Boiling is the easiest way to cook eggs

Eggs are a rich source of protein and vitamins and are generally healthy to eat unless you have high cholesterol. Eggs can be eaten raw, boiled, or cooked in a frying pan, like scrambled eggs or an omelet. Boiling eggs is one of the easiest ways to prepare them. The following instructions will help you figure out how to cook eggs correctly.

How and how long to boil eggs

1. Remove the required number of eggs from the refrigerator and allow them to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

2. Carefully place the raw eggs into the pan. The smaller the pan, the less room there is for the eggs to move around.

3. Pour cold water into the pan until the water covers the eggs by 2 centimeters.

4. Place the pan on the stove and cook over medium heat until the water boils.

5. Reduce heat to low.

6. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes for soft-boiled eggs or from 10 to 15 for hard-boiled eggs. Cooking time depends on the size of the egg.

7. Remove the eggs with a spoon or ladle and allow them to cool slowly, or run them under cold water to cool faster.

To make the egg easier to peel, crack it slightly and leave the egg to cool in cold water for 3-5 minutes.

Use hard-boiled eggs to make deviled eggs or egg sandwiches.

Do not overcook eggs; this may cause a greenish tint around the yolk due to the iron and sulfur content. This will not affect the taste of the egg, but overcooking will harm the quality of the protein.

In the following image you can see the degree of doneness of a medium-sized egg depending on the cooking time.

You can clearly see what degree of doneness an egg can achieve after a certain cooking time.

What could be easier than boiling an egg? But every time most of the protein remains on the shell, and the yolk turns green, although you cook them for a strictly defined time. This article will reveal to you the main secrets of preparing such a simple dish.

How to hard boil an egg on the stove

The standard time for cooking hard-boiled eggs is 10 to 17 minutes. But there are a number of factors that can affect the quality of the prepared dish. Therefore, it is important to take into account all the nuances.

  • Check the freshness of the product. To do this, immerse them in salt water. The eggs that remain at the bottom must be used for cooking. Rotten ones always float to the surface.
  • Prepare a cooking container and transfer the eggs. In this case, you should carefully place the product in the pan so that the shell does not crack. Additionally, you can put gauze on the bottom to avoid cracks during cooking. You should not put many eggs in one dish, otherwise damage to the shell will occur.


  • Fill the container with water until it completely covers the product. Add a pinch of salt. It will reduce the protein clotting time and prevent its leakage.


Important. Be sure to fill with cold liquid, which will help you time it correctly. If you put eggs in boiling water, the whites will leak out.

  • Place the pan on the stove and use a spoon to evenly distribute the product over the bottom of the container. Turn the heat to low. Keeping the lid on will help the water heat up faster.


  • When the liquid boils, immediately turn off the stove. Leave the eggs in boiling water, covered, for 15-17 minutes. During this time the yolk will become hard. Calculate it depending on the size of the eggs.
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the bowl, then place them in cold water for 5 minutes. Or remove the product with a sieve and place it under running water.


Important. You can check the readiness of the eggs by twisting them. If it moves strongly, then the product is ready. Otherwise, put them in boiling water for a couple more minutes.


Important. You can quickly and smoothly remove the shell from the egg white if you first put the product in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.


How to hard boil an egg in the microwave

If it is not possible to cook a dish using the stove, use the microwave. But remember the main rule - you cannot cook eggs in their shells or whole, otherwise they may explode!

  • Heat the water in the microwave. The cooking time for boiling water depends on the volume of water and the model of equipment.


  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the warm eggs to the boiling water. If you use the product directly from the refrigerator, then the protein will leak out through the crack. Also, do not throw eggs into boiling water. You will not only damage the integrity of the shell, but also get burned.


  • Cover the container with a plate or lid. Leave for 25 minutes in warm water. During this time the yolk will harden.


  • Place eggs in cool water or on ice. Five minutes is enough for complete cooling.


