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Perfect, Easy-to-Peel Hard Cooked Eggs

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | April 8, 2014 83 Comments

Last updated on November 7th, 2014

TODAY, because Easter is around the corner, I thought we should discuss festive bonnets eggs.Β  And specifically, how to cook them so they are not only a cinch to peel, but a delight to eat. I’m talking hard-cooked perfection, baby.

Of course you’ll want to use fresh, organic eggs which were laid by happy, free-range chickens. If I can buy such eggs at my local supermarket, you probably can too. (And if you raise chickens in your backyard, you’re already set.)

The following cooking-method has never failed me. And it works even with super-fresh, straight-from-the-hen-house eggs.

First, pierce the broad end of the shell with either a small pin or with the special egg-piercing gadget pictured above.

The device costs less than $5, and it works like a charm. Just push the egg down…

And poof! you’ve got a well-pierced egg.

Did you know that I had a pierced ear during my red-and-black-haired punk rock days? ‘Tis true. My earring was rather unusual. It was a cheap silver spider, which hung from a long, silver “web.”Β  I purchased this arachnid accessory from a “jeweler” on St. Mark’s Place in New York City.

Don’t pretend you’re not jealous.

As the egg cooks, the tiny opening will permit air to escape, thereby reducing the chance of breakage. And miracle of miracles, even if the shell does break, the hole will somehow keep the liquid white from oozing out. Trust me on this one.

Next, set the eggs in enough rapidly boiling water to cover them by at least one inch.

Then lower the heat, and let the eggs simmer — they should never actually boil — for the following time:

USDA “Large” Eggs: exactly 14 minutes.

USDA “Medium” Eggs: exactly 12 minutes

Now drain the water off, and quickly crack each shell in a few places (just rap them on your counter or tap them with a spoon).

Then immediately plunge the subjects into a big bowl of water and ice cubes for 15 minutes. Use lots of ice cubes. The coldness will prevent a garish green halo from forming around the yolks. Meanwhile, steam will escape through the cracks, causing the shells to pull away from the whites.

Starting at the broad end, peel the eggs under a firm stream of tepid tap water. The shells will come off in good-sized sheets, not shards.

You’ll love the look, taste, and feel of these eggs. The whites will be firm but tender. The yolks will be perfectly cooked, and goldenrod-yellow.

How to use these beauties? Well, you could eat them as-is, with just a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Or you could turn them into deviled eggs. Or egg salad.

Or, for the sake of elegance, you could turn them into this Creamy Gratin of Hard-Cooked Eggs. It’s a gluten-free, make-ahead dish that’s perfect for either brunch or dinner. It’s outrageously delicious.

Update: Three questions I’ve received, along with my answers:

Question #1: Are the eggs cold or at room temperature when you cook them?

Answer: They are cold.

Question #2: Do you really put the eggs into boiling water?

Answer: Yes! As described in the step-by-step method above, I put the pierced eggs into rapidly boiling water. Then I immediately lower the heat to a simmer.

Question #3: Do you have a picture from your punk-rock-cheap-spider-on-a-web-earring-days?

Answer: I do indeed. One day (when you least expect it) I’ll share the photo with you!

In the comments field below, let me know if you’ve ever had trouble peeling hard-cooked eggs, especially the super-fresh type. And then I hope you’ll give the pierce-simmer-crack-chill-peel method a try. It really works!

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Related Fun:
Heavenly Challah (egg bread)
Make Ahead Spinach & Cheese Strata
Tuscan Perfection: Panna Cotta

The Best Lemon Tart in the World
Your Winter-Sowing Updates

Comments

  1. 1

    Mrs. E Bunny says

    April 8, 2014 at 5:32 pm

    Miracle work!! I know this will work because you posted it, Kevin. I look up “how to hard boil eggs” all the time and have not settled on a reliable way to cook them. It frustrates me, of course, to have trouble peeling them. But, it also is exasperating to see that awful green line around the yolk. Eww – high sulphur, too.
    Just as I crave turkey in the fall, every spring I crave hard cooked eggs. I’m going to the kitchen to try this right now.
    Thanks!
    EB

  2. 2

    Erin Brady says

    April 8, 2014 at 6:43 pm

    Kevin, do you have to crack the shells if you’re not going to eat them right away? Or can they just go straight into the ice bath? Thanks!

