Ingredients :

• The eggs — Get them fresh, but not too fresh. A paradox? A little. Very fresh eggs stick to the shell during cooking, and you end up with a moon-like surface when trying to peel them. Eggs that are 5 to 7 days old peel much better. Size matters too: these timings assume a standard M or L size. An XL takes 30 to 45 seconds longer.
• The water — Not cold at the start — that’s the classic mistake. We start with already boiling water to have precise control over the cooking time. With cold water, the time it takes to reach a boil varies depending on the pot, the stove, and the altitude: as a result, you never really know how long the egg has been in the heat.
• The ice water bowl — Not optional. The egg continues to cook off the heat because of the heat stored in the shell. Without a cold bath, a perfect 6-minute soft-boiled egg becomes a disappointing medium-hard egg 3 minutes later. Use ice cubes if you have them, very cold water otherwise.