Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

America's Test Kitchen as a very simple fool proof method of making hard boiled eggs.

Cooking

1. Place eggs in medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, fill medium bowl with 1 quart water and 1 tray ice cubes (or equivalent).
4. After 10 minutes, transfer eggs to ice bath with slotted spoon and let sit 5 minutes.

Peeling

1. Tap each egg all over against counter top to crack shell, then roll egg gently back and forth several times.
2. Begin peeling from air-pocket (wider) end.
3. The shell should come off in spiral strips attached to thin membrane.
4. Hard-boiled eggs can be refrigerated for several days.
5. You can double or triple this recipe as long as you use a pot large enough to hold the eggs in a single layer, covered by an inch of water.

Peeling (added April 6, 2009 from ATK news letter)
If you plan on peeling your eggs immediately after cooking, drain the hot water from the pot used to cook the eggs and shake the pot back and forth to crack the shells. Then plunge them in enough ice water to cover the eggs until they cool down. The water seeps under the broken shells, allowing them to be slipped off without a struggle. If you want to leave the shells intact (perhaps for decorating), and wish to peel them later, the best way is to start to peel from the large end of the egg, which has an air pocket. This lets you get under the membrane without digging into the white.