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Regarding 11, Seriouseats/Kenji did the definitive scientific exploration of the hard boiled egg: https://www.seriouseats.com/the-secrets-to-peeling-hard-boile

Regarding 11, Seriouseats/Kenji did the definitive scientific exploration of the hard boiled egg: https://www.seriouseats.com/the-secrets-to-peeling-hard-boiled-eggs https://www.seriouseats.com/the-secrets-to-peeling-hard-boil... I've inadvertently run this experiment many times. For years I followed Alton's original Good Eats instruction and started with cold water. Shells were always hard to peel. After Kenji's article I switched to adding eggs to boiling water, and it makes a huge difference in peelability. Also, cook time is more precise because the water temperature is constant; different ranges/burners/pots/waterlevels boil at different rates. The only problem with starting in boiling water is that if your eggs come directly from the fridge (ie store bought eggs) some will often crack from the heat shock. This can be mitigated by putting eggs in lukewarm water for a few minutes first. Or just get chickens and keep your eggs at room temperature :-)

cardy31 5y ago
Kenji is the best. Food Lab is always on my kitchen counter. Highly recommend it for anyone trying to improve at cooking.
skipnup 5y ago
Don't you have a device for puncturing the eggs in your country so they don't crack? Called Eierpiekser in German: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000A8BKX8/ https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000A8BKX8/
- McNutty 5y ago
  I have lived in 4 countries and I've never heard of this method or this type of gadget before!
- Semaphor 5y ago
  Neither I nor my parents ever used this (Germans), yet cracking is extremely rare. It happened to me maybe 5 times in 10 years.
- porker 5y ago
  We have them in the UK! But now I use the point of a sharp knife to make a hole in my eggs before boiling.
polishdude20 5y ago
One technique I find that works every time to make peeling easy is to instantly run the eggs under the tap once the timer has finished. My only explanation is it causes a temperature shock which helps the membrane peel away from the inner egg.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
Semaphor 5y ago
> For you Euro types who store your eggs at room temperature, everything discussed here still applies. Hah, that was my question after I started reading, good thing I did ctrl+f fridge ;)
eulers_secret 5y ago
FWIW, Alton Brown has updated his recommendation to steaming: https://altonbrown.com/recipes/hard-not-boiled-eggs/ https://altonbrown.com/recipes/hard-not-boiled-eggs/ For me, they don’t crack right out of the fridge!
- compsciphd 5y ago
  steaming eggs was a life changer. I discovered it with one of those unitasker (hangs head in shame) egg mcmuffin style devices. it cooked eggs via steaming (both scrambled and hard boiled) where you added a predetermined amount of water to a pan and it would shut off when boiled off). Created the best hard boiled eggs I've ever had. I sort of wish rice cookers / pressure cookers (ala instant pot) came with this ability. as they can already tell when all the water has boiled off. just some experimentation with how much water to put in based on # of eggs and a holder. then no unitasker and nice and automated.
  - m463 5y ago
    I have always wanted a Ronco egg scrambler... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdonmCgg3lE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdonmCgg3lE
barrenko 5y ago
Boil the eggs in salted water (no matter if start is hot or cold, for hard boiled cook for 15 minutes from cold start, 10 if start from boil point). After they are cooked place them in cold water until they cool off a bit. You'll have no trouble peeling either way.
- resters 5y ago
  What does the salt do? Seems like it would only change the boiling point of the water.
jghn 5y ago
He's also at least addressed #5: https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-clean-and-chop-mushrooms https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-clean-and-chop-mushrooms I don't think he was the first of the Kenji/Alton Brown/Cooks Illustrated types to say this though. I'm pretty sure I switched to washing before he posted this.
- 0xbadcafebee 5y ago
  Jacques Pepin washes his mushrooms right before cooking them. If Jacques does it, either it's the right/efficient way, or there is no right way.
0xbadcafebee 5y ago
I once needed to make 40 soft-boiled deviled eggs for a cooking contest. I got dozens of the cheapest eggs and tried all the techniques, both cooking and peeling. I found one cooking and peeling method that works for every single form of boiled egg. The Ajitsuke Tamago method is the best cooking method. Stir egg(s) in a pot of boiling water for an exact amount of time and then dunk the egg in ice water. It's 100% accurate (no overcooked/uneven eggs) and fast. Change the time to switch between soft, medium, and hard boiled. Do not use too many eggs at once to prevent rapid temperature draw. For peeling, the best method by far is the spoon method. You point the tip of a spoon into the eggshell at a ~15degree angle and move the spoon up between the shell and egg. Continue moving the tip up along the interior egg shell until the entire shell has been peeled away. You use a continuous motion so it's not finicky or time-consuming. None of the egg is damaged. Works on soft, medium, and hard-boiled eggs, and on old and fresh eggs alike. No water needed.

