How to Boil an Egg in an Electric Kettle

Reviewed by Jennifer Levasseur

Last Updated: May 27, 2024 Fact Checked

Boiled eggs are a delicious and nutritious way to add some extra protein to your meal, or they can be enjoyed on their own as a tasty snack. Believe it or not, you can actually soft-boil or hard-boil your eggs using an electric kettle. It’s super simple and easy to do, and all you need to make it happen is an electric kettle that doesn’t have exposed coils in the bottom of it, which will burn the eggs.

Cooking Eggs in an Electric Kettle

Place 2-4 eggs in the kettle and fill the kettle until the eggs are 1 inch (2.5 cm) under water. Turn on the kettle and let it come to a boil, then turn it off. Use tongs to immediately place the eggs in a bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes before eating.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Soft-Boiling the Eggs

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1
Place the eggs in the electric kettle. Pop open the lid of the kettle, take the eggs out of the carton or container, and gently place them into the kettle so they don’t crack. Don’t fill the kettle more than halfway full with eggs or they may not cook evenly.^{[1]
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- Be careful not to shake the kettle or allow the eggs to roll around to keep them from cracking.
2
Cover the eggs with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Carefully hold the kettle beneath a faucet and pour cool water into it. Make sure you don’t shift the eggs around too much so they don’t crack. Fill the kettle until the water is 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the eggs.^{[2]
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- Use cool water so you don’t overcook the eggs.
Did you know?

You can tell if an egg is good or bad by placing them in water. If the egg sinks to the bottom of the water, then it’s still fresh. If it floats to the top, then it’s bad!

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Make sure the kettle is plugged in and flip the switch to turn it on. Wait until the water comes to a boil and the kettle turns off on its own. If your kettle doesn’t turn off once it reaches a boil, then turn it off yourself as soon as the water starts bubbling.^{[3]
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4
Remove the eggs and place them into a bowl of cold water. Fill a medium to large-sized bowl with cold water and place it near the kettle. Use a pair of tongs or a large spoon and take the eggs out of the kettle and gently place them into the bowl of cold water so they stop cooking.^{[4]
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- It’s important that the water in the bowl is cold so the eggs don’t continue to cook after you remove them.
- You can toss a couple of ice cubes in the bowl of water to cool the eggs even faster.
5
Peel and eat the soft-boiled eggs once they’re cool to the touch. Start peeling a soft-boiled egg by tapping the top of it lightly with a spoon to crack it. Then, use your fingers to carefully lift the shell off of the egg. Continue lifting the shell from the surface of the egg until it’s completely removed.^{[5]
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- Soft-boiled eggs can be enjoyed on their own with a pinch of salt and some fresh cracked pepper, or you can add them to a tasty dish like the top of some avocado toast or in a bowl of ramen noodles.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Hard-Boiling the Eggs

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1
Place the eggs into the kettle and cover them with water. Carefully set the eggs inside of the kettle, making sure you don’t drop them or shake the kettle so they don’t crack. Fill the kettle with cool water until the eggs are covered with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water.^{[6]
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- Make sure you use cool water so you don’t start cooking the eggs!
- Avoid filling the kettle more than halfway full with eggs so they cook evenly.
Plug in the kettle and press the button or switch that turns it on to start it up. Leave it undisturbed until it comes to a boil and turns off automatically. If your kettle doesn’t automatically turn off once the water reaches a boil, wait until the water is bubbling away and then turn it off.^{[7]
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3
Leave the eggs in the kettle for 15 minutes, then transfer them to cold water. Set a timer for 15 minutes and allow the eggs to simply soak in the hot water and cook. Fill a bowl with cool water and place it near the kettle. Once the timer goes off, use a spoon or a pair of tongs to remove the eggs from the water and place them into the cool water.^{[8]
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- The cool water will stop them from cooking further and will allow you to pick them up without burning your hands.
- Set a timer on your stove or on your phone so you can hear it and the eggs won’t overcook.
Tip: If you like your hard-boiled eggs just a little softer, set the timer for 13 minutes instead of 15.
4
Peel the eggs and eat them or store them in your refrigerator. An easy way to peel stubborn hard-boiled eggs is to tap the bottom of the egg a few times on your sink or countertop to crack it, then use your fingers to start lifting the shell from the bottom. If bits of the shell are stuck on the egg, hold the egg under running water as you peel to loosen them. You can then eat the eggs, or place them in a container in your refrigerator for up to a week.^{[9]
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- Hard-boiled eggs are great on their own with some salt and pepper, but you can also chop them up and toss them into a salad to add some extra protein!

Community Q&A

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Question

My gran used to use a separate pot to boil eggs as she claimed that toxins cane off the shells whilst boiling. Is there any truth in this?

Ashley K

Community Answer

Eggshells are edible and packed with calcium. No toxins should come off the shells when boiling.

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Question

Is there a limit to how many you can cook at once, or can you do as many as will fit in the kettle?

Community Answer

Boil as many as you want. If you boil them slowly, there's less chance the egg(s) will crack from moving around in the kettle.

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Why in the world would you want to cook using a kettle anyway?

Community Answer

Perhaps someone doesn't have a pot or a pan to boil eggs in, or perhaps they just want to try a different way to do the job.

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Tips

Set a timer so you don’t overcook your eggs!

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Holding the egg under a running faucet as you peel it can make it easier to remove the shell.

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