Should Eggs Be Room Temperature Before Boiling? Don’t make this simple mistake. By Tamara Gane Tamara Gane Tamara Gane is a travel, food, and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in more than 30 prominent publications, including Travel and Leisure, TripSavvy, The Washington Post, The Independent, NPR, Taste of Home, Wine Enthusiast, and more. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on April 3, 2025 In This Article View All In This Article Should Eggs Be Room Temperature? Bringing Eggs To Room Temperature How To Hard-Boil An Egg Frequently Asked Questions Close Credit: Antonis Achilleos To boil an egg, you just need an egg, a pot, some water, and a little bit of salt or vinegar. Simple, right? It is until you try it and your egg ends up underdone, overdone, or cracked. One mistake that can easily lead to a subpar hard-boiled egg? Boiling it straight from the fridge. That's right, boiling your eggs while they're still cold will lead to disappointment and ruin your deviled eggs and egg salad sandwiches. So should eggs be room temperature before boiling? If you're wondering how a little thing like the temperature of an egg can have such a dramatic impact, you're in luck. We asked Atlanta chef Jennifer Hill Booker and Jason Smith, a chef in Grayson, Kentucky and a Food Network baking show judge, to explain the chemistry behind this simple blunder. Jennifer Hill Booker is a chef, cooking instructor, cookbook author, and contributing writer for Food & Dining in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jason Smith is a chef and baker from Grayson, Kentucky, and a judge on Food Network shows Best Baker in America and Worst Bakers in America. Why You Shouldn't Boil Eggs Directly From The Fridge "Chemistry is a true science. When you put ice-cold raw eggs into a pot of boiling water, you'll create a violent reaction inside that poor little eggshell," says Booker. This violent reaction will lead to a host of issues. Most noticeably, your eggs will be likely to crack due to the shock of the extreme temperature change. That's not all, though. Booker also states that the egg white will attach itself to the inside of the shell, rendering it far more difficult to peel. And it gets worse from there. When you peel away the shell, the egg is likely to be rubbery and tough. The bottom line? Don't tempt fate. Bring your eggs to room temperature before you boil them. How To Bring Eggs To Room Temperature Luckily, it doesn't take long to bring your eggs to room temperature. Smith says to simply pull your eggs out of the fridge at the same time you start boiling your water. "Once the water starts boiling, the eggs will have come to the right temperature to put in the water," he says. Eggs can safely sit on the counter for up to two hours, but that doesn't mean you should pull them out of the carton and forget about it. Condensation can lead to the growth of bacteria and shorten the shelf life of your eggs. Remove the eggs you need shortly before cooking, and put the rest of the carton back in the refrigerator. How To Boil A Hard-Boiled Egg To Perfection Now that you know what mistakes to avoid, you're probably wondering how to properly boil an egg. Smith shared these simple steps: Place 1-2 tablespoons of salt or ⅛ cup of vinegar in a pot of water. Remove the eggs from the refrigerator as you bring the pot to a gentle boil.Once the pot is boiling, carefully lower the eggs in the water. Reduce the temperature if needed and allow them to simmer for 12 minutes. (You don't want the eggs to bang against each other and crack, which tends to happen at a hard boil.)Remove the pot from the heat and use a slotted spoon to place the eggs in a bowl of ice-cold water.Once the eggs have cooled, they're ready to peel and enjoy. Frequently Asked Questions Does an egg's freshness affect how easily it will peel? Yes, just-laid eggs are harder to peel than older eggs. Week-old eggs have taken in air that helps separate the membrane from the shell. The pH also increases as the eggs age, reducing the attraction of the egg white to the shell. Should you chill hard-boiled eggs before peeling? Yes, chill the eggs in an ice bath or refrigerate them overnight to make peeling easier. Taking the eggs from hot to cold water will cause the egg whites to shrink and pull away from the membrane. Do you put boiled eggs in before or after water boils? While some stand by putting eggs in water before it boils, it's better to put eggs in the water after it boils because the eggs will be easier to peel and you can get a more accurate cooking time. Explore more: Food and Recipes Dairy Eggs Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Southern Living is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. Rellinger, D. Peeling hard boiled eggs. Michigan State University Extension. Oct. 2, 2014. U.S. Department of Agriculture. AskUSDA. What makes hard-cooked eggs hard to peel?