What is the proper way to boil an egg?

I think you’re supposed to cover the eggs with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil then boil for like 12 minutes?

edit: here

You should start with cold water covered. Boiled water makes the eggs jump around crack and leak, before they get cooked.

Trust me, there are many proper ways to boil eggs correctly. I got my recipe by Googling hard-cooked eggs.

Cover the eggs with cold water and bring to a full boil. Put a lid on the pan, remove from the heat, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Pour off the water, fill the pan with cold water and ice, then peel the eggs when cool enough to touch. Cooling them quickly prevents that green film from forming around the yolk.

I always boil eggs this way (I got the method from some cooking show years ago) and it’s never failed me yet.

Both starting with the eggs in cold water and then let them boil or putting (gently) the eggs in the already boiling water works.
The difference is the duration to get a soft or hard boiled egg differs when choosing one over the other.
I don’t know the reason (anymore) but my mother always put a hole (with a pin) in the fat side of the egg when putting them in the already boiling water.

I was told to put them in cold water so the eggs don’t crack. I reckon that’s why @rebbel‘s mother poked a hole in it.

Anyway, I grill them now.

This works as good as any:

PLACE eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in single layer. ADD cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. HEAT over high heat just to boiling. REMOVE from burner. COVER pan.
LET EGGS STAND in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs (12 minutes for medium eggs; 18 minutes for extra large).
DRAIN immediately and serve warm. OR, cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water, then REFRIGERATE.

Put the eggs in cold water to cover. Bring to a lively simmer and leave them in there 15 minutes.

I put the eggs in a pot,
fill the pot with water just enough to cover the eggs,
when the water begins to boil, set the timer for ten minutes,
take them out, rund under cool water- let them sit for a bit
then peel ‘em !

I can’t believe I am going to type egg boiling instructions. But, cover the eggs with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a very slow boil for anywhere from three to twelve minutes depending on how cooked you want them. When you take them off of the stove put the pan in the sink and run cold water into the hot boiling water until the eggs are sitting in cold water. Now they will peel easily. I hope no one who really knows me reads this.

@perspicacious Not boiling but almost. See, if you bring it to a boil the eggs will dance and crack open.

@Aster I said very slow boil which to me is an occasional blump blump.

At altitudes above 3500 feet you need to boil the eggs for several minutes longer!

I use the same method as @perspicacious, and it works great!

per Emeril (and i make perfect boiled eggs thanks to this): boil for two minutes, turn off the heat and cover (i remove the pot from the hot burner). Leave in the hot water, covered for 11 minutes. (remember 2 + 11 = 13. then rinse with cold water (i do several cold water baths until the egg is cold. the cold water separates the membrane so the egg peels perfectly. He said other methods make the green line around the yolk, this method leaves yolk yellow, the way it should be.

@perspicacious Right; blump (a very slight blump) or a sssss…

My favorite way to boil them is the following:

I bring a pot of water to a boil and remove it from heat. I put the eggs in the pot, cover it with a lid, and time it for 20 minutes. Once 20 minutes is up I rinse them under cold water.

I do it exactly the same way as @MissAusten. It never fails.

Is there anyone else out there who doesn’t like boiled eggs? I can’t stand the sulphurous smell of the yolk.

Has anyone ever boiled an egg in anything other than water? Like wine or cider or orange juice or something?

I do what @Aster does. It’s the simplest way and it works. I leave them 20 minutes just to make sure. Then put the pan into the sink after pouring off the hot water and fill the pan to overflowing with ice. Get them cold and they are easier to peel.

@wundayatta I haven’t, but I’m willing to give it a try.

Now I’m in the mood for a Scotch egg.

@wundayatta Once we boiled eggs in various things, like grape juice, water with tumeric, and raspberries, to color them for Easter. It made the kitchen stink and the eggs ended up looking like dinosaur eggs. After that, we stuck with the dye kits from the store!