HOW TO BOIL EGGS SO THEY PEEL EASILY | We Tested All The Tricks! | NO ICE BATH REQUIRED

We put all the hard boiled egg tricks to the test, and one ONE method came out on top every time. Easy instructions are in the blog post below!

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0:00-1:13 - Intro
1:14-2:28 - Prepping to Boil
2:29-3:24 - Egg Storage
3:25-6:23 - Boiling Eggs
6:24-7:38 - Refrigerated vs Room Temp
7:39-9:31 - Ice Bath Test Prep
9:32-10:42 - Ice Bath vs No Ice Bath
10:43-12:06 - Fresh vs Old Prep
12:07-13:32 - Fresh vs Old Results
13:33-14:35 - Other Factors
14:36-17:56 - Cooling Makes It Worse!
17:57-19:20 - Summary

We're not experts on the topic, so we always recommend consulting with the pros for the best advice. This post contains affiliate links which may lead to a commission if purchased. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

[blkrex]

My wife followed your instructions and we had great success. She added a step. She gave the eggs a small tap to crack the shell then put them back in the cold water for a min before peeling. Out of 24 eggs she only had 1 that was difficult to peel. Thanks for the help.

[TealStoneHomestead]

I usually put the eggs in the pot and then fill it with cold water, than I put the pot on the stove on high heat. I add salt and ACV to the water. Once it starts a rolling boil I cover the pot, turn off the heat, and set a timer for 11 minutes. Then I drain and peel. This method works pretty well for store-bought eggs, hopefully we'll have farm-fresh soon! One of my little hens finally laid her first egg yesterday :)

[Donnybrook]

my Gramma who was a farmer always put the eggs in the water while it was still cold then the eggs came to temp with the water. She also added about a 1/4 cup of vinegar for a big pot of water/eggs. The vinegar makes the shells come off easy since it separated the membrane from the egg.

[klynmae]

It’s best to tap the boiled egg at the bottom of the egg. The wider part. This is where there is a little pocket of air and makes it a lot easier to start peeling. It does make a big difference 🥚😉

[charlie-uxnw]

Cracked eggs float because air gets in the shell. Cold eggs sometimes crack due to sudden temperature change but also in part as there is heightened fragility. In general, using store bought eggs, cracking is frequent because of miniscule, barely visible cracks in the shell. I also find that peeling fresh cooked eggs are always easier to peel than trying to peel them after a day or two. I have over 30 years cooking experience . I love it that you talk about daily eating 4 to 6 eggs. I have been eating large numbers of eggs for decades with no adverse effects. I used to eat a dozen eggs for breakfast daily. Working in a hot restaurant makes it necessary to eat larger quantities of food. Love your video. Thanks for your scientific method. I have boiled up to 200 eggs at a time in a large pot, putting them into cold water and adding salt. Very few eggs were difficult to peel, and always peeled after running cold water over them for 20 minutes to cool them. The only thing ice does is cool them more quickly.

[momisthebest]

I found the best way to peel an egg is with a spoon. Boil it, cool it with cold water then break up the shell and find a spot to stick the spoon in and go around the inside of the egg with a spoon and the shell will release very easily without taking pieces of egg with it. I have tried breaking up the egg and shaking it around in water, I have tried putting a hole on both ends and blowing, and just regular peeling with my fingers and the spoon method was the best option. I had never had a easier experience with peeling eggs till I used the spoon. I hope this helps you out as much as it did me

[jimarcher]

Grandma always added salt and apple cider vinegar when she boiled eggs. She always said it made them peel easier.

[nightfishsnake]

I have found that the larger the eggs, the more time with boiling. For example, medium to large get around 10-12 minutes, while extra large to jumbo size get 14-16 minutes. Also, I agree to room temperature eggs are best and the ice bath gives "eggs-cellent" results.

[hennycorn]

The trick with the ice bath is you have to actually leave them in the bath for at least 15mins then you remove them lightly tap both ends then lightly roll it then peel & they will peel off almost in one piece. If you have any still being problematic then peel them under cold running water.