  • Sometimes the yolk after cooking has a greenish color. To avoid this tint in the dish, leave the product in boiling water for a shorter time.
  • Don’t think that the more you cook the egg, the harder it will turn out. Prolonged cooking will lead to a loose consistency of the white, and the yolk will become dry.
  • When you peel one egg, be sure to check the degree of readiness of the product. If so, then transfer the remaining eggs back to the boiling water.
  • To easily peel the protein from the shell, prepare the product within a week's freshness. Or steam it before cooking.
  • If you plan to use cut eggs, then cook only fresh ones - a green coating will not form on their yolk.
  • Instead of salt, you can use soda. It will not only preserve the integrity of the shell, but will also help after cooking.
  • When you notice that the shell has begun to crack, immediately add table vinegar to the water. It will help the protein coagulate faster, which will prevent it from leaking out. But its excess will cause an unpleasant smell and taste in the finished dish.
  • To get the yolk in the boiled egg strictly in the center, stir the water periodically during cooking.


The presented method of boiling eggs involves obtaining a bright yolk and the necessary structure for this. To learn how to prepare the dish in the traditional way, watch the video:

Chicken eggs are included in the diet of every person. More often they are eaten for breakfast or added to salads. They are rich in vitamins and minerals. You can boil them hard-boiled, soft-boiled, or in a bag. The time for boiling eggs depends on what degree of readiness you want to get: some people like them half-raw, while others only eat hard-boiled ones.

How to boil eggs

Every housewife should know how long eggs should be cooked. Cooking methods can be different: in a microwave, a multicooker in the “steamer” mode, special devices, on the stove and even in an electric kettle. There are simple rules to follow, otherwise the product will be overcooked:

  1. To prevent the shell from bursting, let the food sit at room temperature (outside the refrigerator) for 10 minutes before cooking.
  2. The fresher the product, the longer it takes to cook.
  3. It is easier to clean testicles that have been sitting for two or three days than fresh ones. To make the shells come off easily, immediately after cooking, immerse them in ice water.
  4. Cook over medium heat in a large saucepan.
  5. To bleed air, make a puncture on the blunt part of the shell with a needle, this will prevent it from cracking.
  6. Decide how many minutes to cook the eggs depending on how runny you want the yolk to be.

How long to cook quail eggs

Small quail eggs are a dietary product that is especially beneficial for the body of a child, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. Try adding them to your dish instead of chicken ones. However, you need to know how many minutes to cook quail eggs. A step-by-step description of the process is supplemented with photos for ease of perception:

  1. Cover quail eggs with water.
  2. Place on high heat.
  3. Wait until it boils. Turn down the gas.
  4. If you want to make it hard-boiled, you need to cook for 5 minutes, if soft-boiled - two.

How long to boil soft-boiled eggs

Some gourmets love this type of breakfast. Below are two ways to boil soft-boiled eggs. Option one:

  1. Place the product in a saucepan and cover with cold tap water, otherwise they may crack.
  2. Turn on high heat. As soon as it boils, reduce it.
  3. To obtain a semi-liquid yolk, hold for 3 minutes. For strong whites and runny yolks – 4 minutes.

The second option on how to cook soft-boiled:

  1. Pour boiling water over the product until it is completely covered.
  2. Leave for 1 minute (check with timer).
  3. Remove the pan from the stove, cover with a lid for 6-7 minutes.

How long to boil hard-boiled eggs

The most common cooking option is used for preparing salads, appetizers, and soups. Even a little kitchen assistant should know how to cook and how long to cook eggs until they reach the desired firm consistency. Here's an easy way to hard-boil eggs:

  1. Place them in a ladle and fill with cold water.
  2. After boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 6-7 minutes. To avoid overcooking the dish and getting a rubbery yolk, it is better to set a timer.
  3. Then place the ladle under running cold water and let it sit for another couple of minutes. This will make the shell easier to peel.

Egg in a bag

Many gourmets prefer this breakfast option, so it’s worth knowing how long to boil an egg to make it delicious. Its peculiarity is that while the white is as hard as possible, the yolk remains semi-liquid. The energy value of one serving is 80 kcal. Every cook should know how long to boil eggs in a bag. Here is a step-by-step description of preparing breakfast, supplemented with photos:

  1. Wash the shells thoroughly.
  2. Place into boiling water. Add salt, otherwise they will burst.
  3. Time to boil them is 5 minutes.

There is another way to bring the protein to the desired consistency:

  1. Wash.
  2. Place in a container and fill completely with boiling water.
  3. After 10 minutes, replace the boiling water. Let it cook.
  4. After 3 minutes, put it under cold water, otherwise it will be difficult to clean.

