Sometimes, I'll rest them near the pot as it heats up to speed up the process a little.
Use tongs to slowly add the eggs to the pot.The tongs help everything go smoothly.
Steven John
Once your eggs are at room temp and you have a pot of water at a full rolling boil, use tongs to gently lower each egg into the water.
This slow and steady introduction reduces the likelihood that the egg will crack due to the sudden heat change.
It's also a great way to prevent being splashed with boiling water.
The best cook time varies depending on how you want your yolks.I like to leave my yolks a little soft.
Steven John
Some people cook hard-boiled eggs for too long, resulting in rubbery whites and a yolk that looks like yellow-gray clay.
Eight minutes leads to my perfect egg with fully set whites and a yolk that's just right of soft. If you prefer your yolks cooked to a full solid, just one more minute should do the trick.
Rapidly chill the cooked eggs in an ice bath.You want to cool the eggs down quickly using a bowl of ice water.
Steven John
As soon as the cooking time has elapsed, use your tongs to remove the eggs from the pot and into a large bowl filled with ice and water.
The eggs only need to chill in the ice bath for about three minutes before they're ready to peel.
Shake the eggs in a glass with a splash of water to quickly get rid of the shells.I can get the shell off a hard-boiled egg in essentially one piece.
Steven John
You can literally shake the shell off a hard-boiled egg. Yes, it sounds a bit strange, but it works so well.
Take an egg from the ice bath, place it in a standard short drinking glass (like a rocks glass), and add about a half inch of water. Then, cover the mouth of the glass with the palm of your hand and vigorously shake the egg back and forth for a few seconds.
The shell should peel away smoothly, often coming away in one large piece.