Well, the reason to drop them in boiling water is to control the softness on the inside, because you have a consistent starting point at 100C, then you can keep

Well, the reason to drop them in boiling water is to control the softness on the inside, because you have a consistent starting point at 100C, then you can keep the temperature at 100C and time 5 minutes. If you use cold water, the time for the water to get to 100C is going to be dependent on the stove and the flame that comes out of the burner, so when the water gets to 100C, in some cases the eggs will be half-ready, in some cases 1/3 ready, so it's more difficult to cook the eggs perfectly. Obviously, if you are always using the same stove and the same flame, you will eventually know how long it takes you to cook the eggs, but then when you switch stoves, you have to re-learn this. For me, dropping the eggs in boiling water is a little easier. Finally, yes, cold water is used to make the eggs easier to peel.