Because this is Easter and until this past Christmas, it is the only time I make deviled eggs and we use dyed eggs the cracking method with water would not be something I would try--but if this steam thing didn't work for me ( I will know later today) then I will give that a whirl. What still confounds me where the peeling is concerned is one batch 24 eggs and there is ALWAYS a few that WILL NOT PEEL. Seems if it has anything at all to do with the cooking--they should at least all peel the same when cooked the same?!!

Bob, your Halloween eggs are wonderful. I tried to come up with an Easter theme and decided to just do plain. I was asked to devil 2dozen eggs and never thought of transporting them. Don't have a carrier, so I think I will do as amylou suggested........pack the whites and yolks separately and prepare them when I get there using a bag with tip. I will bring an assortment of garnishes such as red pepper, olives, chives, chopped nuts. Oh, and since so many recommend steaming - that is what I will do. Thank you all for your suggestions.

My mom always made deviled eggs with milk, sugar and apple cider vinegar. They never lasted very long. :) Our family has always loved them but I guess for others it's an acquired taste.

I was thinking it would be kind of fun to use those new Russian flower piping tips to put the yolk in. Make it look fancy :D

Making another, bigger batch now. Never have steamed them before. Too bad I had already started boiling before I read all the responses here. I boil mine, turn off the heat and let them cook for 20 minutes. They're always perfect, no green ring. If I crack the whole eggs shell before I start peeling they seem to peel easier and peel them when they are warm still. If they cool they seem to stick every time.

So my eggs were a disaster. I think I may not have gotten the boiling water boiling enough because after 25 minutes and doing the shaking method to crack the eggs they were a pile of mush. I saved about 5 eggs out of 15. So, trying again...this time to steam them.

Kathsgrdn, hope the next ones turn out better. Do you add anything 'special' to the yolks?

25 minutes is about double the time required.

Steaming - 12-13 minutes. With either method, follow with a cold water bath (with ice cubes).

Fun variations from a restaurant we loved. Take your favorite basic recipe and:

Add a bit of chopped basil

or

Add s bit of finely crumbled bacon and blue cheese

I usually do about 1/3 of the eggs in each variation.

I steam my eggs, cool, then mash the yolks with Miracle Whip and sweet pickle relish.

Elmer, usually I boil the eggs then turn the heat off and let them sit in the hot water for 20 minutes and they are cooked perfectly. This time for some reason they didn't cook, thinking I turned it off before the water was at a good boil. Ali, nothing special, just Miracle Whip, pickle relish, onions and mustard. The second batch I steamed and after 12 minutes they were undercooked, very soft boiled egg...which I gave to my exchange student to eat. Kept them 5 or 6 minutes longer steaming and they were fine. I made sure the water was really boiling good this time before putting the eggs in there. They peeled fairly easy but took some getting them started.

Is the above reference to a microwave egg BOILER or the Egglette device on TV? Since microwaves do not cook from the inside out...they are being quickly boiled in these devices.

I always use water as it comes from the tap so it could be cold or could be warm. Boil for at least 10 minutes and sometimes longer if I forget! Drain and cover with cold water from tap, let set for a good 5 minutes or so. I crack them on paper towel and the shell comes off nicely. I always give them a quick rinse under the faucet in case I missed any tiny pieces of shell.

I start them in hot tap water......boil about 8 minutes and put them in ice water. I crack them all over and put them back in the ice water to peel. They are usually perfect.

Elizabeth, my microwave egg cooker is a plastic egg shaped item, that is lined with aluminum. Now, at the risk of antagonizing our Elmer J. Fudd. I still maintain that the eggs are steamed in the cooker/boiler. Read up on it ELMER!

Microwave ovens do not “cook from the inside out”, as many people say.Microwaves actually heat from the outside in, very similar to other heating methods.Microwaves are actually pretty simple devices. The core components needed for amicrowave are simply a magnetron and a high voltage source.Jun 27, 2012

Myth: Microwaves cook from the inside out. | IGN Boards - IGN ...

www.ign.com/boards/threads/myth-microwaves-cook-from-the-inside-out.452552710/

Cover the eggs with water, bring to boil, cover, remove from heat, let sit for 20 minutes. Run cold water and throw in some ice cubes to chill. There is an air pocket at one end of the egg. If you tape it , most times the shells come off so easy. I run under water as I peel. Been doing this for years.

One of my favorite ways to serve eggs for brunch/holidays is oven baked scotch eggs. Sometimes I make a mustard sauce.

Ok, Glenda, now you have to post the recipe for scotch eggs!

lgmd, thanks for offering an authoritative anonymous post from a video game forum. If that's not a source to be trusted, I don't know what is. Did you know what you were citing? I'd guess not.

Microwaves heat by exciting (causing movement) to the molecules (often water) contained inside the food placed there. Can't easily warm (or cook) stuff that's dry in a microwave. Try that, you'll see. Try leaving out the water from your egg gizmo, you'll find the eggs cook in perhaps a few tens of seconds longer but cook all the same.

