There is always a debate about the best way to make boiled eggs. It is just accepted that making the perfect hard-boiled egg is so methodical, it could be its own science. There have been discussions on the type of water, the amount of water, the type of egg, the age of the egg, and even the cooking time. Now let's throw in another question and discuss the benefit of additives to the water, including vinegar, in hopes of making the process easier.

First, Why Vinegar?

You may have come across a recipe or two about adding vinegar to the water before adding the eggs. The addition of vinegar to the water is believed to make the peeling job easier. Since acetic acid, which is essentially vinegar, can break down the calcium bicarbonate found in egg shells, it is hypothesized this can aid in an easier peeling process. A great science experiment is to place an egg in a jar of vinegar overnight and see what happens.

Does Vinegar Make Peeling Hard Boiled Eggs Easier?

After reading about "Ken's Eggs" which uses vinegar as a trick for perfect hard-boiled eggs, I decided to do an experiment. I made a batch of hard-boiled eggs with vinegar added (apple cider vinegar), and a batch with no vinegar added. The same process was executed in both. The water covered the eggs in the pot. Eggs were brought to a boil, and the temperature was turned down to a simmer for 13-15 minutes. Both batches were placed in an ice bath after cooking.

During the peeling process, both batches seemed to take the same effort to peel correctly. I wouldn't say that the batch with vinegar faired much better than the batch without vinegar. Based on my experience, I would conclude that vinegar may not be the ultimate trick to easy peeled eggs.

But many in our community, including Ken, of course, disagree, backing the vinegar method. Kimberly Mcpherson said, “I have made these at least 20 times and they always peel perfectly and are cooked to perfection.” Kendra Adams adds, “Finally eggs that peel perfectly, even when using fresh eggs. Not everybody has old eggs lying around the house. So if you need perfectly peelable eggs in a pinch, use this recipe!”

Others are on my side, like SANDY who says, "My husband does it without the vinegar & salt - the trick is cool the eggs then put them in the refrigerator until cold then they peel great."

Yet another Allrecipes community member simply said, "I have been converted to steaming eggs. They peel perfectly every time."

Helpful Tips for Making Hard-Boiled Eggs

Keep in mind that there are some processes that you should always employ when making hard-boiled eggs. Always make sure that the eggs are covered with water by an inch in the pot. Also, placing the eggs in an ice bath after cooking is vital. Cooling the eggs down quickly ensures an easy peel.