This Genius Trick Will Help You Peel Hard Boiled Eggs in Seconds

Whether you’re whipping up deviled eggs, egg salad, or just snacking on a hard boiled egg, there’s one pesky problem that always gets in the way. We’re talking about the stubborn shell. Peeling it away from the eggy goodness inside can feel like a battle against tiny shards or take so long that you forget why you even wanted to eat it in the first place.

If you find yourself frustrated by this predicament, you’ll be happy to learn that there’s an easy trick for removing an egg's shell in seconds. The technique was shared on YouTube back in 2015 but gained a lot of attention when it resurfaced more recently thanks to its simple solution for easily peeling hard boiled eggs. Take a look below:

I have viewed this video about 20 times. It just seems too good to be true, right? There might be some editing or sleight of hand going on — which is why I had to try it out for myself.

I started with the basics: the actual boiling of the egg. For such a humble task, people have very strong opinions on the best way to hard boil eggs. I use a method that requires placing the egg in water, bringing the water to a boil, then turning the heat off and covering the saucepan for 10 minutes to finish cooking. I then place the egg in a bowl with ice water to stop the cooking process.

For this test, I didn't roll the egg on my countertop to crack its shell like I normally do. Instead, I carefully plopped it into a glass and covered it with a little water. After swishing it around for a few seconds, I attempted to slide it right out of the shell like they do in the video.

It didn’t go as well as the video demonstrates, but I could tell that swirling the egg around in a little bath had helped to separate it from its shell. The water method also gently cracked the shell all over without accidentally smashing it like I’ve maybe (definitely) done when using my rolling technique.

I also used an organic brown egg instead of a white one like the video shows. Still, it took just a few seconds for me to peel the shell away in much bigger sections than the tiny shards I’ve struggled with in the past.

Give it a try the next time you’re in the mood for an egg-cellent snack and I’m sure you’ll be just as pleased.