Making hard-boiled eggs

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kevin313

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Over the years I have read, seen and heard about many methods of successfully hard boiling eggs. There are probably as many ways as there are eggs! But this is the technique I've used for many years with good results.

Hans - I thought of you while editing this video because I seem to remember you telling me that hard-boiled eggs were one thing you did not like!!

 
I can never make hard boiled eggs satisfactorily....I'm a pretty skilled cook but can't ever get the proportions of water, eggs, saucepan, time and heat right. I've been tempted to get one of those egg cookers (Oster) which boil off the water but haven't ever been able to find one at a price I'll pay.
 
My method is almost like Kevin's but I got mine from Martha Stewart.  I place my eggs in a large pot, fill it with tepid water, bring it to just below the boiling point, then turn it off and let sit for 12 minutes large eggs, 13-14 for extra large eggs, then place them in an ice bath.  Always get nice fluffy non-green yolks that way.  But-- to peel them you need to use a week or two old eggs.

 

If you have fresh eggs, the only method I've found that works is the steam method, from Science Friday a few years back.  For LOTS of info on cooking eggs and why they are hard to peel, check out the link.

 
Hi Kevin.

Great Info as usual. I do the 12 minute cooktime as well except I simmer. Then I dump the hot water and add cold water and peel them while still warm/ hot. Then store them in cold water.

That is for commercial use though. Usually like 3-4 doz eggs at a time.
 
Somewhat the same as Eddie here.  Instead of shutting off the heat after reaching a boil, I leave it at a low simmer just so bubbles barely break the surface -- for no more than ten minutes.   Then into a cold bath.

 

Old eggs tend to peel easier, as do warm ones, so if you're going to use them right away, peel while still warm.
 
Don't cha go calling me lazy...

The best way I've found to get perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs is to buy them at Costco. They are inexpensive, fresh and look magazine-quality when cut in half. They're the way to go if you're preparing deviled eggs for a crowd. I love eggs and could eat good egg salad sandwiches until I burst. I've also found electric egg cookers (the kind where you pierce the shell when hard-boiling) do a good job too.

 

Kevin & Ralph's video was, as usual, fun and informative.
 
I have a Sunbeam cooker and an Oster.  They seem to do OK on hard boiling, but I can't seem to get the soft boiling and poaching down.  Both use very little water.  I like the glass lid on the Oster.  It gives me the option of monitoring the poaching process and cutting it short if necessary.  I like my yolks runny.
 
I like my eggs scrambled!I scramble them with Kellys SB Mixmaster-or the pulse cycle on the Blendtec or VM-Just a slight pulse does it!Whatever machine is convenient!And put a little Cheez-Wiz in the mix!My Mom got me started on that.Put in whatever other flavor you like!
 
I just

put eggs in a sauce pan with cold water, bring to the boil and let stand 12 minutes.

I was watching "The Chew" the other day and chef Michael Simons made deviled eggs this way:
He separated the egg yolks and whites. Then he scrambled the yolks and cooked them in a skillet with a touch of butter until lightly set. Once they were set and cool he whizzed them with seasoning and mayo in a food processor.
He lightly beat the whites and baked them in a greased glass dish until set. Then he cut them into squares and put them on a serving plate. He finally topped the egg white squares with the yellow mixture.
You can top them with dill, bacon, Lox, scallion, shallots, or add those to the mixture. Only imaginations limits you.
 
I have a very complicated method of hard cooking 14 or 15 eggs. I use a 4 quart deep kettle. I put a steaming basket in it and the egg rack from a Sunbeam egg cooker on top of that. I add enough water to make it below the level of the steamer rack. I pierce the wide end of each egg on the spike in the middle of the egg rack. I fill the ring of the Sunbeam rack, placing the narrow end down. Once I fill the ring, I start another ring of eggs between the eggs in the rack and the walls of the pan. Lastly, I place an egg in the middle hole of the Sunbeam rack with the spike. I place the pan over high heat until steam escapes then lower it to medium-low and steam them for 15 minutes. When the time is up, I put the pan in the sink and overflow it with cold water until the water runs cold over the top. Holding the eggs in place with my hand, I tip the pot to drain it way down then add 4 cups of ice cubes and let it sit until the ice is mostly melted. I store the eggs in a Tupperware container so that they don't make the ice cubes stinky. I put a paper towel in the bottom of the container to absorb moisture and they last a week. I have two each morning with various toppings: capers, kimchi and thousand island dressing and various other sauces or salad dressings. My mind works strangely at 3:40 in the morning.

 

As for peeling, I rap the wide end sharply on the edge of a Corning Counter Saver to crack it, then apply hot water. I either run a gentle stream from the instant hot over the wide end of the egg or boil a quarter cup of water in the microwave and dip the wide end of the egg in it. The shell  practically falls away from the egg in big sections. The hot water factor in peeling eggs was given to me by my friend Becky Hirsch.
 
I've had good consistent results with the Chef's Choice electric egg cooker.

It is NOT one of the "boil-dry" models. I tried one of those and didn't like how fussy they were about how much water to add, and the residue tended to make the boiling plate look bad after a while. Also I seemed to get more cracked/leaking eggs with the boil dry unit, while the Chef's Choice rarely cracks eggs or makes them leak.

The Chef's Choice simply has you add about 3/4 cup water to the fill mark, then you set a timer for the kind of eggs you want. I usually select medium hard boiled (middle of range) and the results are pretty much always the same, regardless of egg age, size or initial temperature. The gadget has a pilot light and also a beeper to let you know it's time to flick the switch off. It generally takes about 20 minutes for medium hard boiled.

At the end I plunge the egg carrier into a big bowl of cold tap water, which is sufficient to stop the cooking.

Since there's usually little to no residue, clean-up is easy: just dump any remaining water from the boiling plate and wipe it off with a paper towel. A quick rinse takes care of the dome lid and the egg carrier. It comes with a three-way poacher tray as well, but I generally don't bother with that (although it also works well).

The eggs are generally easy to peel, although older eggs tend to peel better (but may not taste as good).

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No Subject Drift here:

I think Kevin has a nice post.......HIS way works for him (and me)....if you have a differing opinion or "way"....simply post it on a different thread....very simple and really, a correct and cordial way to handle such.
 

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