Boiling eggs.....FFS

I put them in a pan of cold water and then when it starts boiling leave for 2m 45secs, bit longer if they are very large.

A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

Those times in the OP ("boiled for six minutes") are ludicrously long so I can only imagine you are timing from cold water, and the temperature at which the water comes out of the tap varies with the weather and how long you run the tap.

Pan with boiling water (rolling water boil) put the egg in for 90 secs. Take the pan off the heat, cover with a lid and leave 5 mins for slightly runny, 6 mins for a set yolk.

Place in pan of cold water and bring to the boil.
Boil for 3 minutes then quench in cold water.

Alternatively fry or poach them so you can see what's happening.

It's only worth boiling large eggs, leave anything smaller for omelettes or for the wife to use in cakes.

rule 1 eggs should be kept at room temperature before cooking....


for hard boiled eggs start in cold water when the water starts boiling time for 6 mins

for soft boiled eggs place in boiling water 3 1/2 mins for medium egg   4 mins for large egg


always follow  rule 1

Eggs in water ..when they start boiling put the toast in the toaster ..when the toast  pops up eggs are ready ..works every time for me

for soft boiled eggs place in boiling water 3 1/2 mins for medium egg,   4 mins for large egg - always follow  rule 1

That's nailed it.

My method for runny eggs.

Saucepan of boiling water 3 minutes. Turn off gas and put lid on saucepan. Ready after 2 minutes.

Or, you could have the king of eggs, the poached egg.

Easier to cook as you can see what it looks like as it cooks.

Put them in your kettle then into your tea pot in the morning.  By the time you're ready for your 2nd cuppa your eggs will be ready.

I can finally say this now CMAT is banned...

Try some soy sauce on your boiled eggs. Very nice.

A lot of you must like eating embryos.

I agree with AP. It's damn near impossible to get boiled eggs right time after time. Hard boiled - piece off píss, embryo - piece of píss, just right (chucky egg mode) easier to crack the enigma..

Tis about time the saying "Can't even boil an egg" was removed from society.

I have no idea what people are talking about.

I have boiled eggs almost every other morning, and they are perfect every time.

Electric oven, place 2 eggs in saucepan, fill water just above the height of the eggs, turn to mark 6, wait till the water starts boiling, let it boil for 1 minute, turn down to mark 1, press timer of oven, 3 minutes later they're done.

If you can't boil an egg properly you are an egg

Electric oven, place 2 eggs in saucepan, fill water just above the height of the eggs, turn to mark 6, wait till the water starts boiling, let it boil for 1 minute, turn down to mark 1, press timer of oven, 3 minutes later they're done.

A bloody expensive way to boil eggs!

Or, you could have the king of eggs, the poached egg.

Jack you are so right. Why the heck do I do the boiled egg thing, when I can do perfect poached eggs?

but is there Anything more Annoying than cooking up a nice big munch & then Breaking the egg in the pan

exactly how is that expensive

Buying an electric oven

you put the eggs in the oven , why not just use the hob

they're on the hob on top of the oven not inside ffs

I don't have a choice with the oven being electric, there's no gas here, all electric.

Those times in the OP ("boiled for six minutes") are ludicrously long so I can only imagine you are timing from cold water,

Nope! I put the eggs in the pan with a little water to get things going, whilst I boiled the kettle and then covered with boiling water.

Five and a half minutes later and it still had a runny white.

I put them in a pan of cold water and then when it starts boiling leave for 2m 45secs, bit longer if they are very large

How do you then achieve the result here?

taking them out straight from the fridge to cook is probably were you are going wrong....


You can get one of those 'boil an egg' indicators which is shaped like an egg from poundland.  But make sure you put the indicator with the eggs in the fridge, so the temperatures match.

^^^ forgot to mention that you put the indicator in the pan full of boiling water

rule 1 eggs should be kept at room temperature before cooking....




if your getting them straight out the fridge this is where your going wrong.......

Never kept eggs in a fridge in my life. Admittedly our local free-range eggs are only 1/2 days old when we get them. They sit happily at room temperature in a wire basket for up to three weeks, and probably longer but they hardly ever last that long. Are we an exception? Both my mother and grandma kept hens and neither used a fridge.

folk do, you buy a new fridge and theres a compartmenr specifically for eggs, ive never kept them in the fridge, wicker basket

I kept hens and certainly never put them in the fridge!!!!   Sorry blackbarn i couldn't resist that!!!

Two   for   -    5 & 1/2 mins for LARGE eggs, EGGS should be at room temp.  Water boiling at beginning.  Lower carefully into the hot water.  I tend to switch gas hob off at the end,   but take a few seconds - arrange egg cups, salt etc - few secs later scoop them out.

Toast and butter your soldiers for dipping before hand!!!

Moisok   and I thought I'd chosen my words carefully

Sorry and there's me who blunders all over the place most days!!!  My Engerlisch teacher would have a fit at w0t i rote etc!!!

buy a boiled egg maker sorted. best thing i ever bought.

