boiling an egg...

4 minutes once water is boiling. easy

  On 7/27/2011 at 8:10 AM, verticalhold said:

4 minutes once water is boiling. easy

you mean drop them in once the water is boiling for 4 minutes? think you're going to have cracked, hard boiled eggs there mate.

I think I've spoke of this before but I can't recommend duck eggs enough. Supermarket duck eggs are £1.99 compared to about £1.60 for chicken eggs and the yolk is bigger and oranger, and the shells are harder and never shatter and they come from ducks bottoms which is just cool

  On 7/27/2011 at 10:39 AM, keltoi said:

  On 7/27/2011 at 8:10 AM, verticalhold said:

4 minutes once water is boiling. easy

 

you mean drop them in once the water is boiling for 4 minutes? think you're going to have cracked, hard boiled eggs there mate.

i mean leave them in boiling water for 4 minutes. worked out ok for me

  On 7/27/2011 at 11:18 AM, verticalhold said:

  On 7/27/2011 at 10:39 AM, keltoi said:

  On 7/27/2011 at 8:10 AM, verticalhold said:

4 minutes once water is boiling. easy

 

you mean drop them in once the water is boiling for 4 minutes? think you're going to have cracked, hard boiled eggs there mate.

 

i mean leave them in boiling water for 4 minutes. worked out ok for me

sorry maybe i'm being stupid. so you put the eggs into cold water, turn hob on, then 4 minutes timed from cold to the perfect soft boiled egg? i think this method would be dependant on how quick your hob boils water. so many variables.

if you want the nice poached egg waht you do is get a pot fill it with like 3 inches of water let it boil put a pinch of salt in (vinegar is suggested but i dont use it cuz i dont have any), when it boils set it to simmer and then crack the egg into a bowl and put the bowl as close to the water as you can and let the egg slide out slowly as possible into the pot

then u let it cook for 2 - 3 minutes and check after 2 and a half minutes to see if its done if not let it go for 30 more seconds

unhelpful

okay

  On 7/27/2011 at 12:11 PM, keltoi said:

  On 7/27/2011 at 11:18 AM, verticalhold said:

  On 7/27/2011 at 10:39 AM, keltoi said:

  On 7/27/2011 at 8:10 AM, verticalhold said:

4 minutes once water is boiling. easy

 

you mean drop them in once the water is boiling for 4 minutes? think you're going to have cracked, hard boiled eggs there mate.

 

i mean leave them in boiling water for 4 minutes. worked out ok for me

 

sorry maybe i'm being stupid. so you put the eggs into cold water, turn hob on, then 4 minutes timed from cold to the perfect soft boiled egg? i think this method would be dependant on how quick your hob boils water. so many variables.

I think he means 4 minutes from when the water is boiling, but its not clear whether the eggs go in cold water or when it boils. I don't boil eggs much but 4 minutes sounds quite long for a runny eggy.

But if you are looking for consistent results I think putting the egg in cold water and only timing from when you see bubbles is bound to fail because of what you just said. If you are refrigerating your eggs maybe you should consider letting them come to room temperature before placing carefully in boiling water, at least then you know you're being consistent. Unless you think bringing them to the boil is part of the secret.

  On 7/26/2011 at 6:23 PM, Coalbucket PI said:

Stick a thermometer in there, you bubble-watching homo erectus

hah, lets not let science interfere with a good list of old wives tales.

  On 7/27/2011 at 12:41 PM, Coalbucket PI said:

  On 7/27/2011 at 12:11 PM, keltoi said:

  On 7/27/2011 at 11:18 AM, verticalhold said:

  On 7/27/2011 at 10:39 AM, keltoi said:

  On 7/27/2011 at 8:10 AM, verticalhold said:

4 minutes once water is boiling. easy

 

you mean drop them in once the water is boiling for 4 minutes? think you're going to have cracked, hard boiled eggs there mate.

