Perfect Boiled Eggs | Kenji's Cooking Show
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2021
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Find my books, including The Food Lab and my upcoming book The Wok here: www.kenjilopezalt.com/
I've been testing methods for boiling and peeling eggs for a very long time. The best, fastest, easiest-to-peel, and most energy efficient method I've found is to boil an inch or so of water in the bottom of a saucepan or wok. Add the eggs straight from your fridge (the water doesn't need to cover them). Cover with a lid and boil/steam them 3 minutes for extremely soft, 4-5 minutes for soft, 6-7 minutes for medium, and 9-12 minutes for hard. Let them cool naturally or in an ice bath.
Here's my original Serious Eats article from 2011: www.seriouseats.com/the-secre...
Here's my New York Times article featuring around a hundred testers (paywall): www.nytimes.com/2019/09/23/di... - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
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"I actually have, like, the data to back this up." I never doubted you bro.
When cooking becomes a literal science ❤️
Literally, Kenji could tell me that the ebola water at the bottom of a garbage can is healthy and you should drink it. And I would.
Bro don’t mess with kenji he’ll hit you with facts that’ll make you question everything.
😂🤌🏼
@@Abraxocleaner la tttyjjkjjybxfq
Kenji: “Skip to 9 min in to not hear me talk about the science of boiling eggs.”
All of us: “Why do you ask us to betray you?”
I legit came here spec to hear him talk about the science of boiling eggs xD That thumbnail got me hooked cuz i knew thered be some grt data in this vid
@@SylviaRustyFae fun fact that thumbnail picture is from his book the food lab and it's got a whole pretty cool section on this exact thing
"That's... why I'm here"
We're here for the stories!
I skipped.. so.. what's the secret in boiling eggs that peal easy ??
Kenji actually thought we wouldn’t want to hear him talk about eggs and watch water boil with him for 7 minutes.
hahahahaha so true
😂😂
Kenji: Sit!
Jamón: R U Serious?
Keni: Oh, you don't need to sit.
Every single time... lol
Why is that? Is he not trained or injured or something?
@@aaronryder4008 jamon broke his hip a while back and it hurts him for certain ranges of motion
@@Killercreek aww poor dog. Thanks for letting me know though!
Why would ANYONE skip Kenji's talking in the video? I literally enjoy your knowledge sharing session amidst the cooking
I was in a hurry to make lunch man im sry 😭
It is the best part!
Right? I think it's kind of why a lot of us are here to begin with 🤣
we come for the eggs, and stay for the speech 😄
Except when he takes 3 minutes to explain it’s not the age of the egg that accounts for how easy it is to peel.
"I'm not just saying that, I've got the data to back it up"
"Despite what you've read and despite what I've written in the past."
Why can't everyone be more like Kenji?
Science vs ego.
I can't tell you if you don't know already
I was one of your volunteer peelers-that was an awesome experiment to be a part of. It was fun trying to guess what methods you were testing.
Do you know that moment when your friend is an expert in some niche field, and you can listen to them for days, even though you don't have the fuzziest idea about what their talking about? listening to Kenji feels like that, except i do follow the logic for once.
I felt that
My ex used to say this about me when I went off on some rant about technology or aviation or space stuff, and I get it with Kenji (and some other chefs) too. It's cool listening to somebody talk enthusiastically about a topic that they're really interested in, even if you don't always follow what they're saying.
I'm that friend, for me its mma
Kenji's such a good representative of MIT. He didn't necessarily go into the field he studied for, but he has the mindset of always learning what you can and improving whatever can be improved. Thanks for all the "egg-speriments"!
Didn't know he was an MIT alum, off to google!
Edit: Architecture. Interesting.
@@sixstringedthing my geometry teacher was an architect.
Yes, I just watched a 12 minute video on how to boil eggs and I learned A LOT! Thanks!
Not that Kenji needs little ol’ me to confirm this method works… I am here to say it absolutely works perfectly. AND thank you for sharing yourself, your talent, your vast experiments to help us become better cooks. I have saved a screen shot of the image you include with different cook times and I refer to it depending on what I need from my boiled eggs. Thank you Kenji.
…now try it at 10,000 feet+ in a place like Leadville, Colorado where water boils at ~190F.
I appreciate that you clarified at the onset that the eggs were straight from the fridge. Also appreciate that you point out that one can never truly get perfectly peeled eggs 100% of the time. I'd been stressing on why I still continue to get at least one or more out my batch of boiled eggs (8 min or 11 min) that would stick to the shells during peeling. The rest wouldn't. So like you said, about an 80% success rate and just come to terms with the fact that one or more may stick while the rest peel just fine. Good stuff brah... thanx... I don't feel so bad now!!!