  3. 3

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    April 8, 2014 at 6:46 pm

    Hi Mrs. E Bunny – I think it’s natural to crave eggs in spring. This is when hens start laying again, after a (natural) winter hiatus.

    Hi Erin – Definitely crack them before the ice bath. Then peel and store in the fridge, either in a plastic bag or in a (covered) bowl of water.

  4. 4

    Marilyn says

    April 8, 2014 at 6:46 pm

    Kevin, you are a genius..even though you had that darned spider dangling from you ear. We buy from a local farmer and these eggs do not peel nicely at all with my old lazy method. I am going to try this method tonight! Thank you so much. His eggs are so big that sometimes you can’t get the carton closed. Yum yum, eat em’ up!!!

  5. 5

    Natalie says

    April 8, 2014 at 6:47 pm

    This is all new to me, Kevin! Well, the piercing part and the pre-cracking then icing. I will most definitely try this. Yes, I have in the past had trouble peeling hard cooked eggs, usually if they were over cooked and/or not chilled properly. Thank you!

  6. 6

    Mary says

    April 8, 2014 at 6:53 pm

    So Kevin, I am an old timer and I never found the way to have an entire dozen come out perfect. Some you could barely get the shells off, others cracked before time, tried all kinds of vinegar in the water too. BUT, this winter I found a way from a quick tip. Here it is
    preheat oven to 325 set the dozen eggs in a dozen muffin tin, and bake for 25 min. exactly.
    They have come out perfectly each time. But there is a tiny brown spot on the white of the egg where it rests on the muffin tin. I just pick it off. I leave them in the fridge and just unpeel as I go.

    I love hard boiled eggs… give you a good boost of power for golfiing…so I am going to try your way for the next dozen.

    Love the recipe….going to try that too. Thanks Kevin!

  7. 7

    Cathy says

    April 8, 2014 at 7:08 pm

    Kevin,
    I’ve tried just about every which way of hard boiling eggs…but not yours. Will have to try this one, since none of the ones I’ve tried has worked perfectly every time.

  8. 8

    Erin Brady says

    April 8, 2014 at 7:28 pm

    Thanks Kevin! I’ll be doing this next week for sure!

  9. 9

    Cathy says

    April 8, 2014 at 7:28 pm

    I’d love to try it! How long do you think they should boil at “high altitude” (5,000 feet)?

  10. 10

    Laurene Stopford says

    April 8, 2014 at 8:05 pm

    I have one of those piercing things and it was the best thing I ever got! I have used this method for several years and it works great!

  11. 11

    Suzanne says

    April 8, 2014 at 8:57 pm

    Since I have 9 hens in my backyard, fresh eggs are a welcome fact of life. I’m sure Kevin’s method works well, but I’d like to share a method I use to hard “boil” fresh eggs.

    Place a steamer basket in a saucepan, add enough water to barely touch the bottom of the steamer basket, place the eggs in the basket. Bring the water to a bowl, lower the temperature so that the eggs “steam” rather than boil. Steam the eggs for 15 minutes (my hens don’t lay terribly large eggs; I don’t know if the time for steaming needs to be longer for larger eggs). At the end of the 15 minutes, plunge the eggs into an ice water bath–just as Kevin suggests. Allow the eggs to cool enough to handle. Peel and eat. Never any greenish cast and the shells come off easily even on eggs less than 24 hours old.

  12. 12

    PattyM says

    April 8, 2014 at 9:21 pm

    Picture or it didn’t happen.

  13. 13

    Emma says

    April 9, 2014 at 7:40 am

    Well, Kevin, you’ve outdone yourself. I tried this method last night, and it worked! Shells came off without taking half the whites with them. First time I’ve made decent hard boiled (oops “cooked”) eggs, ever! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Egg salad sandwiches for lunch tomorrow.