How to cook a poached egg

This traditional, delicious French dish is served for breakfast with toast or sandwiches. The density of the yolk depends on the length of time the product is in boiling water. To achieve a creamy consistency, you need to cook for 3 minutes, for a denser consistency - about 5 minutes. If you leave it in boiling water for longer, the product will turn out hard-boiled.

Often, novice housewives do not know how to cook a poached egg, so a step-by-step description of the technology with photos will be useful to them. To properly prepare poached meat, you will need:

  • egg – 1 pc.;
  • white vinegar – 1 tbsp;
  • salt - to taste.

Cooking method:

  1. Place a pot of water on the stove. Add vinegar.
  2. Place the main ingredient in a bowl.
  3. Create a whirlpool in the pan using a spoon.
  4. Pour in the product quickly. When moved correctly, the white envelops the yolk.
  5. Cook for 3-5 minutes. The exact time depends on the desired consistency of the yolk.
  6. Carefully remove the finished dish and remove excess protein.
  7. Serve on a plate as breakfast or make a delicious sandwich with it. Can be used as a basis for preparing interesting dishes, for example, added to a warm salad.

Video: how long to boil eggs

Eggs are an important component of a proper and healthy diet. They saturate the body with useful vitamins and proteins. To prepare this product, it is important to know some tricks. How to cook eggs correctly? There are several methods, each of which gives a different result - hard-boiled, in a bag, soft-boiled. However, before cooking, you need to figure out how to choose a high-quality, fresh product.

How to choose eggs

According to Russian standards, each egg must have a stamp with markings. This allows you to set the maximum shelf life and product category. The letter “D” at the beginning of the labeling indicates that the eggs are dietary and should be consumed within seven days, “C” means that they are table grade and can be stored for no more than 25 days. The second sign on the label indicates the variety, which is determined depending on the weight:

  • “B” - the highest category, weight 75 g or more;
  • “O” - selected, weight from 65 to 74.9 g;
  • “1” - the first category weighs 55-64.9 g;
  • “2” - second category 45-54.9 g;
  • “3” - third category 35-44.9 g.

Quality and freshness are checked upon purchase by their appearance:

  • Rate the product. If you buy homemade ones on the market, they should be different in size and color. The differences may be subtle, but they are there. Unscrupulous sellers may pass off store-bought items as home-made ones.
  • Pets can be dirty. It doesn't look great, but it guarantees their origin.
  • Freshness is determined by the appearance of the shell, which should be matte. If it is glossy, then the egg is not very fresh. The color of the shell does not affect the taste characteristics or quality.
  • If you bring a fresh egg to the light or the sun, it is evenly translucent, a dense yolk and white are visible, and there are no spots. You won’t be able to enlighten everyone, but you should try.
  • Freshness to the touch is checked by “weighing” in the hand: fresh for 4-6 days it is heavy like a pebble, for 7-10 days it can be felt by weight, for more than 18-20 days it is almost weightless and light.
  • Take an egg, shake it near your ear: if the yolk rolls and gurgles, then it has been lying for a long time and could have spoiled.
  • At home, freshness is checked as follows: dip the product in salt water (50 ml of water 50 g of salt), if it floats, it means it is not fresh.
  • If you break an egg into a container, the fresh white will be light, clean, without redness or inclusions, and the yolk will not spread without damage.
  • Removing the shell from a fresh product will be difficult.

Basic rules: how to boil eggs

How to boil eggs? To do this, you must adhere to the following rules:

  • To cook evenly, roll the raw egg on the table or shake lightly a couple of times.
  • For easy cleaning, add salt during cooking, and then run the pan under cold water for 4 minutes. Next, tap on a hard surface to crack the shell, remove it by prying it with your fingers. It is recommended that the product be used for cooking after five days of storage to make it easy to clean.
  • It is believed that if you cook for a long time, the egg will be poorly absorbed by the body, and cooking for longer than 20 minutes and eating it is harmful to health.
  • To avoid bursting during cooking, cook in a sieve over the pan, then the steam will create a uniform temperature and the products will not bump against each other.
  • It is necessary to cook over moderate heat, without covering with a lid, and the water should bubble quietly.
  • If you don't have time to cool boiled eggs, rinse them with cold water and clean them under running water to avoid scalding your hands.
  • The ideal pan has a small radius. This is necessary to pour less water, but completely cover the product. Then the contents will boil faster and the cooking process will speed up. In a small saucepan, the eggs will not clatter as much as in a large one.
  • Fresh ones, which can be stored for no more than 4 days in the refrigerator, should be cooked a couple of minutes longer.
  • You can check the degree of readiness by rotating: if it turns quickly, then it’s ready, if it’s slow, then it’s raw.
  • Do not put eggs from the refrigerator into boiling water, otherwise they may burst due to the sudden temperature change.