cardy31 5y ago

Kenji is the best. Food Lab is always on my kitchen counter. Highly recommend it for anyone trying to improve at cooking.

skipnup 5y ago

Don't you have a device for puncturing the eggs in your country so they don't crack? Called Eierpiekser in German: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000A8BKX8/ https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000A8BKX8/

McNutty 5y ago
I have lived in 4 countries and I've never heard of this method or this type of gadget before!
Semaphor 5y ago
Neither I nor my parents ever used this (Germans), yet cracking is extremely rare. It happened to me maybe 5 times in 10 years.
porker 5y ago
We have them in the UK! But now I use the point of a sharp knife to make a hole in my eggs before boiling.

polishdude20 5y ago

One technique I find that works every time to make peeling easy is to instantly run the eggs under the tap once the timer has finished. My only explanation is it causes a temperature shock which helps the membrane peel away from the inner egg.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

Semaphor 5y ago

> For you Euro types who store your eggs at room temperature, everything discussed here still applies. Hah, that was my question after I started reading, good thing I did ctrl+f fridge ;)

eulers_secret 5y ago

FWIW, Alton Brown has updated his recommendation to steaming: https://altonbrown.com/recipes/hard-not-boiled-eggs/ https://altonbrown.com/recipes/hard-not-boiled-eggs/ For me, they don’t crack right out of the fridge!

compsciphd 5y ago
steaming eggs was a life changer. I discovered it with one of those unitasker (hangs head in shame) egg mcmuffin style devices. it cooked eggs via steaming (both scrambled and hard boiled) where you added a predetermined amount of water to a pan and it would shut off when boiled off). Created the best hard boiled eggs I've ever had. I sort of wish rice cookers / pressure cookers (ala instant pot) came with this ability. as they can already tell when all the water has boiled off. just some experimentation with how much water to put in based on # of eggs and a holder. then no unitasker and nice and automated.
- m463 5y ago
  I have always wanted a Ronco egg scrambler... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdonmCgg3lE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdonmCgg3lE

barrenko 5y ago

Boil the eggs in salted water (no matter if start is hot or cold, for hard boiled cook for 15 minutes from cold start, 10 if start from boil point). After they are cooked place them in cold water until they cool off a bit. You'll have no trouble peeling either way.

resters 5y ago
What does the salt do? Seems like it would only change the boiling point of the water.

jghn 5y ago

He's also at least addressed #5: https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-clean-and-chop-mushrooms https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-clean-and-chop-mushrooms I don't think he was the first of the Kenji/Alton Brown/Cooks Illustrated types to say this though. I'm pretty sure I switched to washing before he posted this.

0xbadcafebee 5y ago
Jacques Pepin washes his mushrooms right before cooking them. If Jacques does it, either it's the right/efficient way, or there is no right way.

0xbadcafebee 5y ago

I once needed to make 40 soft-boiled deviled eggs for a cooking contest. I got dozens of the cheapest eggs and tried all the techniques, both cooking and peeling. I found one cooking and peeling method that works for every single form of boiled egg. The Ajitsuke Tamago method is the best cooking method. Stir egg(s) in a pot of boiling water for an exact amount of time and then dunk the egg in ice water. It's 100% accurate (no overcooked/uneven eggs) and fast. Change the time to switch between soft, medium, and hard boiled. Do not use too many eggs at once to prevent rapid temperature draw. For peeling, the best method by far is the spoon method. You point the tip of a spoon into the eggshell at a ~15degree angle and move the spoon up between the shell and egg. Continue moving the tip up along the interior egg shell until the entire shell has been peeled away. You use a continuous motion so it's not finicky or time-consuming. None of the egg is damaged. Works on soft, medium, and hard-boiled eggs, and on old and fresh eggs alike. No water needed.