  14. 14

    Brenda says

    April 9, 2014 at 8:53 am

    Here’s a tip that I read recently: If you take the egg carton and set it on it’s side (put an elastic around the carton first) overnight, and then boil the eggs, the yolks will stay in the center of the white. Haven’t tried it yet, but would like to find out if it works.

  15. 15

    Andrea Goldsmith says

    April 9, 2014 at 4:44 pm

    This is terrific – Thank you, Kevin! I tried it today and it worked great. I used a push pin to pierce the eggs. I have to use this method every time – the eggs indeed turned out just perfectly.

  16. 16

    Tiffany says

    April 9, 2014 at 9:36 pm

    Thank you!!! We have hens, and have never had luck with hard boiling those fresh eggs!

  17. 17

    badger gardener says

    April 9, 2014 at 9:59 pm

    I will be on the lookout for one of those egg piercing gadgets. I so want one. I had no idea I had so much to learn about hard boiling eggs. I always have a few eggs break in the water so will definitely try the piercing trick.

    For Easter we always color our eggs so I won’t try the cracking the shells on this next batch. I know there are ways to make natural dyes out of food stuff, but way too much work for me so we just use the classic Paas.

  18. 18

    Mrs. E Bunny says

    April 11, 2014 at 8:37 am

    Hello, Kevin and friends . . .
    I finally tried this method last night. I also added the Julia Child strategy of “drain the simmering water, then madly shake the pan of eggs” to crack them. At least I think I remember her saying and doing that very thing on black and white TV.
    My eggs turned out exactly as Kevin’s pictured here.
    Amazing.
    It takes a serious cook to realize how tricky hard cooked eggs can be.
    I’ll next do a dozen or two for the grandbunnies who come this week. We’ll color with good old Paas, as Badger Gardener mentioned.
    Yours,
    Mrs. E B

  19. 19

    Laurie Jimenez says

    April 12, 2014 at 12:09 am

    What a timely posting! I will be making Pickled Eggs this weekend and I will try this method. Mangled Eggs in a glass jar is never a pretty thing!

  20. 20

    Daniel says

    April 12, 2014 at 1:14 am

    And if you get eggs with rich buttery yolks like these – http://wp.me/p44c6k-tU – your boiled eggs will taste so good you won’t even need salt.

  21. 21

    Bonnie says

    April 13, 2014 at 8:18 am

    I will be making 5 dozen eggs for Easter morning borscht. When Gram was alive, she used to comment on the garishly green yolks. Maybe this year they will be a bright, happy, sunny yellow!

  22. 22

    G. Brown says

    April 13, 2014 at 8:19 am

    Will give a try, and for sure I could use these tips. In the past, I would buy medium sized eggs from the store, knowing that the eggs would be older so they would be easier to peel. Apparently not need to do that any longer. Thanks, Kevin.

  23. 23

    Jeneta@PlumJam says

    April 13, 2014 at 8:35 am

    That is amazing! I have never seen this trick before – it makes perfect sense. I’m excited!! I need to get my hands on one of those egg piercing gadget thingys. We have three chickens that provide us with eggs, but up until now I have avoided using fresh eggs when hard boiling. Not anymore! Thanks for sharing and Happy Easter.

  24. 24

    carol Yirka says

    April 13, 2014 at 8:52 am

    I definitely second the ‘Photo or it didn’t happen’ post. Please, please, please. It’s just too hard to imagine but then again, I certainly believe you because my fun past also doesn’t show πŸ™‚

  25. 25

    Debbie says

    April 13, 2014 at 8:53 am

    Hi Kevin. Don’t you just hate when that happens? …and the white of the egg gets gouges in it … my grandson calls the MOON EGGS. I am going to try you method this week when I prepareour Easter Eggs.
    Wonderful Brunch this year…consisting of your recipes πŸ™‚

  26. 26

    Selma says

    April 13, 2014 at 8:59 am

    I love your blog! It is the BEST on the web for ideas, useful information and all with humor! You’re a design , gardening and cooking guru! Thanks!!

