#2: Making easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs requires shocking them in cold water. After 13 minutes at a simmer (not a boil—see full method below & read the tips to prevent cracking), immediately put the eggs in ice water to make them easy to peel. Shocking them in ice-cold water stops the cooking process.
The quick cooling of the hard-boiled eggs causes the egg whites to contract, freeing them from the membrane. If you let them cool for about 15 minutes, the peeling is much easier.
After talking with numerous farmers, chefs, and egg aficionados, I was consistently given this hard truth: Fresh eggs are harder to peel than older eggs.
Adding white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to your pot of water allegedly results in softer, easier-to-peel eggshells. That's because the acid in vinegar dissolves some of the calcium carbonate that makes up the egg's hard exterior.
Use eggs that are not super fresh.
While it may sound counterintuitive, slightly older eggs are much easier to peel. If you buy your eggs from the supermarket, they're most likely old enough, as the USDA allows for 30 days at the factory, and another 30 days for the sell-by date.
Submerge eggs in an ice water bath.
Many recommend putting your newly hard-boiled eggs in an ice water bath for at least five minutes (and up to 15 minutes). This method is supposed to cool and harden the eggs quickly, making them not only easier to peel but also easier to handle.
Why this works: The acidity of the lemon juice helps keep the shells intact as the eggs cook. Bonus--it also makes them easier to peel when you're ready to eat.
The vinegar in the water makes the eggs easier to peel. Here's why: The vinegar's acid not only dissolves some of the calcium carbonate in the shell, it also helps the whites set faster. Running the hard-boiled eggs under cold running water as you're peeling, meanwhile, helps the shell separate from the membrane.
Apparently, baking soda raises the eggs' pH level and makes them easier to peel. You simply add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to a quart of water and then follow the usual steps of hard boiling an egg. Once the egg is cooked, you should be able to peel the shell of in larger pieces, making the process easier and faster.
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.
Making hard-boiled eggs should always begin with cool water. Bringing the water and eggs up in temperature together helps promote even cooking and prevent cracking. Follow this tip: Always start with cold water.
You might have heard that you should drop your eggs into room temperature or cold water and then bring the water to a boil. This is a myth. In our tests, bringing the water to a boil first and then lowering the eggs into the bath made for easy peeling and more accurate timing.
Add salt and vinegar to the water.
The salt permeates the shell a little bit, and the vinegar helps to break down the shells, making them easier to peel.
Give the eggs at least five minutes in the ice bath before you try to peel them—letting them cool may help make it easier to peel them, but it's also so you don't burn your hands.
They're inexpensive, and fairly easy to make. That is, for everything but the peeling. To hard boil the perfect egg, put your eggs in a pot, and fill with cold water until the eggs are covered. Now, add ¼ cup of vinegar, and a teaspoon of salt into the water as well.
It's not necessary to add anything to the water. Some people also swear that adding a bit of salt, vinegar or even baking soda to the boiling water makes eggs easier to peel and/or makes them taste better. We, however, prefer the simplicity of plain ol' water.
Let the eggs sit in the cold water for 15 minutes to cool (you can add a few ice cubes to make them cold if using immediately), or refrigerate overnight. Peel under cool running water. Whether you peel them right out of the pan or the next day doesn't matter. Either way, they peel easily.