I can't boil an egg

[Slow.Patrol]

Not without stinking the house out.

I fancied an egg salad for tea. I boiled two eggs for 12 minutes and then plunged them into cold water, cracking the shells.

I left them to sit to cook down, and now the house stinks.

The eggs were bought on Wednesday from Tesco.

[normalbloke]

Leave the shell on…
10 mins for a hard boiled egg.

[Stu R]

If you have an instant pot google the 5-5-5 method. It's flawless every time.

[Mammasaid]

normalbloke said:

Leave the shell on
10 mins for a hard boiled egg.

5 for soft boiled.

[Bill]

Mammasaid said:

normalbloke said:

Leave the shell on
10 mins for a hard boiled egg.

5 for soft boiled.

Think this needs more description!! Assume this is putting the egg into already boiling water?? I put them in cold water and bring to the boil and cook for 3 mins for soft, 5 for hard. Overcook a boiled egg and the yolk goes black around the outside.

[normalbloke]

Bill said:

Mammasaid said:

normalbloke said:

Leave the shell on
10 mins for a hard boiled egg.

5 for soft boiled.

Think this needs more description!! Assume this is putting the egg into already boiling water?? I put them in cold water and bring to the boil and cook for 3 mins for soft, 5 for hard. Overcook a boiled egg and the yolk goes black around the outside.

Boil the water, then eggs in,10 mins for hard boiled with a non overdone yolk. Timing it from boiling removes the variables of how effective your cooking setup is.

[richhead]

never put an egg in boiling water, it can crack, my method is egg in cold tap water, then on hob until not quite boiling, time 3 mins for runny yolk 5 for hard

[normalbloke]

richhead said:

never put an egg in boiling water, it can crack, my method is egg in cold tap water, then on hob until not quite boiling, time 3 mins for runny yolk 5 for hard

It’s strange isn’t it. I’ve only ever put them straight into boiling. Using a large serving spoon to lower them in. I usually do a batch of 12. I’d say if I did 10 batches,I might get 3 or 4 cracks out of that lot. Anyway, I’m pleased we’ve all come up with, and agreed a definitive to put the O/Ps mind at rest!

[kevinon]

I like a v soft boil.

This really helps me.

The good benefit is that the starting temperature doesn't matter. That said, I'd not chance hot hot water as a stating temp

[Soloman Dodd]

An egg is soft boiled in 3 minutes, hard boiled in 4.

12 minutes and you can use them as a squash ball.

[mac96]

I could boil an egg before I read this thread. Now I am not so sure!

[droopsnoot]

I stick mine in an air fryer for 15 minutes at 120C (after the a/f has warmed up to 120, so all that time is at 120), and they're fine as hard-boiled eggs. They're not over done, though I can't remember if the edge of the yolk goes black. They're not overly hard. I'm slicing them for a sandwich, so soft boiled isn't really appropriate for that. I could try a shorter time, but if they're underdone I've wasted them.

I think someone mentioned before that strictly speaking I'm not boiling them, I'm doing something else, but the end result is something that looks and tastes like a boiled egg, so that'll do me.

Kitchen does still smell of eggs, though, as it does after an omelette. And no, I don't do the omelette in the air fryer. I do it in an omelette maker.

[Mobile Chicane]

I put fresh eggs at room temperature into tap water, then give it 10 minutes once the water boils. Immediately refresh in several changes of cold water once done.

[JoshSm]

I got a dedicated egg cooker with a timer that steams them, seems to avoid most of the mess and guesswork.

Won't fix stinky eggs though.

[dickymint]

Slow.Patrol said:

Not without stinking the house out.

I fancied an egg salad for tea. I boiled two eggs for 12 minutes and then plunged them into cold water, cracking the shells.

I left them to sit to cook down, and now the house stinks.

The eggs were bought on Wednesday from Tesco.

If your eggs were fresh there's only one other reason for the stink and that's overcooking and 12mins in boiling water is overcooking. The yolk will emit Iron and the whites emit Sulphur and Htdrogen and combine to make Hydrogen Sulphide - basically you made 'stink bombs'

[shirt]

mac96 said:

I could boil an egg before I read this thread. Now I am not so sure!

Same!

I put them in the pot with cold water, let it reach boiling point then time for 4 mins.

[AndyTR]

Simmering water, 7 minutes and straight into iced water, leave to cool. Then peel and perfect set white and a runny yolk. Use on salads or in scotch eggs. Simples.

[LunarOne]

Rules for boiled eggs:

ALWAYS start with boiling water. That takes out a huge variable from the equation.

Then, pierce the rounder end of the egg with a thumb tack to allow air to escape.

Drop eggs into the boling water, and make sure the water is at a rolling boil all the way through. None of this barely simmering nonsense.

For large eggs:
5 mins for a soft egg, which some runny white
6 mins for a solid white and creamy yolk
7 minutes to make the yolk solidify
8 mins for a fully hardboiled egg.

For smaller eggs, subtract up to 30 seconds.

When cooking time is up, drain hot water and submerge eggs in cold running water and leave for at least 60 seconds to stop the cooking process, or else the timings will be shot. No guesswork needed.

For me, the sweet spot if 5.5 minutes boiling and 60 seconds in the cold water bath.

[JagYouAre]

LunarOne said:

Rules for boiled eggs:

ALWAYS start with boiling water. That takes out a huge variable from the equation.

Then, pierce the rounder end of the egg with a thumb tack to allow air to escape.

Drop eggs into the boling water, and make sure the water is at a rolling boil all the way through. None of this barely simmering nonsense.

For large eggs:
5 mins for a soft egg, which some runny white
6 mins for a solid white and creamy yolk
7 minutes to make the yolk solidify
8 mins for a fully hardboiled egg.

For smaller eggs, subtract up to 30 seconds.

When cooking time is up, drain hot water and submerge eggs in cold running water and leave for at least 60 seconds to stop the cooking process, or else the timings will be shot. No guesswork needed.

For me, the sweet spot if 5.5 minutes boiling and 60 seconds in the cold water bath.

This guy eggs!

I haven't tried the pierced shell method but like a poster above I usually lower into boiling water using a spoon or even better, small tongs. I find if I hold the egg above the water for a short time it warms it a little bit and it's less of a shock (shell shock?) when you put it in. Rarely have a broken shell.

I like a 6-7 minute egg, nice solid white and a slightly runny yolk. Boiled egg for dipping I usually do 4.5-5 mins.

[dundarach]

kevinon said:

I like a v soft boil.

This really helps me.

The good benefit is that the starting temperature doesn't matter. That said, I'd not chance hot hot water as a stating temp

What's we have

That and nice eggs!