Speaking of hard boiled eggs.....(please don't think I'm a total idiot!)

Why is it that my eggs crack when I put them in the boiling pot of water?  No, I don't drop them in....

Hmmmmmmmmm

~H~

try putting them in the water when its still cold.

From what I know that is how youre supposed to boil eggs.  Not drop them in the boiling water but put them in cold and heat the water with the eggs in them already..

It could also be that you are overcooking them.  Mine always crack when I wander off and sort of forget them.  At least I know that they are really done. 

Well, the curiosity was killing me so I "researched" it, lol.  Apparently, I've been doing this all wrong!  You aren't even supposed to actually boil them!  According to  About.com: 

1. Place eggs in single layer in saucepan.
2. Cover with at least one inch of cold water over tops of shells.
3. Cover pot with lid and bring to a boil over medium heat.
4. As soon as the water comes to a full boil, remove from heat and let stand.
5. Large soft-cooked eggs: let stand in hot water 1 to 4 minutes, depending on your tastes.
6. Large hard-cooked eggs: let stand in hot water 15 to 17 minutes.
7. When cooked to desired level, drain off hot water.
8. Immediately cover with cold water and add a few ice cubes.
9. Soft-cooked eggs: let stand in cold water until cool enough to handle. Serve.
10. Hard-cooked eggs: let stand in cold water until completely cooled. Use as needed.

Tips:

1. Never boil eggs. It makes them rubbery.
2. Use older eggs. Fresh ones won't peel properly.
3. To keep eggs from cracking while cooking (before placing in water), pierce large end with a needle, which will also make them easier to peel.

Mine only crack if they hit the bottom of the pot too hard. Try lowering them in there with a spoon instead.

They crack as soon as I GENTLY lower them into the boiling water.

I have pot on stove now and I'm going to put them in cold water now and bring them to a boil....

Wow little_wing....that seems a lot more complicated than it actually is LOL

I can't stand soft boiled eggs so I'll risk the rubber egg theory.

~H~
Thanks all~~~

Yep, start by putting the eggs in cold water and then turning on the stove. Also, they say that the trick to getting good peeling eggs is that they can't be fresh eggs. So, if you bought them a week ago, they'll peel pretty good for ya.

Yes, use eggs at least 1 week old. Fresh eggs don't peel well at all. The directions you found are more complicated than necessary. But the basics:

1. Put eggs in pan in cold water
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat (no need for lid, but lid will help them come to boil faster)
3. Turn heat down and simmer for about 15 minutes for hard-boiled.
4. Drain off the hot water and add cold water (and some ice if you want them to cool faster)

If your eggs are rubbery, cook at a lower temperature. If your eggs get that dark ring around the yolk, you are cooking at too high of a temp for too long. The dark ring is not dangerous.

Buy an egg piercer which is a little gizmo which puts a hole in the egg before you put it in the water and is easier than the needle concept.  You can sometimes find them in the dollar store.  I have used one for years and love it.   

Yeah, you need to put the eggs in the pan while the water's still cold because dropping them straight into boiling water will cause the shells to crack due to the sudden change in temperature. Especially if they've just come out of the fridge. I would go into glorious chemical detail about it all...being a chemistry student, but I would only bore you as well as myself!

Oh, and my mum always swears by adding a pinch of salt to the water. This lowers the boiling point of the water so it means the egg and shell don't reach as high a temperature and is therefore less likely to crack.

What is a soft cooked egg? Is it something like a poached egg?

I make 1 doz hard boiled eggs every week I put them in a pan of cold water, put a lid on it, bring to a boil, as soon as they're boiling shut heat off let stand 10-15 min they come out perfectly every time no soft yolk no grey yolks and no rubbery whites easy peasy

A soft cooked egg is basically hard boiled, but the yolk just isn't as hard.

Yeah if you don't cook the egg for as long then you end up with a runnier, softer yolk than if you cook it for about 10 minutes to get a hard boiled egg with a solid yolk. :)

I think it's also easier if you let the eggs cometo room temperature.

I put my eggs in the pan, then add the cold water.  Bring to boil, cover shut off heat and let them sit for desired doneness.  Just realized that some one had mentioned this already.  So, for the third time , put the eggs in the pan, then add the cold water.

I eat 3 or 4 eggs a day and have always had problems with peeling, losing much egg white to the trash. Thanks all for the info. I had just boiled them until they cracked! I figured they were done then. I also always use the freshest eggs so this is all good news, now one question. I feel bad always throwing away the yolk, is there anything I can use them to make for the rest of the family? I toss them because of the fat and cholesterol.

raspberrydreams - adding salt to the water makes boil at a higher temperature, not a lower one. 

But I do agree with raspberry dreams that it's the sudden change in temperature, if you keep your eggs in the fridge and then put them in boiling water the shells are going to crack.

Even better:  Buy an egg cooker.  You end up with a perfect egg (soft, medium or hard boiled) every time.

http://www.eggcookers.net/electriceggcookers- c-5_12.html

Add to the list in post #3 - place the cooked eggs in very cold water to rapidly chill, then refrigerate promptly.  This avoids the greenish ring that sometimes forms around the yolk.