Thank you for including that high quality picture at 1:43! That picture really shocked me when I saw it in the food lab and it completely changed how I thought about cooking proteins. I'd always wanted to see a clearer version of it but never went through the trouble of recreating it myself.
Ngl EVERY time I’ve boiled eggs (twice in life) I always had to search up how long i should boil them for and even then I’d just guess when I think they’re ready so I appreciate this video
I have been using this method for months now, and I have literally never had a single egg that was difficult to peel. The shells just basically fall right off. I'm so glad you made this video, thanks!
Thank you for forever changing my hard-boiled egg experience, Kenji!
Reading Kenji's NYT column from a couple of years ago (his debut there, if I recall correctly) in which he advocated this method was a game changer for me. It worked so well for me on the first go, plus it's just sooo much easier to remember compared to other less reliable methods, that I signed right up for this TH-cam channel.
I appreciate the painted toes! Cute dad moment right there!
Thank you Kenji for sharing your techniques and data. Much appreciated.
Thank you for sharing all the story and detail about your testing and journey with 🥚!
I really really really appreciate all the effort and testing that went into this. Thank you Kenji!
I've always boiled eggs using this method, it does make peeling a lot easier.
However, to get the same doneness as you did, my medium-sized (around 55g), thin-shelled eggs take only 6.5 minutes. 9 minutes and they would be grossly overcooked.
Egg size, shell thickness and altitude matter too!
Hole in large end 8 minutes at 756 feet above sea level. Water boiling eggs straight from the refrigerator. Immediately stop the cooking by running them under cool running water
I find the ratio of water to eggs matters too, with less water you'll have a longer lag time where it's coming back to the boil. I know my timing for my egg pot and 6 eggs with enough water to cover all eggs. If I change anything, I'm guessing.
How do you determine shell thickness???
@@pantrymonster good question! I think thickness is probably breed-specific but unless you get your eggs from chickens you know you'll probably never notice.
I buy most of my eggs from a neighbour who has a couple different breeds and I can usually recognise who laid what just by look and feel! Maddy, Bea and Amy lay much thicker-shelled eggs than the rest of the flock 😁
I'll rarely use them for boiling but the upside is they seem to stay fresher longer.
My guess is most commercial egg farms use a single breed so their eggs are likely to be more uniform.
@@jameshammons2354
Dunno if you've discovered this since, but you'll be using a lot of cool running water if you do that method. Do yourself a favour and use less water by using an ice bath. After you take the eggs out of the ice bath, you can even re-use some of that water to refreeze into ice cubes.
By far my favorite and most referenced article from you, honestly, and that's saying something given the number of sous vide references I take from your articles
This was fun to watch. I am happy for the picture of eggs at different times also. Thank you for sharing all your experience 🤗
I boiled mine using your method and they came out perfectly. I say you are the eggspert!
🥁
i have watched and read about 100 "things" to help me master this simple technique...FINALLY THE TRUTH!! so simple, so clear, so full of UNDERSTANDING and not just questioning based hope. Thank you, again, Kenji
Finally! I am amazed by all the "experts" telling us to start the perfect hard boiled eggs in cold water. This is the validation I've been waiting for. :)
Kenji, your voice is so calming and I tend to listen to everything you say in your videos while I’m doing my own cooking or even homework and just listen to what you’re doing. It’s very relaxing, and I learned a lot from your egg-testing data. Great video! :)
I can’t believe we get these videos for free!!!! Thank you Kenji!
I used this method today. These were the easiest eggs I've ever peeled. Made a lovely egg salad and then combined it with a previously made salmon salad. So good! Thank you Kenji!
Great video.
I put the eggs on a grid above the boiling water. Reason this works is steam has more energy than water, and it does not drop the water temperature since the egg is not cooling the water. Time for pure steam cooking is a little longer since there is not as much thermal mass as water to get the yoke set to you want.
Good clear instructions- simple and easy to follow- perfect ty
It's funny your old method was completely different than this one, boiling eggs in like a gallon of water and then ice bath. Good thing those variables tested out to not mattering because this method is certainly a lot easier!
It’s not really completely different. It’s largely the same from the egg’s perspective.
@@JKenjiLopezAlt can I offer you an egg in this trying time?
Actually just in case you see this what's the difference between a dirty bus depot and a lobster with breast implants?