  27. 27

    Ursula H says

    April 13, 2014 at 9:06 am

    Wonderful! Now where are the step-by-step Easter bonnets? πŸ˜‰

  28. 28

    Anne says

    April 13, 2014 at 9:06 am

    I can’t wait to tr this and can’t wait to share! Whenever my mother takes a dish to meetings / get togethers she always takes deviled eggs as they are what is requested. She always has to cook more than she needs to account for the mangled ones that won’t peel. I am visiting her in Ohio next week and will take along this trick.

    I was told to start the eggs in cold water and bring to a simmer. I was surprised to see here that you put them directly into boiling water.

  29. 29

    bluechablis says

    April 13, 2014 at 9:13 am

    I’ve never heard of such a method and tho’ I’ve seen many Easter Egg hunts come and go, this old granny is going to give this new-to-her method a try. Also going to look on line for one of those gadgets unless someone knows where I can get one. thanks KLJ – just found you recently – you are a hoot and a half!

  30. 30

    Carol says

    April 13, 2014 at 9:14 am

    High Altitude Cathy: we live at 5,200 feet and when I simmer my hen’s eggs for 19 minutes they come out perfectly.

  31. 31

    Addie B in FL says

    April 13, 2014 at 9:24 am

    I use a different method which works but I’m going to try yours because it sounds even easier. Also, the recipe sounds great!

  32. 32

    Susan says

    April 13, 2014 at 9:29 am

    If this works you are confirmed as a genius Kevin! I have asked numerous experts how to get the darn shell off w/o mangling the dang whites and have found no successful method yet. At our Iowa State Fair, the egg counsel even serves hard boiled eggs on a stick and they are beautiful. Their method did not work for me!!!
    I second the question about placing in boiling water though. This does not crack the eggs? Do you start with room temp eggs rather than refrigerated?
    Love ya!

  33. 33

    Angela says

    April 13, 2014 at 9:50 am

    You are truly amazing my friend!! Just prepared 12 and I NEVER thought that I would enjoy peeling eggs! I don’t have your gizmo yet; however, I used an upholstery pin which worked like a charm since it’s a little more substantial than a sewing needle. On another note, I have babies, babies, babies from my african violet and absolutely loved the shoulder lamb chops with mint leaves…you are just full of great tips…thank you!!

  34. 34

    Lori G. says

    April 13, 2014 at 10:09 am

    I am so trying this! I can never get the shells to come off easily even with running the water over them while peeling. Thanks for this!

  35. 35

    mary ann says

    April 13, 2014 at 10:13 am

    always great hints…..btw….we have silver arachnid that was used
    for part of glass wall hanging, after we said goodbye to the 70’s!

  36. 36

    Robin says

    April 13, 2014 at 10:29 am

    I’ve been piercing eggs prior to hard boiling for many years now but have never cracked the shell prior to putting in the ice bath, will definitely be trying it next time I cook HB eggs. It’s always been hit or miss when it comes to easy peeling, I’ve always attributed it to the freshness of the eggs. I would love the luxury of being able to peel my eggs under a stream of water but out here in CA, with severe drought conditions, I save my water for growing my veggies and use a bowl of water instead. Thank you for the tip on cracking the shell before icing, I’m looking forward to trying it!

  37. 37

    Mary Anne says

    April 13, 2014 at 10:37 am

    A gold star for Kevin! Question, some where I think I read that the water the eggs were cooked in was great to water plants. Has anyone else heard ths?
    I see the hens smiling!
    MAG

  38. 38

    Joni says

    April 13, 2014 at 10:40 am

    I have had problems – especially with the farm fresh eggs I use! Baking soda in the water helps, but then I’m afraid to use the water on any plants! I will try this – logic tells me it will work! I have many gadgets in my kitchen, but not an egg piercer – adding that to my list of must haves for my kitchen!!

  39. 39

    Lourdes says

    April 13, 2014 at 10:56 am

    (An angel just earned some wings….)
    I need to know where to buy that nifty little gadget!!!!!!!!!!
    We have 3 hens and they keep hubby and I supplies very well with fresh eggs. But I have noticed that after boiling these fresh eggs they are very hard to peel!
    Please do share where to buy this egg piercer.

