6 large eggs, cold from the refrigerator
Equipment: Steamer basket or rack that fits in the bottom of the pot
Easy Peel Eggs (soft, medium, or hard)
Yield: 6 eggs
You don't need an Instant Pot for perfectly cooked eggs (with shells that slip right off!) thanks to this simple technique.
Ingredients
Instructions
Place the steamer basket or rack in a lidded saucepan or pot, and fill with as much water as needed to reach the bottom of the steamer basket (about 1 inch or so).
Heat the water on high heat until it is rapidly boiling. Remove the pot from the heat and quickly but gently place the eggs in an even layer at the bottom of the steamer basket. Put the pot back on the burner, reducing the heat to medium high. Cover the pot.
Set your timer for 6 minutes for soft boiled, 10-12 minutes for not-quite hard boiled with a partially translucent and bright yolk, or 13-15 minutes for fully cooked-through hard boiled.
Remove the eggs to a bowl of ice water with a slotted spoon, or run cold water directly into the pan to cover the eggs and quickly cool them.
To best preserve freshness, store the eggs, unpeeled, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
Several factors can influence the steaming time, like altitude and the size of eggs used. The first time you use this method, I recommend removing one egg a minute or two before you think it will be done, rinsing it with cold water, and breaking it open to see if it is cooked to your liking. At this point, you can still cook the remaining eggs for another minute or more if desired. (I’ve also skipped the ice bath when the eggs are slightly under as they will continue to cook once removed from the steamer basket. After the first time steaming eggs, you’ll know exactly how much time is needed to cook the perfect egg for you, and you can experiment from there.)
This method works best if the eggs are in a single layer. If you’d like to cook more eggs at one time, you’ll likely need to add a couple of minutes to the steaming time and the eggs may not all cook to the same precise degree of doneness.