[alansterling]

Peeling as soon after the boil has always made peeling easier to me. I remove the eggs I am going to boil from the fridge the night before and boil them up first thing. But the peeling while still warm is what makes the peeling ever so much easier.

[maureenkopko]

I use the ice bath to stop the eggs from continuing to cook. Also I steam the eggs in a steamer basket rather than boil them. The steaming helps prevent that grey/green halo around the yoke. So, the steps are
1. Place refrigerated eggs into warm water for 10 minutes to bring them to room temp.
2. Bring 3/4 inch of water to a boil in pan large enough to accommodate steamer basket.
3. Put eggs in steamer basket and gently raise and hold sides of basket to cradle and contain eggs for their trip to the pan of water. Carefully put basket with eggs into pan, cover pan. You may reduce heat to medium at this point, it helps avoid cracking. Just make sure that steaming continues.
4. Steam for 14 minutes, a bit less for small eggs, a bit more for extra large ones. Remove from heat.
5. Place eggs in ice water or very cold water for 5 minutes (or until they're cool enough to handle) to stop the cooking process.
6. Peel eggs, under cold running water if you like. You'll know you've done everything well if they peel easily and cleanly.
P. S. Oh, to have your own chickens, lucky you!

[ronhansen]

The purpose of the ice bath is to cool the egg quickly so that the yolk does not get that ugly grayish green coating caused by the sulphur reacting inside the egg. It really doesn't affect peeling significantly.

[georgetouliatos]

I pressure cook them and give it a little crack and a gentle roll, the egg falls out of the shell.

[shanekline]

I just teied adding salt and a tablespoon of vineger ti my bouling water. Boil 14 minutes then uce bath at keast 20 min. It works very very well

[bc-guy]

How come this hasn't hit millions of views - yet?? This is great - and so needed to be done!
I'm still enjoying this but have been SO frustrated with not being able to peel hard-boiled eggs. I'm just getting into raising chickens but have a lot to learn. This video is great. (And you're SO pretty that I would happily watch you read the phone book.)

[kimpetrisha]

It helps with peeling if you crack both ends then roll the egg under your hand to loosen the shell.

[jndominica]

The biggest difference comes from putting eggs in boiling water, which also allows to control the cooking time and minimizes spills from cracks. Cool them down under tap water partially, so that they can be touched. No hassle with ice. Other manipulations give no or marginal benefits. I also warm up eggs to room temperature or at least a little before boiling.

You take your "safety" seriously in America. Eggs are cooked through at a hundred degrees, and all bacteria die. A cracked egg will always float, and HOT water will displace some of the egg and will spill out when peeled. Weak shells are sometimes visible from the outside when they are spotty or contain a translucent web.

That egg box looks like it's made for Easter.

[Rattlerjake]

The old story about floating eggs only pertains to eggs that you are checking to see if they are still good; it has nothing to do with eggs that you are in the process of boiling. Living on a farm, I sometimes find a nest of eggs that I don't know are still good, or sometimes come across an egg that was under some nest material and don't know for how long. Whenever I am ready to cook some eggs, or eat them raw, I always put them into a bowl/pot of water to see if they are still good - the floaters are questionable and go to the pigs or dogs. The reason they float is because of the build up of gas from bacterial growth or decay. Also, it is fine for an egg on the bottom of the pot to have the big end up, that is just the air pocket.

[corynsboy]

Thanks for this. I have 12 chickens and very fresh eggs are a nightmare to peel. I'm in England. We don't wash eggs and they are never sold in the chilled cabinet in the supermarkets. We keep them in the same isle as sugar and flour and most people don't keep them in the fridge at home. Ice baths do arrest cooking so if you are looking for a soft boil then you cool the egg quickly in ice and still get the soft yolk.

[TheEfamily]

Try the salt water method.. It works great for me all the time. Fresh or store bought eggs. I really was amazed.