    My brother in law doesn’t call me “Miss Gadget” for nothing… I have an image to uphold…. tee hee One more gadget for my kitchen!!! YIPPEE

  40. 40

    PatinVT says

    April 13, 2014 at 11:19 am

    This was great and timely tip…Here are a few more you might like. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2013/03/23/deviled-eggs-simple-tricks-for-perfect-results/

  41. 41

    Cynthia Lambert says

    April 13, 2014 at 11:33 am

    Hi Kevin, Yes, I have had a devil of a time peeling eggs. Soooo not fun…to the point I don’t make my delicious deviled eggs because it’s too much of a hassle. BTW, my deviled eggs are THE BEST, if I don’t mind saying so. And I don’t even like eggs very much. All my friends go mad for them and I will need to whip up a few batches in the next few weeks. Thanks for this info…I will try your method!
    Good to know you were not always a domestic goddess. I too was a punk back in the day. It makes me appreciate things like gardening and hard-boiled eggs even more, having lived!!

    Cheers!

  42. 42

    ingmarie peck says

    April 13, 2014 at 11:37 am

    This was great ,thank you.

  43. 43

    Bett says

    April 13, 2014 at 12:30 pm

    Kevin: I’ve noticed over the years that EVERYBODY has their opinion of how to boil an egg, and they defend it to the death. You are the only person who could wean me off my own mother’s method, which she got from her mother ad infinitum back to the pioneer days of Texas. Does that tell you how much I luv ya??

  44. 44

    Suzanne K says

    April 13, 2014 at 12:34 pm

    Yup, definitely have trouble peeling my eggs! I’ve also looked at all the suggestions but haven’t tried them. You’ve now saved me the trouble. BY the way, just searched Amazon for ‘egg piercer’ and got several results, including a combo piercer/slicer…

    http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aegg%20piercer

  45. 45

    Suzanne K says

    April 13, 2014 at 12:35 pm

    and one that is a piercer and separator combo too

  46. 46

    EDNAROSE says

    April 13, 2014 at 12:53 pm

    SO KEVIN, NEVER SEEN THE EGG GADGET AROUND THIS AREA, WHERE DO YOU FIND THEM?

  47. 47

    jo says

    April 13, 2014 at 1:05 pm

    This way is easier and no implements to buy:

    Boil them for 12 min. Remove from heat & set the pan in the sink & run cold water. As soon as the eggs are cool enough to handle, crack them all but put them back into the water. Run more cool water to keep it cooling.
    As the interior egg cools, it shrinks and makes the shells come off very easy!

  48. 48

    monique says

    April 13, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    i live in a very remote area. jungle. third world. pretty sure the gadget is not available locally. is there a way/trick to prick the hole with a needle?

  49. 49

    Mrs. E Bunny says

    April 13, 2014 at 1:19 pm

    Jo, questions:

    Do you drop cold eggs into boiling water?
    If so, when do you start the timer? After they come to a boil again?
    Do you start with cold eggs and water, then bring to a boil and time?
    Do you start with room temperature eggs and bring to a boil, then time?

    I tried your method several times and had mixed results: sometimes a green ring around the yolk. Sometimes undercooked. Sometimes easy peel. Sometimes not so easy.

    Thanks,
    Mrs. EB

  50. 50

    Mrs. E Bunny says

    April 13, 2014 at 1:21 pm

    Robin . . .

    Thank you for your comment about saving water. I live in an area of abundant water so I tend to use water for power in the kitchen: power off the eggshells, rinse the sink, etc. However, my water needs to be treated. All the water I take for granted ends up as wastewater in the municipal water system which then uses energy process/purify the water.
    We all need to conserve water.

    Mrs. EB

  51. 51

    Misty says

    April 13, 2014 at 1:53 pm

    We have chickens and getting the shells off made me just about give up on hard boiling. As soon as I read this I found a safety pin and started poking fresh eggs. It amazingly works! I can’t tell you how many different ways I have tried over the past couple of years. Thank you!

  52. 52

    Susan M. says

    April 13, 2014 at 2:01 pm

    Like Mrs. E Bunny, I learned this method from Julia Child many years ago. I use a bulletin board pin I keep just for this purpose and I’ve always used Julia’s time of 13 minutes for any size eggs, drain, shake pan hard to crack eggs and then run them under cold running water. Adding some ice cubes is a good idea! Thanks, Kevin!

