To Peel Hard Boiled Eggs In Record Time, Steam Them Instead

A hard-boiled egg is one of the most useful foods to have in your refrigerator. They're great for snacking, putting on salads, or for a quick, easy meal any time of the day. According to WebMD, a hard-boiled egg is full of protein and high in vitamin D, which means you gain muscle-building nutrients that are also great for your bones when you eat them. Talk about appealing.

There's just one negative about this simple, healthy food — peeling the shells is frustrating. Everyone has their opinion about the best way to make the shells come free without taking half the egg with them. Nothing is worse than peeling an egg to make deviled eggs for the holiday meal, and losing chunks of the egg as you peel. 

One of the biggest questions about making hard-boiled eggs is how do you cook them in the first place? Is it best to boil the eggs, just like Mom always did? Not necessarily. There are other options than boiling when it comes to making hard-boiled eggs, and one reigns supreme for easy peeling. 

If you want perfect hard-boiled eggs every time, start steaming them. The best part is that steaming is quick and easy. HuffPost explains that all you need is a pot that can hold a steamer. Add an inch of water to the pot and cover it, then wait for the water to start steaming as it's heated. Uncover and add the eggs, then cover again and cook for about 6–12 minutes, depending on how hard you like the yolk. When the time is up, plop them right into some cold water, so they don't keep cooking.

The reason steaming works so well for hard-boiled eggs is that it sort of "shocks" the egg. Digitaltrends writes that when the egg is heated up quickly from the hot steam that's already there, the membrane easily separates from the egg white. When there is no separation, that's when you get those annoying eggs where the shell seems to stick to the egg when you're peeling it. With the separated membrane, peeling is a cinch. Steaming is the perfect solution for quickly cooked and easy-to-peel eggs.