How to boil eggs perfectly (soft, medium, hard)?

The most reliable method for boiled eggs. Starting in cold water heats the eggs gently so they crack less often, and the residual-heat technique gives you consistent soft/medium/hard results without guesswork.

Steaming produces the most predictable boiled eggs because steam temperature is constant no matter how many eggs are in the basket. Shells also release cleaner than from boiling water.

An electric egg cooker like the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker ($15-20) steams eggs with a measured amount of water and turns off automatically. Fill water to the soft, medium, or hard line using the included measuring cup, add eggs, and press the button. It beeps when done.

Drop eggs into already-boiling water to shock the outer white away from the shell membrane. This is the preferred method when easy peeling is the priority — especially useful with farm-fresh eggs that are notoriously hard to peel from a cold start.

Pressure cooking produces the easiest-to-peel eggs of any method. The pressurized steam forces its way between shell and membrane, so even farm-fresh eggs peel cleanly. Ideal for large batches of meal-prep eggs.