  53. 53

    Karen L. says

    April 13, 2014 at 3:41 pm

    I also have been fed up with trying to make hard cooked eggs. My husband will often attempt to peel them to add to our dinner salad but has come close to throwing them out the window because they won’t peel properly. By the time he or I get done they are not very pretty eggs. And of course I am hoping for some egg salad sandwiches soon but don’t want to have to fight with the eggs. I know you are good in the kitchen Kevin so I am counting on you to help me out. I’ll give this method a go but I will have to see it to believe it because I have tried so many other methods that did not work. Got my fingers crossed …..

    I am hoping that you answer some of the questions asked above (eggs into boiling water, room temp. eggs, etc.) before I attempt this so I do it correctly.

  54. 54

    jo says

    April 13, 2014 at 4:32 pm

    Mrs.EB–
    I start the water warm–add eggs -bring to a boil–then start the timer.
    If you think 12 min is not long enough, just cook longer–they can’t get any ‘more hard boiled’ once they are hard.

  55. 55

    Laurie says

    April 13, 2014 at 4:35 pm

    I tossed my egg piercer, it helped, but not a “hole” lot. The real secret is to never let them touch water! Steam them above water for the best results, even with the freshest eggs. But even better, steam them on a rack in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes, then let the pressure reduce naturally for 5 more, and shock in ice water. They will virtually peel themselves!

  56. 56

    Laurie says

    April 13, 2014 at 4:37 pm

    Addendum to previous post: http://www.food.com/recipe/self-peeling-hard-cooked-eggs-501557

  57. 57

    Glenda says

    April 13, 2014 at 4:47 pm

    Hey y’all,
    Kevin is The Best – and so is Kevin’s Community! I look forward to reading every post. πŸ™‚ Kevin is so positive and affirming, I do believe I can accomplish all he sets out for us to do! I’ve tried two methods of cooking eggs today – I tried Kevin’s method (worked PERFECTLY, thank you!) – and I also tried Mary’s method of baking them in a muffin tin at 325 for 25 minutes. It worked great, too! I was skeptical upon reading it, but now I’m a believer. I had to bake mine a little longer (30-31 minutes) because I used a mini-muffin tin, so there was not as much air circulation around the eggs, and also because they were straight out of the refrigerator. However, both methods gave me wonderfully peeled eggs, and now we have enough egg salad and deviled eggs for a while! Ha! Next I will try the steamer basket method. My steamer basket went to college with my son……………….hope it’s enjoying college life. πŸ™‚ Thanks to Kevin and everyone who wrote.

  58. 58

    Kathy says

    April 13, 2014 at 6:12 pm

    Thank you Suzanne K for finding on Amazon. With 2 children in college starting to ‘cook’ this would make a fun gift .
    I have used a method of cooking eggs that I think came from Martha Stewart. I put eggs ( I like the brown ones best but I really don’t know that it matters) directly from the fridge in pot to cover the bottom, usually about 8, and cover with filtered water. (We don’t drink the water from the tap so I don’t cook with it either). As soon as I hear the rattling of the water coming to a boil I remove the pot from the heat and cover with a lid. I put on the timer for 13 mins and then drain off the hot water and submerse in ice bath. After a few minutes I place the eggs on a shelf or in a bowl. I would only peel them if I were going to use them the same day as I think they would keep longer or stay fresher in the shell. As long as I tap the ‘hollow’ end and get under the membrane to start the peeling process the shell comes off easily and in big pieces.
    I will, however, try The Kevin Method out of curiosity. Cannot imagine anything that comes from his kitchen being anything but perfect.
    BTW – using brown eggs to dye for Easter will give you the most amazing rich colors no matter what your method.

  59. 59

    Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says

    April 13, 2014 at 6:14 pm

    Excellent advice!
    Yes, we have struggled for years trying to peel hard boiled eggs.
    I always thought it was because I left them in the fridge too long after hard boiling them.
    Lately we are trying to boil only what we need on the day we need them.

    I do try to use “older” eggs for this task as I was taught they would peel better.

