How to Cook a Soft Boiled Egg Perfectly Every Time

Intro: How to Cook a Soft Boiled Egg Perfectly Every Time

Weekend breakfasts are meant to be enjoyed, so I love cooking soft boiled eggs with toast.

Soft-boiled eggs can sometimes be hit and miss but this technique will give you a perfectly cooked egg every time.

STEP 1: Fill the Pot With Half an Inch of Water.

I know this sounds crazy but bare with me.

STEP 2: Place the Pot Over a Medium High Heat, Bring the Water to the Boil.

STEP 3: Set a Timer for 6 Minutes.

6 minutes will give you a perfect soft boiled egg if you want hard boiled egg set the timer to 8 minutes.

STEP 4: Now the Water Is Boiling Add Your Eggs.

STEP 5: Cover With the Lid and Start the Timer

The reason this method works is because we are cooking the eggs with the steam, not the water. Steam is a constant 212f or 100c, this lets the eggs cook quickly and evenly with out giving the yolk time to set.

Also using only ½ inch of water instead of several cups means your eggs are cooked quicker.

STEP 6: Now That the Timer Has Gone Off Take the Pot Off the Heat Straight Away.

Run cold water over the eggs under the water doesn’t heat up. This will stop the eggs from overcooking.

They are ready to serve

STEP 7: Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs Every Time. Beautiful Firm Whites With a Runny Yolk.

Comments

[mookfaru]

The terminology is different where I come from. Steam is referred to water in its gas form and can be from temperatures of 100c+.

The reason boiling water is constant at 100c is because all the energy put into the water is being converted into turning it into a gas and not increasing its temperature.

So by boiling the water you have a physical based temperature control. Steaming would be placing a tiny bit of water, closing the container air tight and letting the gas heat up the food. But also the pressure goes up, so it could also be a pressure cooker.

[Jackassofalltrades]

Basically that's the way I've been doing it for decades, although I found out that a quarter inch of water is enough.

Physics tells us that the six minutes work only at or close to sea level. At higher altitude, water boils at a lower temperature, so the cooking time must be increased. For instance, in our vacation home in the Swiss Alps at about 1400 m (4600 ft) above sea level, eggs of a normal size need around 6' 40", and really big ones need slightly more than 7 minutes.

Physics also tells us that the eggs won't cook faster in steam, because the temperature is the same. However, you save quite a bit of energy because the water will reach boiling temperature much quicker. Maybe that gave you the impression that the cooking is faster.

[mookfaru]

Steam is a gas and can be temperatures above 100c, why wouldn’t it?

[John deCaux]

Thank you so much for that amazing info! I'll make sure to keep that in mind :)

[YourMagesty]

BRILLIANT! I love soft eggs but have been very discouraged at 'my' results. NOW I KNOW!!!!! Yaaaay! Thanks! : )

[PiotrS]

Steam cooking. Clever :)

[John deCaux]

It's a great way of doing it

[seamster]

I'm going to have to give this a try. Thank you for sharing your technique!

[John deCaux]

You're welcome! Let me know how it goes :)