Hard-boiled eggs need enough heat to set the yolk without prolonged vigorous boiling. This cold-water method brings the water just to a boil, then uses covered standing time. Egg size, batch size and your pan affect the timing.
Step by step
Arrange eggs in one layer
Use undamaged eggs and a saucepan large enough to hold them without stacking. Add cold water to cover them by about 2.5 cm (1 inch). Have a bowl of cold or iced water ready.
Bring just to a boil
Heat the pan until the water reaches a full boil, then remove it from the heat and cover. Avoid leaving the eggs bouncing in vigorously boiling water.
Allow time for the yolks to set
For large eggs, about 12 minutes of covered standing is a starting point. Smaller eggs may need less and very large eggs more. Check an egg if you are uncertain; the white and yolk should both be firm for a hard-boiled result.
Cool promptly and peel when needed
Transfer carefully to the cold water. Once cool enough to handle, crack the shell gently all over and peel, starting where it releases most easily. Refrigerate cooled eggs promptly if you are not serving them now.
Green rings and stubborn shells
A grey-green ring around the yolk can develop with excessive heating; prompt cooling helps limit it. Very fresh eggs can be harder to peel. Start gently rather than gouging the white, and rinse off shell fragments if needed. Keep hard-boiled eggs refrigerated and use within 1 week; do not use this timing as a soft-boiled egg method.
