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By Nellie's Kindness Crew
Egg salad sandwiches, deviled eggs, and road trip snacks all start with one common denominator: hard-boiled eggs. And while this simple staple is fairly easy to make, there's a lot that can go wrong—if you've ever struggled with unpeelable eggshells or encountered that smelly greenish-gray ring around the yolk, you know how fussy the cooking process can be. That's why we're sharing our top three ways to make perfect hard-boiled eggs that are easier to peel, minus the guesswork. Whether you choose the classic stovetop boil or decide to put your Instant Pot to work, any of these three methods will give you perfectly cooked, easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs every single time.
Boiling eggs on the stovetop is the method we all grew up with, and it's a classic for a reason. It requires no special kitchen equipment and very little cooking experience. To put it simply, you just need to know how to boil water and have about 20 minutes to spare.
View the full stovetop recipe and instructions.
For anyone struggling to pry those eggshells from the egg whites, this steaming method is a guaranteed game changer. Steaming an egg yields the same result as boiling, but with the benefit of shells that are much easier to remove, thanks to the higher temperature of steam versus water.
Learn more about the full steaming method plus more tips for peeling stubborn eggshells.
The gadgeteers out there swear by this recipe, and after one try, you will too! If you already own an Instant Pot, you know that its number one purpose is to make your life easier, and it delivers on this promise when used to make hard-boiled eggs. No need to wait for the water to boil; simply set the timer and walk away.
Check out some more yummy Instant Pot recipes.
Thank you Great Help
Hi Debbie, we're so glad to be able to offer helpful information!
Very helpful
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Very helpful suggestions. Thank you!
Hi Joe! We're so glad you are finding the methods helpful!
Don't forget to add salt and white vinegar to ur eggs
Thanks for the tip Crystal!
Thanks so much. I’ve tried many tricks, this technique is a game changer. I was asked to make a potato salad for an event; I dread that because of peeling eggs. To my delight the shells slid right off!
Alright, Verna! We're so glad to hear this has brought some ease to your potato salad endeavors!
A pinch of baking powder makes the shells come off like magic. Hot or cold. No need for ice bath if you prefer your eggs warm.
Thanks for the tip, Chuck!
I had no idea it was always hit or miss but now I know. Thank you so much
We're so glad to help, Tom!
I discovered Nellies about 5 years ago. I won’t eat any other eggs! They taste great every time, and have never failed me in my baking. Thanks! Now, about hard boiled; a friend said to start with cold water and eggs, as soon as the water boils, the eggs are done??
We're so glad to hear that you love our eggs, Billie! We haven't personally tried that cold water method you mentioned. When it comes to boiling eggs, we try to stick with and recommend the methods above!
Run hot water over the eggs for about a minute before placing them in boliling water this will prevent the eggs from exploding.
Awesome thought!
I had the same experience as did Jean. As I slowly lowered (four) fresh eggs from the fridge into the boiling water, two of them immediately cracked open and spewed out their contents. I will try again at a later time. I liked the "ice bath" procedure (it worked fine).
Hi Ron, Sometimes eggs that are closer toward their expiration date contain more air inside. This could cause that pressure cracking sensation.
These instructions are definitely easy peal, but you will waste about 20% of the egg. The chick’s may be fee range, but Nellie is a business. Now I know why mother always bought white shell eggs when she was hard boiling them!
Hi Kevin, we take great pride in providing our customers with the freshest eggs possible. Because they are so fresh, it can result in the eggs being harder to peel when hard boiled, but that's a tradeoff we're willing to make in order to ensure a consistently fresh Certified Humane free range egg.
Great idea, trying it for the first time but does the ice bath consist of water & ice. It may seem obvious but it’s not clearly stated either...ty
Thanks, Laurie! We're so glad you discovered this method. And there are no silly questions--the ice bath should consist of ice and cold water. We hope you find this helpful!
Thanks ♥️
You are very welcome. We hope you found this helpful!
Jean, after that happened to me in the past, I gradually raise the raw eggs temp by placing on the counter for an hour, then warming them in the pot of water set on “low” for 20 minutes. Then I crank it up to “high” to start the recipe. Best wishes!
Thanks for the great feedback, Rachel. We will keep this in mind if we hear of others having this same issue.
I tried the egg steaming method. It worked Great!! I was able to peel the eggs in a few seconds instead of minutes. Thank you for your tips!!
Hi Carolyn, Anytime! Thanks for choosing Nellies!
Sounds pretty easy. I making red beet eggs for Thanksgiving, and I am going to boiling eggs now, so they have plenty of time to soak in red beets, vinegar, etc...I believe three days should be long enough!!! Thanks for advice!!
Hi Paula, No problem! Thanks for choosing the purple carton!
I tried your "Boil & ice bath" method. Almost as soon as I eased the eggs down in the boiling water, 2 of them exploded! I had a mess in the water from the boiling egg white and yolk. I won't try that again!
Hi Jean, We are sorry to hear that some of the eggs burst as they transferred from one climate to the next. If the eggs are older they may contain more pockets of air, which could increase the chances that they burst. Next time, you can try taking the pot off the burner for two minutes before moving the eggs to the ice bath. Email us with any other questions!
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