How do you make the perfect one?

D'ye mean 'finnan haddie'? Never heard of finney haddock.

My mom used to do soft-boiled and medium-soft eggs all the time. The only thing I remember about that is she put them in boiling water, not cold, and timed it quite precisely. But don't ask me exactly how many minutes. You may need to experiment with that until you get it right.

Finny haddock
Finnan haddock

same thing

This truly is the site where cooking experts hang out not one of you can tell me how to boil an egg?????????

thats a bit hard

perhaps you've overcooked it

Here's Cav's take on hard boiled eggs. Sounds like you've got the technique and only have to get the timing down.

http://able2know.org/topic/27622-1

To me your question has already been replied.

Let's start again:

1- Fill a pan, which dimensions are adapted to the eggs, with sufficient water to cover them.

2- Put it on a medium fire.

3- When the water starts boiling (simmering) put your eggs in there.

4- Let the water boil for two minutes.

5- Take your eggs out.

6-In order to facilitate taking out the eggshell you can cool down your eggs under tap water.

It works for me...

Doesn't work for me Francis every time I put eggs in boiling water within seconds the shells split and egg white is floating around the pan

You are boiling them in too high a temperature.

Remember, water simmering when you put them in, medium fire, two minutes.

The shells never split in this case.

Try adding salt to the water.

I use an egg cooker, I measure the water at "medium" put the eggs in and turn it on, when the light comes on I take out perfectly medium cooked eggs.

Automated process, Dys, all American..

For the enlightenment of the crowds:
Boiled egg

Ah... Water boils at a constant temperature. Changing the burner will affect how fast the water boils, but not how hot the water is.

now I'm curious, what is the difference between "simmering" and "roiling" when it comes to water boiling.

You maybe a good teacher, but I doubt of your cooking abilities...

Temperature gradient affects cooking...

Er... Temperature gradient? Water is a very good conductor of heat; there isn't likely to be much change in temperature between the bottom of the pan and the top of the pan.

That, I could understand. Applying too much heat causes turbulent water, which causes the eggs to crack.

But the water temperature remains the same in either case.

Then tell us how to cook the perfect egg...

Fry it in bacon grease.

You're doing something wrong. Try putting a teaspoon of salt in with the boiling water. It won't actually prevent the shells from splitting if that's what they're prone to do but it will seall the srack quickly and prevent any of the egg itself from floating out into the water. But that splitting of shells should not be a constant thing, just occasional, if the shell has been weakened for some reason. I don't understand why they should always split.

And, btw, Francis is quite correct. Water may start to boil at a constant temp., but that temp. certainly increases as the water boils. Else there would never be any evaporation. There sure is such a thing as a temperature gradient.

I suggest you try it with a thermometer.

Increasing the heat applied to the pan will increase the rate at which water turns to steam, but not the temperature of the boiling water.


Also, adding salt will make the water boil at a higher temperature. (Although probably not by a significant, or even noticeable, amount with any typical amount of salt.)