How to Tell if an Egg Is Boiled? 7 Simple Tests

Are you wondering if your eggs are boiled? Cooking a perfect, easy-to-peel hard-boiled egg can be difficult. 

Boiled eggs make wonderful additions to breakfast, salads, and lunches. They are a great source of protein, but it can be hard to tell if they’re done or not.

You don’t want to undercook them and risk getting sick, but you also don’t want to overcook them and end up with rubbery egg whites that won’t cut easily. 

You won’t have to worry about eating undercooked eggs ever again after reading this article. I promise!

Here I will show you how to tell if an egg is boiled by using simple tricks. So let’s get started.

How to Tell if an Egg Is Boiled?

It’s very simple and easy to check if your egg is boiled. You can always crack the eggs to check if it’s boiled or raw, but what if the egg is raw?

1. Spin the Egg

You can spin the egg, if it spins free and easy you meant your boiled egg is ready. But if it doesn’t spin freely, then keep boiling because it’s still filled with liquid.

2. Check the Firmness of the Yolk

Insert a toothpick into the egg and then remove it. If the yolk dents, your egg remains raw and you should boil some more.

But if there is no dent found on the toothpick but it has passed through an uncooked portion of white, then your egg is boiled. And the toothpick should move through it smoothly.

3. Hold the Egg up to the Light

The raw egg will have a more transparent look while the boiled egg will be whiter. So, if your egg is boiled then it’s clearly visible you are done with cooking.

The inside of a raw egg is white and gooey. You can see the yolk shining through when you shine your flashlight on it!

Boiled eggs look completely solid because their shells are thick enough to keep everything in, but they lack this translucency that gives them away as being “cooked.”

4. Time Your Cooking

You can guess by time as well as the above tricks. If you cooked your egg for 10 minutes, it will be boiled and if you cook your egg for 15 minutes it will be overcooked. But between those two times is where I suggest cooking it.

For the perfect hard-boiled egg, you should put the eggs in boiling water for about 7-8 minutes.

5. Look for Bubbles

Drop the egg in warm water and see whether tiny bubbles are rising from the eggshell. If yes, your egg is boiled and ready to eat.

6. Crack Open the Egg

If you think your egg is boiled, but not completely done. Crack it open and observe the firmness of the yolk. If it’s still runny, continue boiling it.

Or, if you are cooking more than one egg at a time, pull out the first egg after 7-8 minutes and crack it open on a plate. If it’s done, remove the rest of them from heat. But if it isn’t cooked completely, return them to the hot water for another minute or so.

7. Drop It in Cold Water

Fill a bowl with ice water and carefully lower the egg into the water using a spoon. Let the egg sit in the water for about 30 seconds and then place it on a plate to see what happens next.

If it sinks and lays flat on its side, that means the egg is hard-boiled and fully cooked through. This is because as you cool down an egg by submerging it in ice water, the proteins solidify. 

If the egg sinks and stands up straight, that means it’s still raw inside. But if the egg floats to the top of the bowl, it means something went wrong with your cooking method.

Read More: Best Egg Substitutes for Meatloaf

How to Boil Eggs Perfectly?

Perfect hard-boiled eggs are completely cooked through but still creamy and moist. You want to make sure the egg yolks reach the desired firmness, which is why you should know how long to boil your eggs.

1. Place Eggs in a Single Layer in a Pot

It’s important that the eggs don’t bump into each other while boiling. If they do, they might crack and the whites could leak out, making it difficult to peel them later on. Make sure there is at least one inch of water covering all the eggs in the pot.

2. Use a Medium-Sized Pot

It’s important not to use a pot that’s too big or too small, as it can also cause your eggs to crack. A medium-sized pot is best for boiling a dozen eggs at a time.

3. Add One Cup of Cold Water and Place the Pot on the Stove

Adding a cup of cold water before you put the pot on the stove reduces cracking during cooking and helps keep the egg yolks centered inside the egg whites.

4. Turn on the Stove and Bring to a Boil

Place the pot of eggs onto your stovetop and turn up the heat, bringing it to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Don’t forget to stir occasionally so that all the eggs cook evenly!

5. Turn off the Stove and Cover the Pot

When you see a lot of steam coming from the pot, it’s a good idea to turn off the stove so that your eggs don’t overheat. Then, cover the pot with a lid and let it sit for 10 minutes. Don’t take off the lid until then!

6. Remove the Lid and Pour Out the Water

Take off the lid, remove your eggs from the pot, and pour out any remaining water. Leaving water in the pot while cooling them down will result in soggy eggs, so it’s important to get rid of it!

7. Cool Down Your Eggs with Cold Running Water

Fill a big bowl with cold water and then lower the eggs into it with a slotted spoon. Leave them in the bowl for about 5 minutes, or until they have cooled down all the way.

8. Remove Your Eggs from the Water and Peel Them

Take out each egg from the water using your slotted spoon and lay it on a plate to peel it at your own convenience.

This way you can easily tell if eggs are boiled properly or not.

What Is the Difference Between a Hard-Boiled Egg and a Soft-Boiled Egg? 

A hard-boiled egg is fully cooked, with firm whites and yolks that are firm but still moist. A soft-boiled egg has runny whites and yolks that are thick, yet still fluid.

Related: Best Egg Substitutes for Meatloaf

Final Words

So there you have it, seven super easy ways to tell if an egg is boiled or not.

Follow these simple steps and your eggs will come out perfectly every time, cooked just right so they are easy to peel.

And remember, no matter what method you use, always be extra careful when peeling boiled eggs because the egg whites will be very delicate and prone to tearing.

If you found this article helpful, please share it with your friends and family so that they can also learn how to tell if an egg is boiled. Thanks for reading!