Just shell out (hee hee) for this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tefal-Toast-Egg-TT550015-Toaster/dp/B0013KEDKY

Boiled egg and soldiers with no fuss at all. Can do hard boiled eggs as well, and mini poached eggs.

Blimey, eggs are so easy to cook in any format.

Place in cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer on a low heat for 3 mins. Job done.

Exactly the same method that I use, Charwell. Placing eggs into boiling water can result in cracked shells.

Bring 'em to the boil more gently.

Not for even one second, to disagree with two distinguished and honourable "Chit Chat" executives, but overly simplifying is not what I'm looking for here!

Of course we can all use that process but there is a difference between the size of the eggs.
Saying small, medium and large is not eggsactly an accurate assessment of the true size differential so the only sure way is by volume comparison.

I get my eggs from a smallholding, and can see the happy little hens free ranging for England, and some are still warm as she
goes to collect as many as possible for me, for poaching (omelettes and boiled are not critical, in fact for hard boiling are not good).

Of course they are not graded in size and are £1.00 per half dozen irrespective.

That said, they are never small and I got one that was the biggest I ever saw. So big that the box wouldn't close.

so how do you adjust your three minute routine?

You can't say it's one and a half times, or twice the size as normal because that is just guesswork.

So, by volume (can't recall the exact figure) but it was circa 2.5 times the normal.

Given this, do you then think it needs 2.5 times the cooking time?

The formula has to be much more complex than that, and what I'mm looking for here!

Think back, and assuming the story is correct, if the royal household kitchen staff have to boil three eggs, to get one acceptable, what chance have I got?

Aunty ,dont guess the size of your eggs.Fill water to same point each day in a calibrated pan.Use archimedes principle to show volume of water displaced = eggsact volume of eggs.Use complicated mathematical formula to get them just right.

Aunty ,dont guess the size of your eggs.Fill water to same point each day in a calibrated pan.Use archimedes principle to show volume of water displaced = eggsact volume of eggs.Use complicated mathematical formula to get them just right.

This is what I'm banging on about!
So, by volume (can't recall the exact figure) but it was circa 2.5 times the normal.

Given this, do you then think it needs 2.5 times the cooking time?

Aunty you must be on a fishing trip

THERES EVEN PROFFESSORS OF EGG BOILING ON HERE

NOT ONLY HAVE WE ALCOHOLICS AND COMPULSIVE GAMBLERS ON HERE BUT WEVE GOT EGG BOILERS ON HERE AS WELL

Were the first ones already at room temperature and the second refrigerated?

It takes 6 minutes to produce an egg that is not too runny, here. Must be something in the water.

Unfortunately, Aunty, you will N achieve this. You appear to want to achieve a standard result (the perfect soft-boiled egg).This will not be achieved by constantly introducing variable parameters...different sizes of egg, different size of pan, different start temperatures, 'getting things started' etc. etc.
You need to develop a strict procedure which is repeated accurately upon each, and every, occasion.
Alternatively, you could  try developing a liking for hard-boiled...much easier to achieve! 

N = NEVER

He should employ Chas' chef and be prepared to sacrifice two eggs out of three. That might work.

I'm pleased to report that I have a token result to declare

Method by Charwell produce a decent result with an egg size "medium" but only by visual assessment.

It was actually slightly overdone so will try  2 mins and 30 secs next time.

Probably need to factor in the pan size and amount of water used.

I used the smallest of four, and egg just covered. Clearly, boiling several will use less water, so therefore will hit boiling point quicker.

'I can cook a 3 course, and elaborate meal for six, without drama or reference to recipes!'

_____________________

why did we need to know that ?

I can't cook a 3 course, and elaborate meal for six, without drama or reference to recipes!

It's a story you see Coach, so it needs an introduction other than "Once upon a time".

just simply say i have trouble boiling eggs Aunty -it's not a disgrace -we won't love you any less


eggs are tricky - for the record i can't even make toast 

Making toast has never been as good as sitting in front of the fire with a toasting fork.

Not only did it cook more evenly, but there was the added excitement that it could fall off, when the holes got too big!

i used to love toasting in front of the coal fire  - makes lovely toast too

tried it on the portable gas fire but it was never quite the same

Toasters.....after so many years, why can't somebody produce one that toasts all the bread evenly, and all over.

Apart from the conveyor type in hotels they are all the same (to my knowledge).

Strips of wire at 20mm intervals over an asbestos type mount.

What we need is "The New Dyson Toaster".....Toasts the bread evenly by turning it, or the heat element.

A most cracking read. WD all.

agreed aunty - toasters  seem to make toast doughy - haven't tried the expensive ones though - maybe thats where i'm going wrong

Eggscellent read... me toasted soldiers wont fit in softly boiled quail's egg !

Two words sunshine; Delia Smith