Boiling an egg is all about timing and temperature, but there are so many variables, it can scramble your brain before you even start.

So, let’s reduce the variables. Use the same size eggs if possible, and always start the cooking with boiling water – not cold, and not just hot from the tap. That way, you’ll get the same end result every time, no matter the size of your pot.

Cooking the egg

Use a spoon to gently lower your eggs into the water, reduce the heat to keep the water at a continuous simmer, and set the timer. Eggs straight from the fridge are fine, but don’t overcrowd the pot, or they’ll crack each other up.

• For soft-boiled eggs with a runny yolk, cook the eggs for six minutes. Remove, drain and place straight into your egg cup to serve with soldiers of hot buttered toast.
• For medium-boiled eggs with a jammy yolk, cook for eight minutes. Drain and immediately place in a bowl of cold water in the sink to stop the cooking. Peel and halve to serve with salads.
• For hard-boiled eggs, cook for 10 minutes, then drain and place in cold water as above. Peel and quarter or slice, or mash for egg sandwiches.

These timings are based on large eggs (55-60 grams), labelled 700 grams per dozen.

If you keep cooking your eggs, you’ll get a greenish ring around the yolk, caused by a chemical reaction between the sulphur of the egg white and the iron of the egg yolk. This is not ideal.

Peeling the egg

Now for the tricky part (it hasn’t been tricky at all so far), and that’s peeling your lovely googy-egg without pitting it with craters.

A good tip is to roll the boiled egg gently on the bench with the palm of your hand, pressing down gently to loosen the membrane beneath the shell, then proceed to peel.

But I think my way is better – when you drop the cooked egg into the bowl of cold water to stop the cooking, tap the bottom of the egg two or three times against the bowl to crack the shell, then peel the egg under water.

This allows the water to help loosen the membrane, leaving the shell to float off in shards. Added bonus: your boiled egg is also rinsed of any remaining flecks of shell.

The fresher the egg, however, the harder it is to peel. To find out how fresh it is, place your egg in a deep bowl of water – if it sinks to the bottom, it’s fresh. In which case, soft-boil it for breakfast, and you won’t have to peel it. Problem solved.