Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

Place eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add cold water to cover eggs by one inch. Heat over high heat just to boiling. Remove from burner. Cover pan.

Let eggs stand in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs (12 minutes for medium eggs, 18 minutes for extra large).

Drain immediately and serve warm, or cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water, then refrigerate.

Tips:

Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel, so buy and refrigerate them 7 to 10 days in advance of cooking. This brief "breather" allows the eggs time to take in air, whch helps separate the membranes from the shell.

Hard-boiled eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling, which causes the egg to contract slightly in the shell.

To peel a hard-boiled egg, gently tap egg on countertop until shell is finely crackled all over. Roll egg between hands to loosen shell. Start peeling at large end, holding egg under cold running water to help ease the shell off.

Source: http://www.incredibleegg.org

Image courtesy of Buster Benson, http://busterbenson.com, Creative Commons license