Improving Your Skills to Cook Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

Step 2: Place the Eggs in a Single Layer

• Place the eggs in a saucepan or pot in a single layer. Make sure they’re not stacked on top of each other to avoid cracking during the cooking process.

Step 3: Add Cold Water

• Add enough cold water to the pot to cover the eggs by about an inch or two. Starting with cold water ensures the eggs heat up gradually and cook more evenly.

Step 4: Bring Water to a Boil

• Place the pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil. Once it starts bubbling, reduce the heat slightly to maintain a simmer.
• Keep an eye on the pot as the water boils—this is where you can control how your eggs cook.

Step 5: Timing Your Boil

• Soft-boiled eggs (slightly runny yolk): 6–7 minutes. The whites will be set but the yolk will still be soft and runny.
• Medium-boiled eggs (slightly firm yolk): 8–9 minutes. The yolk will have a slightly soft center, with just a little creaminess.
• Hard-boiled eggs (firm yolk): 10–12 minutes. This is the most common cooking time for hard-boiled eggs and produces a completely cooked yolk with no green ring around it.

Step 6: Turn off the Heat and Let the Eggs Sit

• Once the water has come to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for the following times based on your desired consistency:
  • 6 minutes for soft-boiled
  • 9 minutes for medium-boiled
  • 12 minutes for hard-boiled eggs
• Let them sit undisturbed during this time—don’t lift the lid.