Intimidate me? No, it's just a conversation. Nothing is personal. Opinions can be informed or uninformed and differ for other reasons too.

Ever since the invention of the microwave oven, there have been a number of myths regarding how microwaves cook and how the affect the food. One such myth really stands out because it seems so incredible. It is, in fact, one of the 'features' of microwave cooking that made people want to buy one when they first came on the market. Many, many people believe that microwaves cook food from the inside out. They have been told that the microwaves penetrate the food to the center, and beginning exciting the water molecules to produce heat, and then this heat moves outwards to cook the rest of the food. Or Something like that? Is it true? No, it is not even remotely true. Microwaves cook food from the outside in, just like a regular oven. In fact, most of the cooking on the inside of the food, depending on its thickness, is done by heat conduction from the outside surfaces inwards, as the microwaves do not actually penetrate that far into the food.

http://www.culinarylore.com/food-science:do-microwaves-cook-from-the-inside-out

Is this one good enough?

Here's another.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/09/23/1204808.htm

Okay, anything from Australia is perfect. Another example of misinformation from an Internet search.

The chamber stays cool. The inside gets hot. It's not cooking from the outside in.

From you "outside to inside" people confused about the microwave process, if you put a steak in a microwave, does the outside brown as it does in an "outside to inside" regular oven? If not, why not?

WHATEVER!

Foods do not brown in the microwave, but are still cooking from the outside.

Yeah. I'm not getting into this either.

Well I steamed them single layer for 15 minutes. Then cold bath. So far they are very tight in their shells but if you get that membrane closest to the white to come up you are home free. I so have the same very very thin green circle on the edge which I was disappointed about. We colored the rest so will have to wait until tomorrow to see how they peel. Deviled eggs/kolaches/fruit medley for a light breakfast after Mass. Usually accompanied by mimosas but with everyone driving we will be abstain this year. Happy Easter!!!

Elmer, read the entire post. The first one is NOT from Australia. http://www.culinarylore.com/food-science:do-microwaves-cook-from-the-inside-out

And you didn't read my entire comment. You're citing an individual person's blog. Who is he, what are his qualifications, what is he basing his comments on? I'll start a blog, then I can do a search and cite myself as an authority?

I'm done too. As with the "this is how I always do it' comments, some of you do a good job of ignoring or disregarding information you don't want to have or that differs from your own views. I won't change that and won't try but you inspire me and others to be open minded. I'm often wrong, I often learn new things. Try it!

Is this good enough? It's the FDA.

https://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/ResourcesforYouRadiationEmittingProducts/ucm252762.htm

Although heat is produced directly in the food, microwave ovens do not cook food from the "inside out." When thick foods are cooked, the outer layers are heated and cooked primarily by microwaves while the inside is cooked mainly by the conduction of heat from the hot outer layers.

Now, I'm going back to cooking eggs.

Who is this FDA? Is this part of the Washington swamp that our quick on the draw zipper dropping leader is draining by firing everyone who works for the government or who disagrees with him?

Just kidding - about the FDA part. That's real information. Half right and half wrong, now I understand but without an explanation why no browning. It must be that the heat is too low. Thanks.

As said before, I avoid cooking in a microwave and recommend others to try the same. For eggs, steaming over boiling water in a pot is the best and most reliable method. Except for those who always do it a different way.

This is quite the Hot Topic. Regardless, I would love to shovel some HB eggs into my mouth about now!!!

I just cooked my hard boiled eggs again using Elsie's method..

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_steam_eggs/

I used a medium Revere Ware stock pot with the insert she shows in the pictures.. I don't have a name, I bought it from Publix. I cooked 12 eggs. If I cook less than 12 eggs, I use a smaller pot. I brought the water to boiling (it was at the bottom of the insert). Added the eggs and steamed for 12 minutes. The eggs were dated P1034 0083 AL208/ Best by May 07.

They peeled perfectly. No divots. I am making my usual deviled eggs, but am looking forward to using some new ideas I found here.

Happy Easter!

Essentially the same approach as described in the Lopez-Alt piece I linked up above. It does work consistently well. Glad you had a good experience.

Elmer, go away! I always have a good experience with deviled eggs. I for sure don't need your know nothing, argue with everything. We know how to cook. We do not need your stupid semi-scientific method. You won't listen to anything that does not back up your set in stone ideas for the stone age. You argue with everything. You won't listen to anyone. You have no idea what you are talking about. Anyone but you is stupid.

Yes, I had a good experience! I know what I am doing. I for sure do not need your pat on the back! Do NOT patronize me, just because you think you are a know it all MAN!

