One of the most common questions we get in our kitchen is “Why do I need to cover my pot while boiling eggs?” The answer lies in a simple scientific principle: heat rises. When you boil eggs, the water boils and creates bubbles that rise up to the surface. If you don’t cover your pot, those bubbles will escape from the saucepan and create steam on top of your stove – which can be dangerous if it’s too close to anything else with an open flame or electric coil. Covering your pot prevents these bubbles from escaping, which helps maintain a more consistent temperature for cooking your eggs.
Basic steps to take care while boiling eggs
It’s crucial to place eggs in a pot that is deep enough, so eggs don’t crack, and cover the eggs with an extra inch of boiling water. This will make sure that all eggs are cooked evenly and eggs are not exposed to scolding hot temperatures by coming in contact with the air. It’s also important for eggs not to be crowded together because this can prevent them from getting hot fast enough and cooking thoroughly on all sides.
Contrary to popular belief, eggs should not be placed in cold water and then heated eggs will crack! Perhaps the biggest reason why eggs should be covered is that eggs are composed of mostly water, so it’s important for eggs to boil in a pot with lots of boiling water. If boiling eggs uncovered, eggs might cook too fast because hot air can enter directly into the eggs’ shell and cooking them from inside out.
Eggs are relatively easy to boil, but it can be tricky knowing when eggs have finished cooking. To hard-boil eggs, start by placing the eggs in cold water and then bring them up to a rolling boil before removing them from heat for around 9 minutes at 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The eggs should also be covered with an inch of boiling water, or they will crack!
You’ll know that eggs are done when there are no runny yolks left and both egg plugs on each end have been cooked through. If you want more soft-boiled eggs with fewer firm whites (which may work better if you plan on using your eggs in recipes), cook between 180F – 190F instead of 160F – 170F so that the egg yolk is a bit more liquid. If eggs are cooked too long, eggs will become over-cooked eggs that have lost all their runniness and turn into hard eggs.
