SET A TIMER 4 MINUTES TRIAL

Replace the water if needed in order to keep it cold.

Using either method, scoop the cooked eggs out of the pan and put them into a bowl of very cold water to prevent them cooking any further.

If you’ve always found this to be the case, try a boiling water start instead.

It can be harder to peel eggs that are started in cold water as they sometimes fuse to the shell.

When done, scoop the eggs out of the pan using a slotted spoon and put them into a bowl of very cold water to prevent them cooking any further.

5 minutes: an almost-set white and soft, sticky yolkįor fully hard-boiled eggs, you can also turn the heat off as soon as the water boils and leave the eggs in the water for 12 mins.

When the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and start timing. Put the eggs in a single layer in a pan and cover them with room-temperature water so it comes about 1cm above the eggs.

10 minutes: a classic hard-boiled egg – mashable, but not dry.

8 minutes: softly set and ‘jammy’ – this is what you want to make scotch eggs.

7 minutes: almost set – deliciously sticky yolk.

6 minutes: liquid yolk and a slightly wobbly white.

5 minutes: just-set (not solid) white and runny yolk – ideal for dipping.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and use the following timings for large eggs: Slowly lower the eggs into the water using a spoon – don’t just drop them.īring a large pan of water to the boil and lower in the eggs in a single layer. You can also use an egg pricker or pin to make a very small hole in each egg before boiling, which will reduce the chance of it cracking in the heat. Make sure your eggs aren’t fridge-cold (if your eggs are fridge-cold, add 30 seconds to each timing below) – eggs at room temperature will have less of a shock when put into hot water and will therefore be less likely to crack. The timings below are for large eggs – cook for 30 seconds less for a medium egg and 30 seconds more for an extra-large egg. To boil an egg accurately, make sure it is not fridge-cold and use a timing suitable for the size.

SET A TIMER 4 MINUTES TRIAL

However, with a bit of trial and error, you can find the method that suits you. Because eggs cook from the outside in, the whites are liable to overcooking. You can also start by cooking in cold water or add the eggs to boiling water.

There is no absolute foolproof way to perfectly boil an egg as, each time, the size and temperature of the egg may vary. Should you start with cold or boiling water? Eggs with this kind of centre are also prized for the centres of scotch eggs. This means the yolk is still slightly soft and hasn’t turned hard and chalky. Eggs used to be boiled until they were completely cooked for use in sandwiches and salads, but now they are often cooked until the white is just set and yolk is ‘jammy’. How long an egg takes to boil depends entirely on how runny you'd like the yolk and white to be.

Set a timer 4 minutes