How Long Do You Boil an Egg to Make it Hard Boiled?

JR Smith
Eggs are a popular food item to consume for most individuals. Whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner, an egg can be appropriately prepared for any meal, such as a salad, scrambled by itself, . Deviled eggs are often quite common around my house over the holidays. The point is that an egg is a very versatile ingredient and can be used in a multitude of ways. That being said you should probably also know how to cook one up yourself, which leads us to the point of this article.

How Long Does It Take to Boil an Egg?

The answer isn't exactly simple as it mostly depends on the elevation that you're sitting at. At sea level, you can typically get away with about ten minutes. Put the water in the pot, submerge the egg in the water, place pot on hot burner and start counting once it reaches a rolling boil. When the eggs are done be sure to crack them slightly and run over or place them in cold water. This will stop the cooking process and keep the eggs from over cooking. It can take an additional three to five minutes at higher elevations, so be wary if you're living up in the mountains.

There is another way to go about boiling eggs as well If you're concerned electricity usage and such. Typically, if place a tight fitting lid on the pot about midway through the specified times above and take it over the burner, it will cook the rest of the way without the further use of electricity. Once again to finish the eggs, put them under cold water to cool and peel the shell off to eat.

Other factors include the number of eggs you're going to be boiling, the size (jumbo, large, regular), and amount of water used. The latter is a factor because of the length of time it will take to get the water to boil. With more water, it will take long to do. Also remember, if you break the egg open and the yolk is runny, you may have to place it on a skillet to finish it. Of course, if all you wanted was a soft boiled egg then you've accomplished that.

Not much really to boiling up a couple eggs; really any cook should be able to do it. If you're uncertain exactly how long to boil up an egg and overcooking isn't an issue for you, then fifteen minutes will certainly do the trick (especially for multiple large eggs) regardless of your elevation.

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