One is a crusty bus station, and the other is a busty crustacean
@@JKenjiLopezAlt What about carry over cooking by cooling them at room temp? Wouldn't a 6 minute egg become a 7-8 minute egg?
@@christiandalessandro4009 there’s not much carryover in an egg. They are quite small.
@@ChuckD99 this is my sister’s favorite joke. (Except as NYers, we tell it as The Port Authority vs. a lobster w/ big boobs.)
1. Love the egg chart and other similar tastings. I'd love a shot of that for some wall art or as a reference chart.
2. Cold eggs, boiling water, cold water bath. The crack and roll that you do afterwards, I also do but under running cold water and to all the eggs before I peel them. I do a dozen at a time, and they always turn out, if not maybe 1.
Tried and tested. another success.This almost 12 min video on how to boil egg saved me 10min of my life today and in the more coming days or weeks. Thank you kenji!
Thank you for the vids! I love your attention to detail and commitment to getting accurate data that is encompassing. The egg chart is appealing and an easy reference point. I would imagine that those times would be longer for somebody at a higher altitude
Yet another caveat in boiling eggs is cooking altitude. The eggs take significantly longer to cook because the lower air pressure causes the water to boil at a lower temperature. For example at ~6000ft, a soft boiled egg takes 9 minutes and hard boiled eggs take 13 minutes. It was quite frustrating that no recipe would give me perfectly cooked eggs until I realized the problem.
I read "altitude" as "attitude" at first and immediately readied myself for a very different comment. :P
There are people that live at 6000ft?
@@Oktaykulu16 there are people who live at 12,000 feet in La Paz
Ok
@@natan9065 lol u eat sand
Thanks Kenji! I would add what helps me is (this works for soft boiled too); after you cook them, put them in water (room temp or iced), when they are cool enough to handle, crack them all over and put them back in the water (room temp, or iced). Go back to an earlier cracked egg and start peeling.
I think having the cracked eggs sitting in water just a minute or two allows a little water to get in between the egg & shell, contributing to being easier to peel.
i always thought it was the egg volume decresing with cold that make the egg easier to peel
@@iannisbretin8276 I'm sure that helps too... That sounds logical to me.
I saw your Serious Eats boiled egg cooking directions a couple of years ago and LOVED IT! I loved it because it works soooo well! I had tried everything except putting the eggs into boiling water and ALWAYS had trouble getting the shells off until I tried your boiling water technique. THANK YOU!!!! Great to see your foolproof method here again. I really enjoy your videos! Love your dogs too!!
As always... so interesting. Really enjoyed it!
I really hope the next video is the egg salad! One of the greatest foods on earth, I would love to see your take on it.
I need to look up his Devilled Egg recipe!
That moment you notice Kenji's toenails are painted and can't really pay attention to the rest of what's being said 😁😆
LOOOOOOL, glad I'm not the only one XD
One of the many perks of fatherhood
Right! They made me so happy!
@@misterinternational how bout it! that and being covered in glitter....like all the time LOL
I never noticed his feet but I see a lot of comments about them!
Thank you for all the effort you put into cooking. We could easily just read your articles but the videos on top of the articles are *chef kiss*
One reason I love Kenji’s videos is they give his sense of humor an opportunity to shine.
Its was purest pleasure to listen you knoweldge about cooking eggs!
Thats all i need
Thank you Kenji
I lower my eggs into the boiling water with silicone-tipped tongs. That way you avoid cracking the eggs or scolding your fingers, if you dip them in the water in an effort to soften the egg's landing
Or a spider. Like the spatulas with holes
@@IrmaU94 Yeah, that's a valid option too. I use tongs because I boil my eggs in a narrow pot and I don't have a good angle to softly lower the eggs with a spider
I just gently lower mine in on a spoon. This also seems to help prevent eggs straight out of the fridge from cracking due to thermal shock, but that could also just be the luck of the draw based on shell thickness.
This is the video we needed.
Okay, I need to give some serious shoutouts and a fan-boy moment. We just tried this method with a dozen eggs, which were cooked to perfection at 8:30 without an ice bath. I'm 53 and this is the first time I've made 12 perfect eggs. Perfect peel.
Kenji! It worked omg. Thank you!
Uses wok for boiling eggs. I'm beginning to suspect this man would recommend a wok as an essential home item. He should a book on it.
Funny enough I remember seeing this way of boiling eggs from Chef John! GREAT MINDS definitely think a like, awesome video !
You're a madman, Kenji. Love it
Very thorough experiment.
Painted toenails are my highlight of the video.