What I found is that when I steam the eggs, I need to put the eggs in the basket and then turn the burner on to heat the water to boiling. I've found that if I put ice cold eggs on top of boiling water in the basket, the shells will break opened and egg whites will ooze out all over the pot, ruining the eggs! My method is to put the eggs in the basket with a couple of inches of cool tap water in the pot below, leave the lid off and bring water to a boil. Cover the pot and steam them for 20 minutes. I usually have the burner set to a low setting...electric element type stove, steam on the 3 setting usually.

PS. My method is from trial and ERROR! HAHA!

I have also tried the Instant Pot with perfect results.

The recipe I use is: egg yolk, mayo, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, mild curry powder!!! Also either rinsed capers or diced dill pickle.

The curry powder is my favorite additive. Mother's recipe.

An update -- I steamed the eggs and was very pleased with the results. The only drawback was that only 8 eggs could be done in a single row, so that part took longer than usual. All in all they were a hit thanks to all your hints.

Something that I’ve taken to doing, that I like is to cook a couple extra eggs, depending on how many you’re making. I mash these thoroughly with the yolks. This way there is enough filling to really look nice when piped into the whites. Also, if there are any that come out less than perfect after peeling, it’s a good way to use them up.

I do the same as louise, I always put any crummy looking whites in with the yolks and whiz them all up in the food processor. If I don't add one or two halves to the yolks, I always seem to come up short of yolks for a nice fill.

exactly Oly. That’s why I started doing that.

This surprises me. I ALWAYS have extra filling!! I steamed 30 eggs, first time ever. 30 perfect peels!! Thank you for this hint. The first breakfast batch was just mayo/yellow mustard/horseradish. The Easter Dinner eggs I added Mayo/green olives/Parmesan cheese/onion. They really combined nicely in my new mini chopper. No clods that wouldn't go through the pastry tip!! The second batch was thinner. Them's the breaks when you eye ball the mayo!! LOL. Thanks again!!

arcy, I guess it must come down to how you like the presentation. I like to overfill the cavity.

I sometimes have a crummy looking white and I too just mix it up good with the yolks. It adds to the filling.

For those arguing about microwaves....here is an easy to understand explanation. And they appear to cook from the inside out sometimes (with more liquid foods) because the waves penetrate more easily than a dense piece of meat for example. The microwaves are actually trying to excite and ‘heat’ entire molecules at once, making the whole cooking process faster.

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/microwaveovens.html

I'd read this thread before Easter, so I tried the boiling water method. I must have had a cracked egg, because one of them immediately started seeping egg white into the water. I tossed in some vinegar, which I always put in the cold water, but had forgotten to put any in the boiling water. Boiled the refrigerated eggs for 12 minutes, which produced a bright yellow yolk, with no green ring. All the eggs peeled wonderfully, but the one that seeped had a flat end. I sprinkled some salt on the white and ate it, but added the yolk to the others. I like to overfill the depressions in the egg white, too, so I usually add a couple of extra eggs to the pot.

I thought I didn't care for deviled eggs, but I always make them for the family. After reading the variations above, I decided to experiment--I added a squeeze of prepared mustard, salt and freshly ground pink, green, black and white peppercorns, and enough creamy Italian salad dressing to make the yolks the consistency I wanted. Piped it into the egg whites, and they were delicious. I'll never go back to Mayo or Miracle Whip. And next time I'll make more, because I will be eating them, too. ;)

Interesting! Now I am craving deviled eggs.

I used to use Miracle Whip (as that’s what Mom used) until I tried Hellmann’s. Never went back!

The same product is called Best Foods mayo in the west, the same manufacturer as Hellmann's. Miracle Whip is an ersatz substitute for real mayonnaise, developed as a cheaper substitute. To those used to mayo, it's not as tasty. Like comparing butter to margarine.

I just read this thread and Georgysmom's fabulous recipe for avocado eggs. With bacon!! I can't wait to try that recipe and some of the others!! I'm eating low carb right now and eggs are an important part of my food selections.

A health note: stuff with mayo should not be left out for a long time. That is going to be my perfect excuse to finish off the entire plate of avocado stuffed eggs :)

I've never cared for the taste of mayo or Miracle Whip--I once received an 'A' on an essay I wrote in high school about how much I disliked mayo. I keep both in the fridge, because my kids like them, and as louiseab did, I used them in deviled eggs because that's what my mother used. I like creamy Italian dressing, though, and a few years ago I started substituting it for the mayo/MW in tuna salad and potato salad.

Oh, speaking of moms and mayo, I remember my mother once read that mayonnaise made a good hair moisturizer, so she greased her hair up and wrapped it in Saran wrap. We kids thought that was hilarious!

I too want a FULL looking egg and with my pastry bag I have a mound on each egg that closely mimics the whole yolk that was there. I still have a bag of the yolk mixture in the fridge in fact. I am not seeing how you all don't have enough yolk mixture to mound the all beautifully with left overs. We will use the extra on crackers before dinner with drinks. Think about it you are talking the yolk out and adding ingredients...you are going to have MORE than when you started. It must be about what is left behind in the bowl.