Making the perfect hard boiled egg can elude even experienced cooks.
It may seem simple, but there's way more to the process than just dropping an egg into a pot of boiling water.
Here are some simple steps you can take to end up with an egg that's been boiled just right:
1. Don't use fresh eggs.
This may sound counterintuitive, but science has shown that as eggs age, they become easier to peel. So save your fresh eggs for frying and other cooking methods, and reserve the ones that are a few days old for boiling.
2. Poke a tiny hole into the bottom of the egg before boiling it.
You'll want to use something sharp and thin to poke your egg, like a thumbtack, needle, or a cake tester. This will ensure that you don't poke a hole that's too big and crack the shell, or end up with the whites spewing out once you start boiling the egg.
Poke your hole in the wider end of the egg (the bottom). Just like step one, this will help your egg separate more easily from its shell when you're peeling it.
3. Make sure to be careful when placing your egg into boiling water.
If you simply drop your egg into a pot of boiling water, you run the risk of having the egg hit the bottom of the pot and cracking. Instead, place your egg on a large spoon (or in between tongs), and lower it into the boiling water gradually.
4. Invest in an egg timer.
It's hard to know exactly how much time to let your egg boil in order to have it reach your desired doneness. So take your guessing out of the equation, and buy an egg timer. You can just place it in the water with your boiling eggs, and the timer will change color to show you when the egg is soft, medium, or hard.
5. Run your boiled egg under cold water before peeling it.
If you're in a rush and need your egg right away, run it under some cold tap water and then peel away. But if you have more time to spare, let your boiled egg sit in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes before peeling it. Both of these methods will ensure that the shell of your egg comes off more easily - especially the ice water method.