# Boiling eggs, why did 5 of them crack when put in water? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 13, 2002, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boiling-eggs-why-did-5-of-them-crack-when-put-in-water/118778 "2002-07-13T14:13:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boiling-eggs-why-did-5-of-them-crack-when-put-in-water/118778/41 "2017-03-20T05:49:08Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Thank you both. It seems like **commasense** ’s cite’s method is gaining “easy to peel” at the expense of “lots of cracked leaking eggs”. I can’t say I’ve had any more cracked and leaking eggs with this method than any other I’ve used. Besides which, a cracked egg isn’t exactly a disaster, unless you don’t plan to eat it right away. > [@](#): > > I wonder how much of the success of either method is the ice bath? By cooling the eggs aggressively you shrink the whites which may pull back gently from the membrane everywhere. So the membrane is internally “peeled” from the white before you remove any of the shell. In fact, it was my impression that the ice bath was the main factor, so I was a little surprised to read in my cite, when I found it again, that the author was claiming it was putting the eggs in boiling water that made the difference. > [@](#): > > When I’m making HB eggs it’s usually for immediate consumption hot. I don’t want to cool them to room temp or below before eating. That would certainly be no obstacle if one was making egg salad, deviled eggs, eggs to take to work for lunch, etc. There’s no need to leave them in the ice bath very long. When I take them out after a couple of minutes, they’re usually still lukewarm, slightly above room temperature, although certainly not _hot_. Do you mind if I ask how you eat them hot? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boiling-eggs-why-did-5-of-them-crack-when-put-in-water/118778/42 "2017-03-20T06:38:41Z")
> [@Johannes](#): > > Bring your water to boil in the pan as usual. Have your eggs ready. But, when the water boils get a box of matches - yes - matches. Strike a match, and put the lighted match into your boiling water so it sizzles and goes out. Do this with a second match. Now put your eggs in one at a time. They won’t crack. I’ve been using this wierd method for a couple years now and no eggs have cracked. I heard it on a phone-in and tried it. It works every time. 🙂 Spooky. That’s how I cure the hiccups. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boiling-eggs-why-did-5-of-them-crack-when-put-in-water/118778/43 "2017-03-20T13:39:55Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Use a sharp needle or pin What am I, some kind of kitchen primitive? I use an [egg pricker](http://www.bankskitchenboutique.co.za/kitchen-craft-egg-pricker.html). And no snide remarks about unitaskers, all you Alton Brown-nosers… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boiling-eggs-why-did-5-of-them-crack-when-put-in-water/118778/44 "2017-03-20T13:54:30Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > What am I, some kind of kitchen primitive? I use an [egg pricker](http://www.bankskitchenboutique.co.za/kitchen-craft-egg-pricker.html). > > And no snide remarks about unitaskers, all you Alton Brown-nosers… _sprays **Mr. Dibble** with a fire extinguisher_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boiling-eggs-why-did-5-of-them-crack-when-put-in-water/118778/45 "2017-03-20T18:28:48Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Assuming 1 to 4 eggs … Dude, I hard-boil 18-36 eggs at a time. And I’m single! /likes eggs ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boiling-eggs-why-did-5-of-them-crack-when-put-in-water/118778/46 "2017-03-20T18:49:16Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Thank you both. It seems like **commasense** ’s cite’s method is gaining “easy to peel” at the expense of “lots of cracked leaking eggs”. Ref our now-ancient OP. I’ll give the steamed eggs method a try; that’s certainly how I prepare about 90% of my vegetables. > > I wonder how much of the success of either method is the ice bath? By cooling the eggs aggressively you shrink the whites which may pull back gently from the membrane everywhere. So the membrane is internally “peeled” from the white before you remove any of the shell. > > When I’m making HB eggs it’s usually for immediate consumption hot. I don’t want to cool them to room temp or below before eating. That would certainly be no obstacle if one was making egg salad, deviled eggs, eggs to take to work for lunch, etc. I’ve never had a cracked egg using the steam method, not once. I can attest that the difference is not the ice bath. I’ve always done the ice bath, no matter whether I boiled/steamed the eggs. When boiled, fresh eggs were still hard to peel. When steamed, the problem goes away. I don’t eat my hard cooked eggs hot, but I’d be surprised if they 1) cracked or 2) were hard to peel – especially after what **commasense** said about his article. You’ll have to let us know how it goes for hot eggs! ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boiling-eggs-why-did-5-of-them-crack-when-put-in-water/118778/47 "2017-03-20T19:35:44Z")
The eggs were cold and put into boiling water and they should had been put in cold water and not crowded in the pot . This is how I boil my eggs . > **[Anyone Can Hard Boil Perfect Eggs With This Easy Method](https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_perfect_hard_boiled_eggs/)** > > This time-tested hard boiled eggs recipe is foolproof. Learn tips for how to boil eggs so they come out perfectly every time. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boiling-eggs-why-did-5-of-them-crack-when-put-in-water/118778/48 "2017-03-20T20:49:11Z")
> [@Desert\_Nomad](#): > > I lived in Europe for a decade and eggs were never refrigerated at the store. Note: eggs are processed differently in Europe and the US. The process in the US removes the natural coating on the shell, requiring refrigeration. [http://www.businessinsider.com/why-europeans-dont-refrigerate-eggs-2014-12](http://www.businessinsider.com/why-europeans-dont-refrigerate-eggs-2014-12) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boiling-eggs-why-did-5-of-them-crack-when-put-in-water/118778.md?page=2)