Perfect hard boiled eggs have fully cooked, evenly textured yolks and fully set but not rubbery whites.
Perfect hard boiled eggs are easy to make. I'd like to say there is a method, and there is, but it's so easy it feels like a trick.
To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs:
- Place the eggs in a pan large enough to hold them without crowding in a single layer. To minimize cracking, you can prick a teeny hole in the end of each egg with a tack, if you want, but it isn't necessary.
- Cover the eggs with cool water—the eggs should have at least an inch of water above them.
- Bring the pot of water and eggs to a boil. A real boil with large bubbles coming up all over, not a little simmer with a few bubbles along the edges.
- Cover the pan, turn off the heat, and let the eggs sit for 14 minutes. Exactly.
- Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water.
- Drain the eggs and set them in a bowl of ice water.
- Peel and eat the eggs as soon as you can handle them for warm hard boiled eggs. Let them sit until cool (about 10 minutes) and chill for up to two days before using, if you like.