How to boil eggs - methods and recipes

Boiled eggs are a hearty, tasty and healthy dish. They are prepared quickly and can be consumed in different ways: on their own, as an addition to the main dish, for sandwiches, and a variety of salads. Properly cooked eggs add flavor to any meal. Each cooking method has its own tricks, if followed, you will get excellent results.

Hard-boiled

Place the eggs in a saucepan, pour in enough cold water to cover them by 1 cm. Place on the fire and wait for it to boil. Set the timer for 7 minutes until cooked through. Remove from heat, cool under running water, and place in cold water for a couple of minutes.

Soft-boiled

Place raw eggs in a saucepan, add water, and put on fire. We are waiting for the contents to boil. If you want to keep the yolk and white liquid, then cook for three minutes. For a firmer white but a runny yolk, cook after boiling for 4 minutes.

In a bag

If you want to cook properly in a bag with shells, you need to cook for 5 minutes after boiling. Then immediately rinse with cold water and eat. To do this without shells, put a saucepan on fire with 1 liter of water, 50 ml of vinegar, 1 tsp. salt. Break the egg into a greased ladle and place it in boiling water. You need to cook under the lid over low heat, remove the noise level.

How to boil quail eggs

Quail eggs contain more vitamins B1, B2, iron, and potassium than chicken eggs. They are rich in phosphorus, vitamin A, nicotinic acid, cobalt, copper, and amino acids. Quails do not provoke the development of diathesis or other allergic reactions. Even their shell, which is 90% calcium carbonate, is easily absorbed by the body and contains silicon, copper, fluorine, zinc, sulfur and other useful elements.

It is recommended to eat quail eggs raw, as this way all valuable properties are preserved. Quails are resistant to salmonellosis, so it is absolutely safe for health. If you need to cook, you need to do it right. Cooking does not take much time: experienced chefs advise keeping the product in boiling water for no more than two minutes, then it will turn out soft-boiled, which will preserve the beneficial properties of this source of vitamins and minerals. To hard boil, five minutes of cooking after boiling is enough.

One of the main products in the diet of most people is a boiled egg. But few people think about how to cook eggs correctly. Everyone knows that a soft-boiled egg only takes 4 minutes. And it takes 10 minutes to get a hard-boiled product. But as a result, the eggs crack during cooking and are difficult to clean. This indicates mistakes made at the very beginning of the cooking process. How to boil eggs correctly?

Egg selection

For any dish you need to choose quality products. This rule also applies to simple boiling of eggs. Not a single holiday table is complete without this ingredient, especially on Easter. Many housewives claim that eggs that have been left for 4-6 days will clean well. But to clean a fresh product you need to be patient. Indeed, the “older” the egg, the easier it will be to peel.

Therefore, if eggs are collected directly from chickens or purchased from rural farms, they need to sit in the refrigerator for at least a week. Otherwise, problems with cleaning cannot be avoided, and most of the protein will go into the trash. If the product is purchased in supermarkets, there is no need to wait a week. After all, the eggs had already reached the required “age” while they were being collected at the factory, packaged and transported.

Also, when choosing an ingredient, you need to take into account the following factors:

  • Marking. A stamp is placed on the shell itself, which indicates the size, quality and shelf life of the product.
  • Letter. The eggs are marked with letters. D - dietary (shelf life maximum week), C - table (shelf life up to 25 days), O - selected grade, B - premium grade.
  • General view. Domestic eggs are not all the same size and color. Some unscrupulous sellers sell a factory product as if it were homemade. But the factory product has the advantage of being the same size, white or brown.
  • To the touch. When assessing quality, you need to hold the egg in your hands. Freshness is determined by weight. If the egg is at most 5 days old, it will be heavy. An egg that is more than 2-3 weeks old will be light, almost weightless.

How to boil an egg: in cold or hot water?

