Mary left a comment that she steams eggs - for both hard and soft boiled -- and that is basically what this lengthy description is suggesting.....how to do it without a steamer.
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I didn't want to send you to my recipe blog for this because it is buried in the comments. My recipe blog is just for me - so it's not very well organized. It's also for my kids - because they ask for recipes and it's much easier to link to something on the internet.
I'll insert my own comments (in red) about alterations I made in this recipe - and why I made them - as well as why this method works so well. It's not a recipe - it's directions.
The directions include soft boiled eggs as well.
Perfect HB eggs - from Cook's Country.
Find a lidded saucepan large enough to allow your eggs to comfortably fit on the bottom in a single layer. Add 1 inch of water, cover, and bring the water to a boil without the eggs in the pan.
One inch is a very small amount of water - but that's what makes this such a good method. With any other method - the number of eggs and their temperature can change the temp of the water - so it has to come back to a boil - which takes an unknown amount of time - or if you put the eggs in the water first and then bring it to a boil - there is no way to know what's going on - because different amounts of water and eggs with come to a boil at a different rate.
There are methods where you control the first part - and then cover the pan and turn off the heat and let the eggs sit for 30 minutes - and those methods work - but they take so long.
When you start with one inch of boiling water - and put the eggs in - and put the lid on - the water will return to a boil promptly and the eggs will cook promptly - even though they are not submerged - because of the steam.
Where it says *my preference* below - that is the Cook's Country author - not me.
Gently lower eggs into the saucepan using a slotted spoon or a steamer basket. (It’s O.K. if the eggs are partly submerged on the bottom of the pot, or elevated on a steamer rack and not submerged at all.) Cover pan and cook eggs, adjusting the burner to maintain a vigorous boil, 6 (6.5 or 7 is my preference) minutes for a warm liquid yolk and firm whites, 8 1/2 minutes for a translucent, fudgy yolk, or 11 minutes for a yolk that is just barely firm all the way through.
For HB eggs, I cook them 13 minutes. I was finding then a tiny bit soft at 12 minutes and I've never had them overcook at 13 - but - you might find 11-12 to be perfect.
Drain eggs, then peel (if you like to burn your fingers) and eat immediately, or transfer them to a plate and allow them to cool naturally before storing in the refrigerator for up to a week directly in their shell. (A small dot made with a permanent marker on the top of each cooked egg will ensure you don’t mix them up with the raw eggs.)
Do not shock them in an ice bath after cooking; this makes them more difficult to peel.
This has not been my experience at all - but I do not use an ice bath - just *cold* tap water. I drain them and fill the pot with cold tap water and let them sit just long enough that they have cooled enough to peel - and I find that they peel beautifully. If I put them in the fridge without peeling them they inevitably give me fits - so I don't do that.
Additional tip from a plumber who was unclogging a drain with a garbage disposal. If you run egg shells down the disposal - sometimes the sections of shells will start sticking to the pipes and laminate themselves together - and eventually create a blockage. So, it's better to avoid putting egg shells down a garbage disposal. Composting is a good idea - but only if it's in something that prevents the varmints from feasting on all the goodies.
