Guest Chef and Author Ruth Reichl recommends the following method. We followed her instructions in a step-by-step guide on how to boil eggs, from her book Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl.
There are almost as many ways to hard-boil eggs as there are cookbooks. This procedure produces bright yellow velvety yolks (with no gray ring) every time; its the one that the food scientists Shirley Corriher uses in her book CookWise.
You’ll find eggs easier to peel if you use ones that are at least a week old (not a concern if you buy them at the supermarket rather than a farmers market). Ease of peeling is related to pH level, and the older an egg is, the more alkaline it is (that is why you shouldn’t add vinegar to the water).
Eggs First
Put the eggs into a large heavy pot and cover them with 1 1/2 inches of cold tap water.

Turn Up The Heat
Partially cover the pot and bring the water to a rolling boil.

The 30 Second Cook – Boil Egg Trick
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot completely and cook the eggs for 30 seconds.

The 15 Minute Self Cook – Hard Boiled Egg
Remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water, still covered for 15 minutes.

The 5 Minute Ice Bath
Then run the boiled eggs under cold water for about 5 minutes – this stops the cooking and prevents yolk discoloration.

The Finished Result – Perfect Boiled Eggs

The Source
From the Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl.
The Result
Ruth is correct, there are many ways to boil an egg. In this method our eggs came out exactly as she had described, the shell did crack as it was cooking. Further, we looked into Shirley Corriher’s book CookWise and may just add this to our collection.
Items we used to test these instructions
Printable instructions
How To Boil An Egg By Ruth Reichl of Gourmet Cookbook
Equipment
- Pot
- Stove
- Pair of Tongs
- Bowl
Materials
- 1.5 Inches Cold Water
- 6 Each Eggs
Instructions
- Eggs First. Put the eggs into a large heavy pot and cover them with 1 1/2 inches of cold tap water.
- Turn Up The Heat. Partially cover the pot and bring the water to a rolling boil.
- The 30 Second Cook. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot completely and cook the eggs for 30 seconds.
- The 15 Minute Self Cook. Remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water, still covered for 15 minutes.
- The 5 Minute Ice Bath. Then run the eggs under cold water for about 5 minutes – this stops the cooking and prevents yolk discoloration.
- The Finished Result – Perfect Boiled Eggs.
Video
Other Ways To Boil Eggs
Steamed Eggs is another boil egg method that produces a perfect hard boiled egg and it is easy to peel. Visit our page below on how to perfectly steam eggs.