lean over the pot.

4: REST the pan off the heat, lid on, for the minutes that match your yolk.

Jammy centers often land near six minutes; fully set yolks nearer nine to twelve—egg size and count shift the result, so start in that range and note what you like next time. Start the timer the instant the lid seats.

5: CHILL each egg into the ice water with a slotted spoon.

Lower them gently so shells stay intact. After a few minutes a quick touch finds the shell cool; that halt stops the cook and loosens the membrane for peeling.

6: PEEL the egg under a thin cool stream after a gentle crack.

Tap the wide end on the counter, then roll once to web the shell. Start at the air pocket there and let water slip under the membrane. A smooth white with no deep gouges means you got under the skin.

The most common mistake

Leaving the burner on after a rolling boil pushes the yolk past your target. Kill the heat the instant bubbles stay unbroken across the surface, then lid and time.

Pro tip

Eggs a week or more past purchase often peel cleaner than day-fresh ones because the air pocket has grown.

Say it every time

Place, cover, boil, rest, chill, peel.