What kind of water should the product be placed in: cold or boiling? Most people are accustomed to cooking a product only by taking it out of the refrigerator. Chefs recommend waiting until the egg reaches room temperature. Direct cooking often occurs in this way: the product is placed in a saucepan, filled with cold water, and sent to gas. Such manipulations become the reason why it is impossible to clean the egg properly.

If the protein warms up with the water and gains temperature evenly, it will quickly stick to the shell. But there are also disadvantages to the “hot” process. So, when cooking in cold water, the yolk will remain in the center. By throwing the product into boiling water, it will mix and stick to one of the sides. Therefore, the cooking option depends on the purpose for which the ingredient is cooked.

Egg response to gradually increasing temperature

The reaction of white and yolk to increased temperature is different. The protein reacts as follows:

  • From 0 to 60 degrees Celsius - the protein is still liquid and begins to gradually warm up;
  • 60 degrees Celsius - protein particles begin to bind together and form a jelly-like matrix;
  • After 68 degrees Celsius - the proteins form a dense mass;
  • 82 degrees - ovalbumin begins to be released, which gives the protein a white color and elastic texture;
  • After 82 degrees - Protein compounds become as strong as possible, which gives the protein strength and elasticity.

The yolk reaction is as follows:

  • 63 degrees - it thickens and the cooking process starts;
  • 71 degrees - the yolk begins to harden, but it is still tender;
  • 78 degrees - the yolks become brittle and lighten;
  • After 78 degrees, the yolks are dried.

How and for how long to boil a soft-boiled egg?

To get a delicious soft-boiled dish, it is better to use fresh ingredients. In this case, the yolk will retain its rich color and liquid. So, the product should be a maximum of 6 days after the footnote. The egg should sink to the bottom, or hover in the center. If it floats on the surface, it is better to throw away the product - it is rotten.

Boiling soft-boiled eggs in cold water

Before cooking the ingredient, it must be washed in water at room temperature. This is especially true for domestic eggs, which are often found in chicken droppings. Next, the raw materials are placed in a wide pan and filled with cold liquid. The product is brought to a boil over maximum heat.

Read also How long to cook beef liver

After the water with the raw materials boils, the heat is reduced to medium. The product should not boil strongly. To ensure that the yolk is completely liquid and flows out, the product is cooked for no more than 3 minutes. To achieve medium thickness, cook the egg for 4 minutes. During this time, the protein will completely thicken, curl, and the egg can be cleaned efficiently. If you cook the ingredient for 5 minutes, you will get a yolk with dense edges, but a liquid core.

Cooking in hot water

In this case, the raw material is placed in an already boiling liquid. First, the eggs should reach room temperature, only then rinse under water. While the water in the pan is boiling, add a couple of tablespoons of salt to it. This will prevent the shell from cracking during sudden changes in temperature.

After boiling, the eggs are placed in a bowl using a spoon. The eggs should remain in the liquid for 60 seconds. After this, the dishes are removed from the heat, and the raw materials still remain in boiling water for 5 minutes. This period is enough for the white to partially set and the yolk to remain completely liquid. The longer the egg sits in boiling water, the more protein compounds will form.

How long and how to boil a hard-boiled egg?

To prepare hard-boiled eggs, you can use a product that is 10 days old. The cooking period is higher than in the previous version. After all, we need to get both the white and the yolk solid. The cooking process can be cold or hot.

Cooking in cold water

To get hard-boiled raw materials, you need to follow the instructions:

  • Rinse eggs under running water;
  • Dry with a waffle towel;
  • Roll the eggs on the surface of the table (for even cooking);
  • Place the eggs tightly on the bottom of the saucepan, add water, and put on fire;
  • Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt;
  • After boiling, the eggs are cooked for 7-8 minutes;
  • After cooking, pour cold water over them (to clean them without problems).

Cooking in already boiling liquid

Raw materials must be removed from the refrigerator at least an hour before cooking. This will allow the eggs to reach the desired temperature. They are also washed, dried, and rolled on the table. While the water is boiling, add salt to it. After boiling, the heat is reduced to medium, and the eggs are immersed with a spoon. As soon as the dish boils again, you need to cook it over medium heat for 7-8 minutes. After draining the boiling water, the product is filled with cold water. Let the eggs sit in the ice-cold liquid for about 5 minutes. This will ensure high-quality shell cleaning.