How do I prevent the water from boiling over onto the stovetop when making hard boiled eggs?

12 Comments

Chauncey January 28, 2011
Liked betteirene's prep kitchen how-to! Next time I make any type of devilled eggs for a large group, I'll know how to prepare the hard boiled eggs. Now, how to select the right recipe?!
I agree with rolling boil and then off for desired time. Works for me everytime. I dump my over-full icemaker for the ice bath - keeps the ice fresher for other uses.
 
innoabrd January 28, 2011
add a touch of vinegar to the water. if your eggs crack, this will keep them from leaking too much of the egg into the water.
 
betteirene January 27, 2011
The prep kitchen rule of thumb for mass quantities of hard-cooked eggs: For however many eggs you're cooking, they need to go into a pot that's deep enough to cover them with at least one inch of water for each layer of eggs. (If you only need six eggs, put them in a 1 1/2- or 2-quart saucepan and add enough cold tap water to cover them by one inch. If you need 36 eggs, put them in a stock pot or Dutch oven; if there's 3 layers of eggs, the water should be three inches above the topmost egg.)

Put the pot over high heat; the moment the water comes to a full rolling boil, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Set a timer for 12 minutes. When the eggs are done, use a spider or slotted spoon to remove them from the pot to a bowl or a sink full of cold tap water and ice. Crack them gently by tapping them all over with the handle of a butter knife and let them chill in the water for 10-15 minutes. Peel the eggs and use immediately, or refrigerate them in cold water in a tightly covered container. If you change the water every other day, the eggs will be good for a week. (Restaurants usually store their eggs that way. Hotels that offer free breakfast and other restaurants get their boiled eggs in five-gallon buckets full of water and citric acid--these eggs last a whole month.)
 
ChefDaddy January 27, 2011
To answer the question though: A lid, lower the flame a little, less water, bigger pot. One or more of these could possibly help.
 
ChefDaddy January 27, 2011
I have been using this method all my life. No green rings, no soft middle and easy to peel. I do 5 min. on and 5 min. off. Remind you of anything? Pilaf method 10 miin on 10 min. Off. That's how I remember. Although don't forget to shock in cold water and leave in cold water after 5 min. off. minutes.
 
Aliwaks January 27, 2011
I agree with most.. best way.. bring to a boil, cover, turn off heat, 10- 12 minutes for hard boiled...7 minutes for lovely soft melty center.
 
ellenl January 27, 2011
Nora Ephron in Heartburn taught how to make the perfect hard-boiled egg. As above, eggs in pot, bring to boil, off heat.
 
Fantastic M. January 27, 2011
Or get one of those boil over preventer glass disc things. They work.
 
susan G. January 27, 2011
I also use the bring to a boil and sit process, but after the rest, run under cold water. Maybe that's to prevent burned fingertips if you want to peel them right away. Sometimes I put unpeeled garlic cloves in the water to peel and mash into the eggs.

The other answer is: use a bigger pot. I constantly had hot cereals boiling over -- and even with the bigger pot they still do if I don't pay attention.
 
amreiskitchen January 27, 2011
I do the same as mrslarkin, but my time is 10 minutes. Perfect every time and no green ring around the yolk.
 
mrslarkin January 27, 2011
Here's how I do it: Place eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately move off the heat and let eggs sit in hot water for 13 minutes. I get a perfect hard boiled egg every time.
 
foongfest January 27, 2011
Avoid boiling eggs on a hard boil.If boiling through the cooking process, they should be cooking on a simmer.

Here's another method that should help too:
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_perfect_hard_boiled_eggs
 
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