Cook Hard-Boiled Eggs In Your Instant Pot Perfectly Using The 5-5-5 Method

As straightforward as it seems, making a pristine hard-boiled egg can test even the most experienced home cooks. Ensuring the golden yolk solidifies without turning the white into an unappetizing gelatinous gray blob is a process of precision that can easily go awry if distractions take your attention away from the stove. But a boiling pot of water isn't the only, or best, way to cook the eggs. These days, folks have their choice of appliances to get the job done (you can even make hard-boiled eggs in an air fryer). And one in particular takes the guesswork out of the task if you follow a simple formula called the 5-5-5 method.

An Instant Pot functions as a slow cooker and a pressure cooker all rolled into one appliance, but for eggs, you'll want to utilize the pressure setting. The 5-5-5 method calls for placing your water and eggs into the Instant Pot and setting it to cook at high pressure for five minutes. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure gradually reduce for another five minutes, allowing them to finish cooking slowly.

At this point, the eggs should be fully cooked. To prevent overcooking due to residual heat, fill a bowl with ice water and let them soak for an additional five minutes (the third and final "5"). It's a far cry from how Julia Child made tender hard-boiled eggs, but then again, she didn't have a trusty Instant Pot available during her time in the kitchen. Three cheers for the future!

The 5-5-5 method is a terrific rule of thumb to follow, but every rule has its exceptions. For example, as one might assume, a medium-sized egg will be done faster than a jumbo egg in an Instant Pot or using any other technique. Depending on their size, you may want to tweak the cooking time slightly.

Altitude also affects the timing. Water has a lower boiling point at higher elevations. That means you might need to add more liquid to the appliance if you reside at a higher elevation and adjust the duration the eggs spend in the Instant Pot.

Perhaps the most important step in the process is dunking the egg in an ice bath, but it does more than just stop it from overcooking. The icy water also makes peeling away the shell a breeze. Using older eggs that have been sitting in the fridge for a while will also make for an easier peel, as fresh eggs tend to be a bit more challenging, no matter how they are cooked.