The Spoon Hack To Peel Freshly Boiled Eggs And Leave No Shell Pieces Behind
If you're an avid hard-boiled egg fan, then you've experienced the frustration that comes when hard-boiled egg shells are difficult to peel, leave behind shell pieces, or even rip up the egg inside. There are a ton of different hacks out there to help you avoid this annoying problem, but perhaps one of the easiest is to use a spoon to help you peel a fresh, hard-boiled egg. Using a spoon allows you to wield more control as you peel the egg, and the smooth metal of the spoon is more delicate against the cooked egg white, resulting in fewer tears and rips.
Once your cooked eggs have cooled you'll start by tapping the egg on your counter to begin gently cracking it. Once cracked, you'll remove a small section of the shell gently, you just need enough room to be able to slide your spoon tip under the shell. After you can get the tip of your spoon under the shell, slowly slide the spoon so the rounded part of the spoon aligns with the rounded part of the egg. Doing this should allow you to smoothly separate the shell from the egg and slide the shell right off. Don't move too fast trying to do this hack, slow and steady will get you the best results.
Ways to cook hard-boiled eggs for easier peeling
There are some steps you can take before you even start the peeling process to give you a better chance at having an easier time peeling your eggs. Using older eggs, as opposed to fresh ones, is a good place to start. The science behind this is that the pH levels in the egg whites rise as the egg ages, a higher pH is less likely to fuse with the membrane of the shell, and thus be easier to peel once cooked. When you go to boil your eggs make sure your water is at a roaring boil before adding them in, this cooks the eggs more evenly and makes for an easier time when it comes to peeling.
You'll want to stop cooking your eggs as soon as you bring them out of the water. To do this it's recommended to add your hard-boiled eggs to an ice bath for two to three minutes. This essentially shocks the eggs and immediately stops any further cooking. This lets you get to peeling your eggs soon and makes the whole process easier. You may have heard advice such as adding vinegar or baking soda to your boiling water while the eggs are cooking, you can add these if you'd like but there's mixed information on if this hack actually works.