You noticed too! lol
Kenjis a great dad
I use an egg cooker that actually steams the eggs instead of boiling them and in the over 10 years I've been using it, I have never had a shell that stuck to an egg or any difficulty at all peeling an egg that has been cooked in this gadget, the shells easily slide right off in two halves. It's a lot easier than boiling eggs in a pot.
Same, I got a small device that works like a rice cooker, it runs until all the water is boiled off. Much faster than boiling a pot of water and just easier.
@@Jaigarful Probably similar to mine. The one I have holds up to 7 eggs, and I have seen larger ones that have two levels for people who need to cook more eggs.
Spoiled Eggheads
@@n3lix LOLOLOL.
You have the amazon link?
I just watched this video then promptly went into the kitchen to boil eggs. It works! And so easy to remember! Thank you. You have no idea how many boiled egg videos I have watched in an effort to cook them properly and make them easier to peel. Wow. Mind-blowing stuff.
Kenji you are a rockstar thank you for your egging research
Hey Kenji, I initially subbed to your channel when you said you'd be doing a series on how commercial kitchens run processes (like doing 60 minute eggs to order). Are you still thinking of doing this series in the future?
Only Kenji can make me watch a 12min video on how to boil eggs.
I always look forward to your videos, you have taught me alot
This video has saved my life…I am and have been my family’s designated deviled egg maker and bringer for every reunion, event, or holiday. For twenty years, I have been starting ancient eggs in cold water and wanting to smash every intractable egg to the ground. I just finished cooking my first batch with this method, and I could cry - 18 eggs, not a single blemish. Thank you for saving my Thanksgiving (and the rest of my deviled-egg-making days) by sparing me rage quitting five minutes into the peeling time! 😍
🎯"and wanting to smash every intractable egg to the ground"➡ I soooo appreciate your ability to so precisely & accurately word-match those thwarting experiences. I especially enjoy, "intractable egg." I admit, influenced by your words, I automatically visualized beyond 'smash' to, 'grind' (each one into the ground)--so satisying⭐Plus, you made me laugh--thanks for that❣
Whoa - ATK thinks the cold water shock helps the peel. Also wild to see that at no point the flame was turned off. Extra points for activating MY siri
i’ve seen a lot of wisdom online that preaches the cold water shock, but anecdotally I also find the cold water shock makes it harder to peel.
"Skip to 9:05 if you don't want to watch water boil and listen to me talk"
You mean miss the best part?
The talk warning was hilarious 😄
Listen to your stories is half of the fun of your videos 😍
my partner made these for me within 4 hrs of you posting - one of the yummiest things I’ve had in a while. thank you!
A few more of the variables that have seemed to matter from when I've been boiling eggs: Air pressure, external air temperature, egg starting temperature. These are mostly hard to control but it might be helpful for people who are still having issues
I'd say that the last two are pretty controllable, but the first is definitely a challenge. :)
"Sit? Oh, you don't need to sit" I'm sure there's a good reason, and don't mean to impugn your training, but this was so very relatable having always had dogs. There're definitely times where everyone involved knows the treat is going to be given either way :)
Sometimes Kenji responds but just in case he doesn't, this pup is older and has some hip issues so he can't sit.
i immediately looked for this comment
Been doing this for years, thanks for shouting it from the rooftops!
Best video on boiled eggs out there, thank you.
This guy is endlessly cool, lol.
Kenji controlling my living room HomePod a couple times in this video XD
Julia Child’s video on poaching eggs for a crowd starts with inserting a 📌 in the bottom centre of the wide part of the shell before blanching them in boiling water for a minute. This helps solidify the white to the yolk so when you cracked them into simmering water the whites stays fixed to the yolk. It’s a method that’s never failed me. But I have never thought of using this prep method for boiling eggs. Great idea. Thanks Kenji.
The little item your symbol shows and what Kenji referred to is not a thumbtack, it’s called a pushpin and is the best option for the job.
Not adversarial/just in this RN's brain, idea-question popped-up: could some not-friendly microbes (that aren't destroyed by heat of boiling H2O) enter thru that tiny opening & cause issues (not necessarily acute infection, but say something that insidiously alters gut biome/probiotic balance)?
I tried this today and all three of my eggs came out super clean and easy to peel. Thanks a lot chef!
Hey Kenji,
Love the effort that went into this.
Out of interest have you ever tried in the instant pot? 3 minutes on low comes out perfectly soft and incredibly easy to peel.
I also do mine in my pressure cooker. Steamed only, they never touch the water. Works great, peels great. I love it. I can do a dozen at a time which works great for my deviled eggs.
