HELP!!!!!!! Soft boiled egg.
- Thread starter Adillo303
- Start date
4 minute egg should do it if not got to 5 minute however the yolk will also begin to cook. I do them for myself at 3.5 to 4 min.
I take out the eggs usually the night before as I want them at room temp otherwise it is a little harder to get them right. Bring the water to a boil and put in the eggs, if straight from the fridge they will often crack. I then time them and from the hot water to an ice bath which stops the cooking at that second they hit the cold water.
I take out the eggs usually the night before as I want them at room temp otherwise it is a little harder to get them right. Bring the water to a boil and put in the eggs, if straight from the fridge they will often crack. I then time them and from the hot water to an ice bath which stops the cooking at that second they hit the cold water.
I also love a good soft boiled egg but never could get it perfect. 4 minutes - 7 minutes - 5 1/2 minutes - everyone had an answer but none of them worked for me.
Then I found an American Test Kitchen recipe. Perfect every time!
Put 1/2 inch of water in a saucepan. Bring it boil over medium-high heat.
Add cold eggs from the fridge.
Cover and steam exactly 6 1/2 minutes.
Put the saucepan in the sink and run cold water in it for 30 seconds to stop the cooking.
They are always perfect.
Then I found an American Test Kitchen recipe. Perfect every time!
Put 1/2 inch of water in a saucepan. Bring it boil over medium-high heat.
Add cold eggs from the fridge.
Cover and steam exactly 6 1/2 minutes.
Put the saucepan in the sink and run cold water in it for 30 seconds to stop the cooking.
They are always perfect.
JoeC - Success this AM. Thank you. My only change was to put cold eggs in a basin of hot water while the pan was coming to a boil. This gave me "no notice" room temperature eggs.
Moxie - You're up tomorrow. One of the benefits of being out of work, maybe the only one, is breakfast, which I do not normally get when I have work.
Moxie - You're up tomorrow. One of the benefits of being out of work, maybe the only one, is breakfast, which I do not normally get when I have work.
The only reason I don't put in eggs right from the fridge is I've had them crack before. I'm going to try Moxie's version also tomorrow as I have them at least twice a week myself.
Leni
New member
Hey guys. Try putting a hole in the large end of the egg where the air pocket is. The expanding air is what causes the crack. I use my ice pick to drill the hole but there are also gagets that you can buy that do the trick. A darning needle will also do the job. Just do it carefully so you don't bust the egg.
ayup. piercing the big end is SOP for me. the older the egg, the bigger the air sac, the more likely the build up of internal pressure will find a weak spot.
you might find this info illuminating for the whereas and howfors... it's a bit a a long read, but actually the temp / advice at the near end is the most valuable part.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/10/the-food-lab-science-of-how-to-cook-perfect-boiled-eggs.html
snippet:
/quote
Since whites set at 155 degrees and yolks set at 158, you have a tolerance of three degrees to work with, which translates to about 15 seconds in either direction.
/unquote
basically, all the home spun methods of start cold/hot/turn off/wait x minutes etc etc etc - all depend on a lot of variables - egg temp to start, amount of water, burner performance, temp of boiling water (ie altitude) among the biggest. this is why the homespun methods work absolutely perfect for one person, and bomb in the next kitchen.
I start them in boiling water. when we got a new fridge, I had to rework my timing for soft / hard boiled because the new fridge keeps colder than the old one....
the narrow range of "really good" finish temps makes the sous vide method very attractive - brings the whole egg up to set temp and can't "over cook" - if you've got a couple hours to wait for your breakfast eggs....
otherwise you've got much higher heat "outside" the egg, creates a temp gradient to the "inside / center" and you have to find the right balance point (ie time) for the way you like your eggs.
using the same pot, on the same burner, set to the same heat level, with the same amount of water, at the same water starting temp, the same number of eggs of the same size, eggs at the same temp - yup, one can experiment and "find" the exact time needed for cold/hot start + turn off on boil & wait, etc. not a problem - the "problem" is only "some experimentation required" - with perhaps a few things out of your direct control - such as the temp of "cold water" coming out of the tap, by season....
you might find this info illuminating for the whereas and howfors... it's a bit a a long read, but actually the temp / advice at the near end is the most valuable part.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/10/the-food-lab-science-of-how-to-cook-perfect-boiled-eggs.html
snippet:
/quote
Since whites set at 155 degrees and yolks set at 158, you have a tolerance of three degrees to work with, which translates to about 15 seconds in either direction.
/unquote
basically, all the home spun methods of start cold/hot/turn off/wait x minutes etc etc etc - all depend on a lot of variables - egg temp to start, amount of water, burner performance, temp of boiling water (ie altitude) among the biggest. this is why the homespun methods work absolutely perfect for one person, and bomb in the next kitchen.
I start them in boiling water. when we got a new fridge, I had to rework my timing for soft / hard boiled because the new fridge keeps colder than the old one....
the narrow range of "really good" finish temps makes the sous vide method very attractive - brings the whole egg up to set temp and can't "over cook" - if you've got a couple hours to wait for your breakfast eggs....
otherwise you've got much higher heat "outside" the egg, creates a temp gradient to the "inside / center" and you have to find the right balance point (ie time) for the way you like your eggs.
using the same pot, on the same burner, set to the same heat level, with the same amount of water, at the same water starting temp, the same number of eggs of the same size, eggs at the same temp - yup, one can experiment and "find" the exact time needed for cold/hot start + turn off on boil & wait, etc. not a problem - the "problem" is only "some experimentation required" - with perhaps a few things out of your direct control - such as the temp of "cold water" coming out of the tap, by season....
.
Leni
New member
Looks exactly like mine moxie except that I put mine on buttered toast. Add a little S&P to taste and I am in heaven.
