How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs (Four Ways!)

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Treat yourself to Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs with beautiful yolks and easy peels every time! We cover four methods – rolling boil, quick boil, oven, or Instant Pot – to get the best result.

It never fails that when my children and I are ready to dye Easter eggs, I always have to look up how to properly hard boil an egg. It is the one time a year that I do it, and I can never seem to remember the best method to get a perfectly cooked egg.

So this year, I decided to do a little experiment. I looked in two trusty sources, The Joy of Cooking (the cooking bible, in my humble opinion) and The Betty Crocker Cookbook to see what method they suggested. And of course, a Google search.

The one that intrigued me the most was a baked, hard “boiled” egg. To put these methods to the test, I had to decide what made a perfect hard-boiled egg.

My conclusion – the winner had to be easy to peel and the egg had to be well cooked, without the grey ring to be a contender.

The Secret To Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

There isn’t really one secret that will produce perfect hard-boiled eggs every time, but there are a few simple tips you can follow:

• Older eggs are easier to peel. if you’re planning on making deviled eggs or any other recipe that features hard-boiled eggs as the star, look for eggs that have a closer expiration date.
• Shock in cold water. As soon as the cooking time is up, make sure to transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water or place under cool running water. This prevents the eggs from overcooking.

Ingredients + Tools

To conduct one or all four of the methods for perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs, you will need the following:

• Safe Eggs
• Water
• Muffin Tin
• 2 Saucepans

Here are four ways and the verdicts to perfect hard-boiled eggs!

Method #1 – The Rolling Boil Method via The Joy of Cooking

1. Bring 2 to 4 quarts of water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Gently lower the eggs into the water using a slotted spoon.
2. Return to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 14 minutes for large eggs, 12 minutes for medium and small eggs, and 15 minutes for jumbo eggs.
3. Transfer eggs to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking.

Verdict

• Super hard to peel.
• The membrane stayed on the egg and it was a big ol’ mess. It completely fell apart and this was the third attempt at peeling. All of the others split open.
• Eggs were undercooked

Yuck.

Method #2 – Quick Boil and Let Sit via The Betty Crocker Cookbook

1. Place large eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Cover with water, at least 1-inch over eggs. Cover and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and let stand, covered for 15 minutes. (12 for medium and small, and 18 for jumbo)
2. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cool.

Verdict

• Easy to peel
• Perfectly cooked

Pretty much a perfect hard boiled egg.

Method #3 – Oven via Lifehacker

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place eggs in a muffin tin. Bake for 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes.

Verdict

• Really easy
• No mess
• Easy to peel

Nice, evenly cooked eggs.

Tip: If you are concerned about the presentation, there is a little brown spot where the egg sits on the muffin tin. If you are making egg salad, it might not matter. But if you are going to make deviled eggs, I would not choose this method.

Method #4 – Instant Pot

1. Add rack to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add eggs in a single layer. Pour 1 cup water over eggs. Cook on HIGH pressure for 7 minutes.
2. Manual release and transfer eggs to bowl of cold water and cool completely.

Verdict

• Perfectly cooked eggs
• Easy to peel

If you have an Instant Pot, this is the way to go.

Which Method Makes The Best Hard Boiled Eggs?

The most consistent eggs were the Quick Boil and Let Sit eggs. Every egg that I cracked peeled easily and had a perfectly cooked yolk.

Alternatively, the Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs were equally good.

There you have it. The best way to hard-boil eggs.

More Egg Recipes //

• Big Batch Bacon Caprese Egg Sliders
• Eggs Baked in Spiced Tomato Sauce with Feta Cheese
• Corn, Bacon, Basil, and Cheddar Quiche
• Spinach, Sausage, and Tomato Strata

Originally published in March 2013, updated March 2021 with updated images and updated recipe card.