To peel boiled eggs easily, shock them in an ice bath immediately after cooking to stop the process, then crack and roll the shell to loosen it, and peel under cool running water or submerged in a bowl of water to help separate the membrane from the white. Adding a pinch of baking soda or a splash of vinegar to the boiling water can also help, as can using slightly older eggs.
Let them sit in an ice bath for at least 10 minutes after they cook. Then Tap the top and bottom and sides and roll the egg on the counter gently. Since I started doing this trick I've never had problems with the shells! You can also put baking soda in the water as it's boiling them!
Baking Soda
According to our friends at Delish, adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your boiling pot of water will help the shell peel off seamlessly. Why? The alkaline in the baking soda will help your egg whites loosen up from the shell, making it easier to peel.
The "555 egg method" is a popular technique for making easy-peel hard-boiled eggs in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, involving 5 minutes of high pressure, a 5-minute natural pressure release, and a final 5-minute ice bath to stop cooking and loosen the shell, though results can vary, with some finding it perfect and others needing adjustments.
Hard-cooked eggs may be difficult to peel if they are very fresh. This is because an egg shrinks inside during storage, which pulls the inner membrane away from the inside of the shell. For this reason, a hard-cooked egg will peel more easily if it has been stored for 1 or 2 weeks before it is cooked.
Egg Peeling Method #1: Boiling Eggs with Baking Soda
Adding baking soda to water increases its pH level as well as the pH of the egg whites.
Best way to easily peel boiled eggs is to Immediately put the hot eggs into ice bath around 10 mins or until they are chilled. I cooked in my instant pot for 7min then release pressure after 7 mins.
Therefore, adding one tablespoon or 15 ml of vinegar for every quart of water in the pot is recommended. So, vinegar for hard boiled eggs can save you time and effort when peeling and also help you get more out of your protein-rich snack!
Drop the eggs into boiling water. Eggs added to a pot of boiling water rather than brought to a boil along with the cold water will be easier to peel. Plus, this method allows for more precise timing.
Egg white solidifies more quickly in hot, salty water than it does in fresh. So a little salt in your water can minimize the mess if your egg springs a leak while cooking. The egg white solidifies when it hits the salt water, sealing up the crack so that the egg doesn't shoot out a streamer of white.
My solution is once they're boiled, drain the hot water and add cold water . Then, crack them gently to break the shell and membrane, and drop them into the water for a minute. The water works its way in between membrane and boiled egg.
For easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs, use a hot start by adding eggs to boiling water, steam them for about 13 minutes, then shock them in an ice bath to stop cooking and firm up the whites, which helps the shell separate cleanly from the membrane, especially when peeled under running water or starting from the air pocket at the large end. Adding a teaspoon of baking soda to the cooking water can also help the whites pull away from the shell.
By placing the eggs and water into the container and shaking it vigorously for a minute or two, the eggs will peel themselves. The action causes them to smash against each other, shattering their shells, which are then washed away by the water.
You can boil eggs in either cold or hot water, but starting in cold water is often recommended to prevent cracking by allowing gradual heating, while starting in hot (boiling) water can lead to easier peeling, especially for hard-boiled eggs, though you need to temper cold eggs first or risk cracking. Both methods work, but cold-start gives more consistent cooking for soft/medium eggs, while hot-start excels for easy peeling in hard-boiled eggs.
Serve. Or, if serving cold, shock them in ice water immediately. Let them chill in that water for at least 15 minutes or, better yet, in the fridge overnight. Peel under cool running water.
Fine Cooking says this is because the albumen, or the egg white, will stick to the shell of a fresher egg, but as the egg ages, it doesn't stick as much to the shell. When the water with baking soda passes through the eggshell, it helps the albumen to separate from the shell.