    Our best new idea for HB eggs is applying Barbara Kingsolver’s dried tomato pesto to them and placing the entire half of the egg into one’e mouth at once. I used this for my brother in law who can’t have gluten but can have eggs. Most of the other guests were putting the pesto onto crackers, but when they saw it on the egg, they tried it and loved it more.

  60. 60

    Judy P says

    April 13, 2014 at 7:05 pm

    I have always put my eggs in the water and bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 min. Pour off the water and put them under the cold water tap in the sink. Rap eggs on inside of pan until cracked evenly around and keep the cold water running for a few min. Peel immediately under the running water. Works like a charm every time on fresh or not so fresh from the store.

  61. 61

    Paula says

    April 13, 2014 at 7:36 pm

    Thanks Kevin! I always have trouble with eggs.. I will try this. Love the earring story by the way LOL.

  62. 62

    Donnella Bryce says

    April 13, 2014 at 9:47 pm

    We have a couple of ladies, Edith Brown and Edna White which serve us very well with fresh eggs. We are a family that quite likes eggs to eat. However I have always had challenges HB and peeling eggs. I would like to clarify here: Are you saying to place the fresh, pierced eggs into BOILING water?

  63. 63

    Annie B says

    April 14, 2014 at 5:43 pm

    I’ll try it! Thanks!

  64. 64

    Sherry K says

    April 14, 2014 at 6:31 pm

    Yummy idea since my boiled eggs never turn out the same!! I love your site, but even tho I follow all our indoor ideas and outdoor ideas, I keep gaining weight! How do you and your partner keep a healthy size with all your baking and cooking? And, I would assume, sometimes you need to make an item more than once to either check the recipe or add or alter something, which means more goodies in your house!!!!! Yikes! How does Kevin do it????

  65. 65

    Donnamae Grannemann says

    April 14, 2014 at 7:53 pm

    A chef shared with us that you drain the eggs and roll them around in the pan and they will crack well and the shells will just fall off, which works wonderfully well!

  66. 66

    Kate says

    April 15, 2014 at 2:32 am

    I wished I’d read this earlier today! I’ll give this a try next time! Thank you!

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    Sherry says

    April 15, 2014 at 7:16 am

    Hmmm. I must always buy old eggs and overcook them because I rarely have trouble peeling and I always have a green ring! I use Judy P’s method but maybe don’t take them out exactly at 13 minutes… Laura, the pressure cooker method actually came from http://www.hippressurecooking.com a lovely blog with excellent recipes. Because I have an electric pressure cooker I get varied results when I use that method. I’m going to try Kevin’s because he never fails us.

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    Naomi Shelton says

    April 16, 2014 at 11:11 pm

    Wow, I will definitely try this! I ALWAYS have trouble peeling my hard-cooked eggs. And I love that little piercing device. Are you giving several of them away any time soon? Or where should I look for one? I’ve never seen one before. But maybe that is just because I didn’t know they existed. Anyway, thanks for the egg tutorial and Happy Easter!

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    Bette says

    April 17, 2014 at 9:47 am

    How about timing for extra large eggs? I would assume that you should add another two minutes and will try that as i only have extra large on hand and am so anxious to try this method right away. I’ve always had trouble peeling hard boiled eggs! Never much worried about the green halo but it would be nice to accomplish two improvements with this methid.

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    Dola says

    April 19, 2014 at 11:20 am

    I have a fool proof method for hard boiling store bought eggs, no green and easy to peel. But now we have 6 lovely ladies supplying us (and family) with all the fresh eggs we need. Tried the steaming and the baking in the oven method methods but neither were satisfactory. So after Kevin’s post decided to try once again. 7 out of 8 eggs came out perfectly – egg salad sandwiches for lunch. There was one egg which expelled a little white when it was placed in the pan. Perhaps the hole puncture (used a push pin) was too large. At any rate, thanks Kevin. Now on to that lovely lemon tart!