@@KevinBReynolds how long do you steam?
Do you do a natural release after three minutes or release the pressure right away?
Yes I’ve tested pressure cookers (as mentioned in the linked articles). The eggs are easy to peel but for my taste the whites come out a little tougher and kore rubbery than I want due to the higher cooking temperature.
@@lillypatience Natural release. That adds about 8 minutes for me, Then into a cool bowl for another 2 or 3 minutes, just so I can handle them easier. It works out great for me. It's the most hands-off cooking hard boiled eggs I've ever experienced. I really like it.
Listening to you is like being in college listening to a professor. Thank you sir
Just made perfect ones thank you so much!!!
My Kenji man crush is totally justified. He is amazing. This simple approach is GAME CHANGING. I went 6 for 6 in lightening fast shell peels with no divots. Typically I am struggling big time. Game changer
Love the video's concept, love the thumbnail even more. Have you studied photography professionally before, or did all of this come naturally over the years via managing the channel and writing your books? Either way, it's clear you've got the eye for it.
Thanks for the video, Kenji!
My major in college was architecture and you had to pick a secondary concentration in one of the related fields. I did photography. So I didn’t study extensively but I did a few college level courses and a couple of credited independent projects in photography in college.
@@JKenjiLopezAlt Always a treat to see passions meld together so well! Thanks for sharing, and all that you do.
Im usually pretty good with boiling eggs, but after trying this method, ALL my eggs cracked while boiling. What gives?
Finally, a technique that worked for me! Thank you.
I have needed this info for so many years, thank you! Also, I love the toe nail polish!
One question: Does the size of the egg make a difference in the cook time? Sometimes i buy extra large eggs and am always unsure if they need an extra minute.
Someone asked about shocking the eggs in cold water to prevent carryover cooking causing an overdone egg, Kenji responded that it doesn't matter that much. Based on that, I'd think that there also wouldn't be much difference in the required cooking time between larger and smaller eggs, the internal volume doesn't change all that much unless you're talking about the smallest/biggest eggs you've ever seen.
Size absolutely make a difference in time needed. It’s like boiling a whole potato vs a chopped up potato. But the fact that there isnt much of a difference between Large and Extra Large egg, the difference might be minimal, maybe 1 to 2 minutes longer or shorter
Who doesn’t want to watch water boil while you wax poetic on eggs?
Damn. If only there was some way you could skip through the video to get to the part you want. If only.
@@Katzuma_ man, if only chef Kenji included the time to skip to, like he did @ 2:06
@@SpoilerAlert__ missed the sarcasm brother
I think everyone missed the sarcasm. No way I’m skipping.
I eat about 4-5 boiled eggs a day. So I do a lot of cooking and peeling! I slowly figured out a decent way to do it that works for me but still had like 60% at best clean peels. I tried this method today and it was 4 for 4 so far. Clean easy peels and nicely cooked. I am gonna keep doing it and see what happens! Thanks!
Thanks for the Kenji trifecta!
I've found starting hot absolutely makes them easier to peel. I usually put mine in a steamer.
If you hard boil a lot of eggs you need an Instant Pot! They peel perfectly every single time.
Can confirm, we're way over 80% perfect success rate with a pressure cooker, more like 95%.
I never really think about how I boil eggs but this will definitely make my life easier and the video is incredibly informative and helpful! Thank you!
I've forgotten what method you used to cook eggs, I will always refer to your video of cooking eggs! Thank goodness for a genius to do the due diligence that others wouldn't! LOVE YA KENJI!
Love your toe polish!!
Pro tip: use a raised basket to eliminate direct harsh heat and also have the eggs fully submerged for balanced heat penetration.
I like these last two thumbnails. Love the clean look.
You posted this video at the perfect time. Been wanting to learn how to do half-boiled eggs for ramen. Thanks Kenji.
I notice you didn't transfer the eggs to an ice bath after cooking. I've seen it said that this should be done to halt the cooking process. Have you done any testing on that, and if so, has it made a difference?
Just watch the video.
"who has time to get their eggs out and let them warm to room temp?"
Everyone outside of the USA who doesn't have to refrigerate their eggs, I'm guessing?
The talk in the middle is be far the best part of this episode. I love the scientific method!
Thank you! Great information.
Thank you for this. Much appreciated.
thank you for actually saying the time, the temp, and the age of the egg! also that egg chart really helps!
NEVER will i skip a second of your videos
Thank you for that wonderful timing image. 11 minutes looks perfect for me.
(And "I have the data" is so Kenji!)