What’s The Best Method For Hard Boiled Eggs?

Hard boiled eggs seem pretty straightforward don't they?  What I found though is if you ask people how they do it, everyone has a different method.  So which works best?

I have always just put the eggs in boiling water, waited a few minutes and taken them out.  We will call this method 1.  People have been doing this for years.  But is there a better way?

According to the internet, the best way to hard boil an egg involves less direct heat.  As a matter of fact, you put the eggs in a pot, cover them with water, bring that water to a boil and remove them from the heat.  You immediately cover the pot and let them sit for 17-20 minutes.  (This method says 8-10 minutes...I found that's not enough).  We will call this method 2.

I also found a method that involved simply baking them.  They aren't hard boiled at all.  You bake the eggs at 325 for 30 minutes.  This is method 3.

Which one is best?  Here are my trials with all three methods.

Truthfully, for this experiment, they all worked fine.  Method 1 was definitely quickest and produced the best looking egg (if that's important to you).  Method 2 took a little more effort.  You have to really stand by the stove for that one.  You have to catch the eggs when they begin to boil, time them, make sure they're covered, etc.  The third method was pretty easy too.  I just put them in a muffin tin, and put that in the oven.  It took the longest of all three methods, but I was able to do a whole bunch without worrying about any of them being wasted due to cracking...and no water.

Some tips for cooking the perfect hard boiled egg...

1.  Put the eggs in the pot first - If you put the eggs in after the water boils, they could fall to the bottom and crack.  Then the egg will seep out of the shell.  Always put the eggs in the pot first, then add water.

2.  Overcooking can cause green yolks - There's nothing wrong with eating them that way, but they don't look as good as the bright yellow, healthy look of an egg cooked perfectly.  Let the eggs get to room temperature before you cook them.

3.  Leave eggs in water on method 2 - On method 2, make sure to leave the eggs in the hot water long enough.  I did about 10 eggs (in a couple different trials previous to this video) and lost them all.  While it says 17-20 minutes, I think closer to 20 minutes is a better plan.  Otherwise you might lose your eggs too.

4.  Older eggs seem to peel better - While fresh eggs are great for eating, they are sometimes a little harder to peel once they're hard boiled.  If you plan to hard boil eggs, buy the eggs a week prior to cooking them.  If you're having a hard time peeling your eggs, crack them around the outside without trying to remove the shell, then soak them in water for awhile.  The water can make the eggs a little easier to peel.