  71. 71

    Ruth says

    April 19, 2014 at 3:01 pm

    Can’t wait to try Kevin’s method, which is very new to me. I always started with cold water and turned them off & covered them when they came to a boil. Very inconsistent results as far as peeling goes, even when the eggs were less than fresh! His advice is so consistently wonderful though, I have faith it will work! My tip is for after the egg yolk is ready to mix –
    just throw all the yolks in a plastic zip lock bag, add whatever ingredients you like best and zip the bag shut with as little air as possible. Mash the bag with your hands, when mixed, cut a hole in the corner of the bag and pipe into the whites. This is so easy, no muss no fuss, that we eat a lot more deviled eggs around here now!
    ding, and another set of wings……

  72. 72

    Jamie Shafer says

    April 19, 2014 at 4:13 pm

    Ha – my otherwise normal married-with-children engineer/woodcarver son wears a stud earring and has ever since he left the Air Force. If he took it off I would miss it! It is part of him now. We all need to be individuals.

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    Kathy says

    April 20, 2014 at 12:05 pm

    Happy Easter Kevin. I am 67 years old and have never posted a comment anywhere before, and neither have I EVER made and peeled a perfect hard cooked egg!!!!! Major frustration every Easter. But not THIS Easter. I ordered the egg piercer immediately after reading your blog, followed your step by step instructions, and every single one of our eggs is perfect. Thank you so much! And also, for Cathy who wondered about any changes at altitude — we live at 7200 feet and I added one minute to the cook time that you suggested, Kevin. It was just right. I have always enjoyed reading your blogs — in fact you inspired our little group of friends to have afternoon tea. Thanks for always brightening my day with your wit and wisdom.

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    Kate says

    April 21, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    Thank you, Kevin, for the advice on achieving the perfect hard boiled egg. I think I’ve tried every method touted, and yours is the only one that works as promised.

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    Joanna Strauss says

    April 29, 2014 at 12:27 am

    Hi Kevin,
    The most valuable in eggs Lysine, comes only from unboiled/boiled eggs which has UN-cracked shell.

    Hope you don’t mind me sharing this with you πŸ™‚

    Sincerely
    Joanna Strauss

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    Linda Stone says

    May 7, 2014 at 8:13 pm

    Not sure if anyone else mentioned, but a standard push-pin type thumb tack works perfectly, too ;o)

  77. 77

    Vicki says

    May 24, 2014 at 2:24 pm

    Finally! A hard-boiled egg recipe that actually works! Thank you, Kevin! I just did a dozen eggs (to make deviled eggs for a party) and all 12 came out perfectly thanks to your technique. It is so easy! Please keep those great tips coming!

  78. 78

    Misty says

    August 28, 2014 at 12:46 pm

    Thank you, thank you, thank you,again! My super fresh eggs slide right out of their shells. I have tried everything. This method works perfectly every time.

  79. 79

    Shirley B. says

    November 20, 2014 at 11:35 am

    I finally tried this method and it is a GAME CHANGER!! I live in the south and deviled eggs are a mainstay. Fresh eggs are so so hard to peel! With this method, the peels slipped right off. AMAZING! This little gadget and method HAS.CHANGED.EVERYTHING. Seriously a life changing event. Every woman I know will receive a piercer this Christmas!
    Thank you Kevin!!

  80. 80

    Celia says

    January 28, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    This little device coupled with your precise instructions worked like a charm. …well except for crushing a few in the process of piercing when I couldn’t gage the amount of force needed. Next time I may pierce over a skillet. πŸ˜‰

  81. 81

    Jean says

    November 26, 2017 at 1:47 pm

    This is a “must try” method for my farm fresh eggs! Thank you!

  82. 82

    Carol H. says

    June 29, 2018 at 10:58 pm

    Hurrah! This works! (I know because I just tried it.)
    Beautiful hard boiled (but not really boiled) eggs.
    Thanks, Kevin!

  83. 83

    Suzanne K says

    April 7, 2019 at 4:20 pm

    I found that I inadvertently broke some eggs with the Amazon egg piercer. I’ve gone to a more ‘old school’ method – sewing needle. Naturally, it was very hard on my fingers until I figured out that I should get out my grandmother’s thimble! Now I’ve got a 100% success rate with no cracking and no discomfort! Today, I even did them in the egg carton – even easier.

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