 

i mean leave them in boiling water for 4 minutes. worked out ok for me

 

sorry maybe i'm being stupid. so you put the eggs into cold water, turn hob on, then 4 minutes timed from cold to the perfect soft boiled egg? i think this method would be dependant on how quick your hob boils water. so many variables.

I think he means 4 minutes from when the water is boiling, but its not clear whether the eggs go in cold water or when it boils. I don't boil eggs much but 4 minutes sounds quite long for a runny eggy.

 

But if you are looking for consistent results I think putting the egg in cold water and only timing from when you see bubbles is bound to fail because of what you just said. If you are refrigerating your eggs maybe you should consider letting them come to room temperature before placing carefully in boiling water, at least then you know you're being consistent. Unless you think bringing them to the boil is part of the secret.

yeah 4 minutes is far too long by my eggs-periments.

the bringing them to the boil thing only avoids cracked eggs i think. good idea about taking them out of the fridge beforehand... i don't know why we put them in the fridge anyway since they're not kept in the fridge in the shop.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-perfect-egg-timer/id331004675?mt=8

there is also one for steak:

I tried both. they work really well and improve the result dramatically

  On 7/27/2011 at 3:04 PM, o00o said:

 

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-perfect-egg-timer/id331004675?mt=8

 

there is also one for steak:

 

 

I tried both. they work really well and improve the result dramatically

well i never! and there's one for android. brilliant!

Huh that is pretty cool. Truly we are living in the future.

Worth noting for this thread that the egg timer app says put the egg in cold water. What does altitude affect?

  On 7/27/2011 at 4:54 PM, Coalbucket PI said:

What does altitude affect?

the higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure, the lower the boiling point.

this is great. watmm delivered!

there are free alternatives to that app fyi btw.

but we're back to the crux of my dilemma...

when it's boiling rapidly press 'start'!

lol

I asked an old Chinese fella near me who knows everything about cooking and this is what he said:

First you get "shrimp eye" YOU NO BOIL YET. Then "crab eye" and "fish eye" STILL YOU NO BOILING OK? Then you get "string of pearl" -- THIS ALMOST BOIL, BUT NOT YET OK. Finally you get "raging torrent" AND THIS BOILING.

ESSENTIAL.

the app i downloaded says to put the eggs in boiling water. i will report my findings.

that's what i told you to do man

LUDD TOLD YOU MAN

LUDD TOLD YOU ABOUT THE BOILING WATER

I now use the Delia method, it works every time for me.

DO NOT REFRIGERATE EGGS, IT'S WRONG!

Cut & pasted from her website:

First of all, have a small saucepan filled with enough simmering water to cover the eggs by about ½-inch (1cm).

Then quickly but gently lower the eggs into the water, one at a time using a tablespoon.

Now switch a timer on and give the eggs exactly 1 min simmering time.

Then remove the pan from the heat, put a lid on it and set the timer again, using the following timings:

6 mins will produce a soft, fairly liquid yolk and a white that is just set but still quite wobbly.

7 mins will produce a firmer, more creamy yolk with a white that is completely set

  On 7/30/2011 at 8:31 PM, baph said:

LUDD TOLD YOU MAN

 

LUDD TOLD YOU ABOUT THE BOILING WATER

i know man. i know!!

but i didn't listen!

damn it all to hell!

  On 7/30/2011 at 9:21 PM, hello spiral said:

I now use the Delia method, it works every time for me.

 

DO NOT REFRIGERATE EGGS, IT'S WRONG!

 

Cut & pasted from her website:

 

First of all, have a small saucepan filled with enough simmering water to cover the eggs by about ½-inch (1cm).

Then quickly but gently lower the eggs into the water, one at a time using a tablespoon.

Now switch a timer on and give the eggs exactly 1 min simmering time.

Then remove the pan from the heat, put a lid on it and set the timer again, using the following timings:

6 mins will produce a soft, fairly liquid yolk and a white that is just set but still quite wobbly.

 

7 mins will produce a firmer, more creamy yolk with a white that is completely set

firmer creamy yolk in the ass delia!