How to Peel a Hard-Boiled Egg

Published on Thursday, January 3, 2008, by CHOW Video Team / Edit Post

How to Peel a Hard-Boiled Egg

Delicious deviled eggs are but one of the preparations that you can apply your freshly peeled eggs to.

CHOW Tips are the shared wisdom of our community. If you’ve figured out some piece of food, drink, or cooking wisdom that you’d like to share on video (and you can be in San Francisco), email Meredith Arthur and tell us what you’ve got in mind.

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POST A COMMENT |7 Comments

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  • While the method of pricking the shell may keep the shell from cracking while cooking it seems to do little to help with peeling, which is my main concern. When peeling eggs by the dozen, speed matters, and pricking doesn't help. As activesack said, the age of the egg helps most there. Since the beginning of the summer I have pickled 8-10 dozen eggs (my cholesterol number was 171 a month ago or...+READ

    While the method of pricking the shell may keep the shell from cracking while cooking it seems to do little to help with peeling, which is my main concern. When peeling eggs by the dozen, speed matters, and pricking doesn't help. As activesack said, the age of the egg helps most there. Since the beginning of the summer I have pickled 8-10 dozen eggs (my cholesterol number was 171 a month ago or so ;-) ), and the older eggs have definitely been the easiest to peel. Next time I will try the "blow" method.

    I disagree about @activesack's comment about the skin forming after a week. The membranes are always there regardless of the age of the egg. The important factor is the release of gas between the egg and the membrane.

    @LizaZee, I can boil an egg perfectly every time, but you're wrong about perfect cooking = perfect peeling. No green layer on my yolks, white and yolk moist, not grainy. But in with eggs that are too fresh, some peel well, some don't.-COLLAPSE

  • egg salad tastes best when it's warm! put it in ice water and dull it's life. I gotta try the breathe trick, but im fine just peeling it under running water.

  • The waitless.org video is no longer there, but if I suspect correctly, it's the eggshell blowing technique.

    Blow the eggshell off with your own breath:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETgWdRfRY2U

    Way faster than the method shown in this video.

    If using your own breath to blow the shells off of eggs doesn't sound sanitary to you, you can always spend your money on those silly infomercial devices...+READ

    The waitless.org video is no longer there, but if I suspect correctly, it's the eggshell blowing technique.

    Blow the eggshell off with your own breath:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETgWdRfRY2U

    Way faster than the method shown in this video.

    If using your own breath to blow the shells off of eggs doesn't sound sanitary to you, you can always spend your money on those silly infomercial devices that do it for you. I think they're called "eggstractors" or "eggjaculators" or something like that.-COLLAPSE

  • Haha! nice find, caperbaker!

    Anyway... the MOST IMPORTANT factor in being able to peel a hard-boiled egg is the age. Eggs a week old will form that nice skin we've all come to know and love.

    Once you do that, you can scuff away at your anodized aluminum pan to your heart's content.

  • Puh-lease! Lisa is right. Just peel the darn thing before you eat it. It ain't rocket science!!

  • This method makes sense but THIS method is much more fun!
    http://www.waitless.org/?video=quickpeel

    :o)

  • You're kidding, right? The tip is all in the boiling - once an egg is boiled properly, a child could peel it easily. Tell people what they need to know.