The ultimate guide to cooking and peeling hard-boiled eggs

Torn egg whites, tiny pieces of shell, and a lot of frustration – peeling eggs can indeed be troublesome. But there's no need to waste time on such issues when the solution is within reach. Simply take a regular container from the cupboard and prepare some cold water. This simple trick will put an end to family debates over who should peel the eggs once and for all.

Cooking hard-boiled eggs isn't complicated, but there are still many questions about how long they should be in the pot. Overcooking results in an unappealing grey ring around the yolk, while undercooking leaves the yolk runny.

Place the eggs in a pot, cover them with cold water, add salt, and bring to a boil. From the moment the first bubbles appear and the water begins to boil vigorously, measure exactly 8 minutes. After this time, quickly drain the boiling water and replace it with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Once the eggs are ready, it's time for the most dreaded part – peeling. Instead of painstakingly picking off shell pieces, cool the eggs and grab a glass or container if you're dealing with more eggs.

Pour cold water into the container and shake it vigorously until the shells start to crack. This allows water to seep in, providing the necessary slip to separate the white from the shell. Then, simply remove the eggs and peel them easily with your hands.

Thanks to shaking or tapping, microcracks form in the eggshell. Additionally, quickly cooling the egg in cold water causes the egg white to shrink, making it easier to separate from the shell. If you gently tap the cooked egg and place it into cold water, a similar effect occurs – the shell will crack into smaller pieces, and the temperature difference will facilitate separation from the white.